CURRENT ISSUE:  OCTOBER 2023

Speak Irish: Tús Maith – A Good Start

By Bob Carney In the September issue of iIrish, we covered some of what we study in our beginner Speak Irish class (https://iirish.us/speak-irish-a-fresh-start/). I’m happy to tell you that once […]

Speak Irish: Dobhar Chú

Bob Carney explores Irish mythology, connecting it to Lake Erie’s legendary creature, “Bessie.” This cryptid is believed to be a descendant of the Plesiosaur and is often associated with a dog-like head. Carney delves into the rich world of Irish folklore and the Dobhar Chú, a water hound known for its aggressive nature. He also provides linguistic insights into various animal names in the Irish language.

Speak Irish: Féasta Foclóir

By Bob Carney In spite of a rough start this summer, we managed to make it to quite a few of the festivals already this year. We’ve enjoyed some great […]

Speak Irish: The Blind Man’s Vision

By Bob Carney I’ve been relistening to a series of lectures by Professor Marc C. Conner from Washington and Lee University, collectively titled “The Irish Identity, Independence, History and Literature.” […]

Speak Irish: : Irish and Scots Gaelic

The month of June kicks off festival season here in northern Ohio. We try to attend as many as possible, one of our favorites is The Ohio Scottish Games and […]

Speak Irish: The Dark Goddess

In one of the most famous, “Tain Bó Cuailnge” or the Cattle Raid of Cooley, she appears as a heifer at one point, but also leads an army of fifty-thousand, comprised of warriors from all four provincces of Ireland. When the battle cath (cah) cath a chur, (cah ah chur) to wage a battle (cath a bhriseadh ar orm means to defeat an enemy in battle), starts to go against her, she grabs a sword 

Speak Irish: Tá Mé Buioch!

Speak Irish:   Tá Mé Buíoch! by Bob Carney  As I was thinking of a topic for this month’s column, perhaps something to do with Thanksgiving or fall, I got a […]

Speak Irish: Oíche Shamhna

Speak Irish: Oíche Shamhna by Bob Carney Oíche Shamhna (ee-ha how-na) or Samhain Eve (sow-in), Halloween as most of us know it, was the principal holiday for the ancient celts. […]