By Bob Carney
“Inniu bigil lá San Seoirse” arsa sí.
“Nach bhfuil a fhios agat go bhfuil lánréim ag ainspridí an tsaoil an nóiméad a bhuailfidh an clog ar uair an mheán oíche anocht?”
“It is the eve of St. George’s Day,” she said.
“Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?”
From the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker
Teaching Irish Through Creativity
Teaching children (and even some adults) Irish can sometimes be challenging. My grandchildren, for example, show only a reserved interest in the language, often just humoring their “crazy old grandpa.” But turning language development into a game can make all the difference!
Even though my examples revolve around my grandkids, in a way, we are all “toddlers” when learning to speak Irish.
Irish Journals and Storytelling
Keeping a journal or telling stories is a great way to incorporate Irish into everyday life. I once attended a writing class where the instructor said, “If you can talk, you can write.”
During Halloween, my grandkids love spinning spooky tales. I encourage them to substitute a few words or phrases with their Irish equivalents to give the story a richer cultural feel. In our Speak Irish classes, we’ve even taken favorite storylines and enhanced them with Irish vocabulary.
Fun Irish Games for Learning
Labeling Game with Post-Its
- What You Need: Post-it notes, a dictionary, and a timer.
- How to Play: Identify household objects, label them in Irish, and pronounce their names.
- Optional: Use teanglann.ie to hear proper pronunciations.
- Halloween Twist: Create themed vocabulary lists, like spooky items or seasonal objects.
Scavenger Hunt
- Make an Irish vocabulary scavenger hunt with index cards listing items to find (e.g., a red car: dearg, or numbers on license plates).
- First to check off all the items wins.
Numbers in Irish
- Zero: a náid (uh noyj)
- One: a h-aon (uh hayn)
- Two: a dó (uh doe)
- Three: a trí (uh tree)
- Four: a ceathair (uh kya-her)
- Five: a cúig (uh koo-ig)
- Six: a sé (uh shay)
- Seven: a seacht (uh shakht)
- Eight: a h-ocht (uh hawkht)
- Nine: a naoi (uh nee)
- Ten: a deich (uh jeh)
Colors in Irish
- Yellow: buí (bwee)
- White: bán (bawn)
- Red: dearg (jer-uhg)
- Purple: corcra (kor-kuh-ruh)
- Orange: oráiste (or-awsh-tuh)
- Pink: bándearg (bawn jer-ugh)
- Black: dubh (duhv)
- Blue: gorm (gor-um)
- Brown: donn (duhn)
- Grey: liath (lee-uh)
- Green: glas (gloss)
Irish Around the House
- Dog: madra (mod-ruh)
- Pup: coileán (kill-on)
- Cat: cat (kaht)
- Kitten: piscín (pish-keen)
- Carpet: brat (brat) or cairpéad (car-payed)
- Lamp: lampa (lamp-a)
- Couch: tolg (tull-ug)
- Table: bord (bored)
- Fridge: cuisneoir (kwish-nore)
- Sink: doirteal (der-tul)
- Plate: pláta (plaw-ta)
- Fork: forc (fork)
- Spoon: spúnóg (spoon-ug)
Bonus Irish Words and Phrases
- Yes: sea (shah)
- No: ní hea (nee hah)
- Thank You: go raibh maith agat (gorra mah ah-gut)
- You’re Welcome: Tá fáilte romhat (taw fahl-cha roe-it)
- Please: le do thoil (lay duh hull)
- Excuse Me: Gabh mo leithscéal (guh mo leshkale)
- Good Job: Maith thú (mah who)
- Very Good: An mhaith (ahn wah)
Halloween Vocabulary in Irish
- Witch: cailleach (kayell-ach)
- Skeleton: creatlach (krat-luhk)
- Pumpkin: puimcín (pum-keen)
- Ghost: taibhse (tiv-shuh)
- Bat: sciathán leathair (ski-hawn la-hayr, lit. “leather wing”)
- Vampire: vampír (vam-peer)
Feast of Samhain
On November 1st, Samhain marks the end of summer and the start of winter. For the ancient Celts, this was a time for community gatherings and discussions of important matters, making it one of their most significant holidays.
Celebrate this season by learning Irish phrases and vocabulary, and share them with family and friends for a memorable, cultural experience!
