Swindon Link Poetry Correspondent Maurice Spillane reflects on Ireland and its people
Holidaying in Ireland this year? It’s forty-minutes from Bristol Airport and costs around £50return. Compare that to a train fare to London!
Dublin is special, then head west to Kerry, Connemara or Donegal and lose yourself, though you’ll never get lost. Everyone speaks English and everyone’s friendly. What should you look out for?
The first oddity is that we pronounce Three as Tree. There’s no TH sound in Irish. Yet it’sstrange that English people say River Thames without TH.
Don’t say “Top of the morning to ye!” or “Sure and Begorrah” – those are hated Hollywood fabrications. Greet people as you pass on country walks and expect to be asked “Where are you from?” as a conversation opener. Ask for directions if you’re lost. However, watch out, as “not far” can mean 10m or 300m.
Knowing some dialect is helpful. I use Grand all the time. Everything is grand – drives my wife crazy. You’ll hear the word Craic a lot. It sounds like crack, an Irishism for fun, wonder, excitement as in “It’s great craic.” Our F-word is Feck, which is not a curse. It’s from the Irish word Feicim, which means I see. It’s very useful: That Fecker, It’s Fecking cold, What the feck?
Always say Please and Thanks, even to the bus driver. You’ll think it’s odd, but it’s our way.
Don’t ask about Leprechauns! Better to wreck your head deciphering this 6th century Druid prophesy:
Across the sea will come Adze-head,
Crazed in the head,
His cloak with a hole for the head,
His stick bent in the head.
He will chant impiety
From a table in front of his house;
All his people will answer:
Be it thus. Be it thus.
Pulpit Pub in Old Town for Open Mic, Wednesday 26 August at 7:30.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article