“Just the tip of your finger touches me and I bloom”

— Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, ‘Blodeuwedd’

Ainmhithe as Gaeilge!

I never thought I'd see a music video for a rap song with Irish in it and in which the artist is wearing chainmail, carrying a sword, and rapping about spice bags and Centra, but Denise Chaila is just That Bitch apparently

Source: sarahmhop on Twitter

“Of course you have red hair and pronouns”

Irish proper nouns are very descriptive, so long as you are describing a thing to a child

Some other great Irish names for animals:

Wolf: Mac Tíre - “Son of the Earth”

Another word for wolf: faolchú - “wild dog”

Otter: madra uisce- “water dog”

Fox: madra rua- “red dog”

Pine Martin: caitcrann - "tree cat"

Owl: scréachóg realige - “graveyard screecher”

Falcon: bod gaoithe - “wind dick/wind asshole”

Bat: sciathán leathair - “leather wing”

Ladybird/ladybug: bóin Dé - “God’s little cow”

Jellyfish: smugairle róin - “seal snot”

Anemone: cíoch charraige - “rock boob”

Going to get this in early this year.

Bring it back.

Writing Out of Doors / Dom-fharcai fidbaide fál

medieval Irish poem from the St Gall manuscript dated 904 AD

translation here by James Carney

From The White Cat and the Monk, by Jo Ellen Bogart and Sydney Smith. A retelling of a ninth-century poem written by an unnamed Irish Benedictine monk comparing his scholarly pursuits to the hunting activities of his cat, Pangur Bán. 

APPLE: Malus pumila

In Ireland, the apple is considered one of the foods of the dead; during Samhain apples are often piled on altars and graves, giving the festival the nickname ‘the feast of apples’. Before a funeral, a coffin may be lined with apple wood to restore youth in the afterlife. During Samhain, bobbing for apples is a common game to play; if you are to capture an apple, it is symbolic of being allowed to cross over to the island of Avalon and you will be blessed for a year. Incidentally, the name Avalon is considered to be of either Welsh, Cornish, or Breton origin, from avallen, meaning ‘fruit tree’ or the old Irish aball, meaning apple.

Avalon isn't an Irish myth but it's interesting to see the linguistic overlap with Welsh and British legends.

You must go where I cannot,    You must go where I cannot,  Pangur Bán Pangur Bán,          Pangur Ban Pangur Ban Níl sa saol seo ach ceo,            There is nothing in this life but mist, Is ní bheimid beo,                      And we are not alive, ach seal beag gearr.                 but for a little short spell.

Isn’t pangur ban the Kells kitty

Not from the Book of Kells, but from the same exhibition! Just a 9th century-ish monk’s poem about his cat. The film the Secret of Kells also had a monk who had a cat called Pangur Bán.

Má tá tú i do chonaí i gaeltacht nó bainteach le gaelscoil tá fhios agat cé comh deacair go bhfuil sé uaireanta achmhainní Gaeilge maith don eolaíocht a fháil; fiú faoi dúlra na hEireann. Tá sé go iontact go bhfuil Plean um Pailneoirí Uile-Éireann don Aos Óg as Gaeilge, lán do eolas suimiúil faoi beacha agus pailneoirí eile na hEireann.

If you live in a gaeltacht or are connected to a gaelscoil then you know that its hard to find resources in Irish, especially in the science, even about the environment of Ireland. That’s why its so great that there’s a kids version of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan that’s in Irish. It’s full of so much fun information about Irish bees and pollinators.

This is the kind of education People for Bees is trying to improve access to.

www.idonate.ie/people4bees