Motherfoclóir: Dispatches from a Not So Dead Language

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I bought "Motherfoclóir" (Other than a giggle over the title. We Irish speakers get a lot of laughter mileage from the way "foclóir" and "focal" are pronounced!), but it sounded interesting, so I bought a Kindle copy. I ended up reading it from cover to cover over a weekend, and enjoying it thoroughly. The author's love for the language -- its poetry, it's history, its potential for word play -- absolutely shines through. The subtitle "Dispatches from a not-so-dead language" says it all!I enjoyed it so much that I plan to buy a physical copy for my Irish library. This is one that will be revisited again and again.

Humor and interest are of utmost importance in learning Irish. This book is replete with both.I suppose he could have written another dry text about Irish pronunciation, orthography and grammar, like any of the usual books produced by academicians hellbent on running off any casual learners. But instead he starts telling stories which draw the reader into the hunt for a straight path through the language's Byzantine idiosyncrasies. One of the first things he teaches you is that all those extra letters in O'Séaghdha are silent. I won't tell you which ones, since that would be a spoiler.Mixed with his family stories, snatches of history and a wonderfully woven set of digressive definitions he teaches more about the language (including a couple of pages of 'naughty' words) than you'd expect. Of course as I practiced the words I still had that thick American accent I've had for a long time. But since he puts the words in context and really explains them they seem to stick better, even more so on the second reading. The is discussion of the dreaded fada and the notorious h and dozens of other Irish idiosyncrasies.If there is not a biblical reference for this book there should be, perhaps in Second Philadelphians, chapter 12 where we find: "Wherever two or more Irishmen are gathered together, there shall henceforth be argument, strife and many dissenting words." He didn't comment about this per se, but reading his latter, more autobiographical and more digressive chapters where he did comment about how he would not comment on such subjects as abortion, freedom from England, the politicization of the language, his prose is beautiful. He makes me want to punch him in the nose and buy him a beer in the same paragraph, and that is a truly Irish skill. He comments on how Tolkien "...didn't care for the Irish language after attempting to study it, declaring it 'a mushy language' that suffered from 'fundamental unreason'." No wonder Tolkien wrote in the dead English language!This should complement any Irish course taken by an American. Taking an Irish course is like learning to read a newspaper knowing only the 300 word Dr. Seuss vocabulary while memorizing lots of rules and things you don't need. You think you know something but the vocabulary and comprehension are limited. Then to gain vocabulary you have to read more, but to understand what you read, you have to either read children's books or those dull texts. This book hits a happy medium. It keeps expanding the vocabulary and understanding of the language in an interesting way.Someone will ask, well, what course to take to see if I even want to learn Irish? I'd suggest starting the Pimsleur language course, a baby-steps intro which merely teaches some common phrases without having to learn that damnable spelling. Once the reader learns to like the sound then they can look into a beginning course. That particular course has lessons just long enough for a 30 minute commute plus or minus a few minutes.

"Motherfoclóir" is a fascinating book -- at times delightful, at times insightful, and always compelling. Darach Ó Séaghdha gives us a playful look at the Irish language, but also a deeper insight into the the complicated relationship between the language and the people who (sometimes) speak it. Ó Séaghdha makes his strongest emotional connections when discussing the role that Gaeilge had in his relationship with his father, which touches on broader themes with which any father or son could identify. He also raises issues that likely exist within groups that have a older native language that has been eclipsed by English or another dominant tongue, such as the best way to engage younger speakers, how to preserve the integrity of the language, and so on. Ó Séaghdha gives this a lighter touch, and deliberately steers clear of most of the politics of the Irish language, preferring the personal perspective, and the book is all the better for it.As an "anois 'is aríst" American student of Irish, "Motherfoclóir" is a compelling read, but it's so entertaining that it will speak to everyone. It might even teach you a little Irish along the way.

I really enjoyed this book, which I heard about on Twitter, where you can follow Darach at @Motherfocloir. I'm interested in the Irish language—my grandparents spoke it before being forced to learn English in school—and the book is a lighthearted look at the language from the point of view that it's a wonderful treasure and also just really fun to speak.I'm jealous that I never had a chance to learn Irish in school. Learning it on your own just isn't the same, and although I've been to Ireland a few times and can even read Irish a bit now, the book taught me a lot of new words and expressions. On each page are a few little tidbits that are really fun. There's a section on Irish names and how to pronounce them, which could usefully have been extended to the entire book, as Irish is as hard to figure out how to pronounce as any language written in the Roman alphabet. This leads to my only mild complaint, which is that the author has aimed the book mainly at Irish people, who are made to study Irish in school and can therefore pronounce it (even if they've forgotten most of it), but might not care much about it any more. I think he didn't realize when he wrote the book that there is a far larger audience of non-natives who are interested in Irish or even, like me, care very much about the language and really want to speak or read it, but still have problems with basics like pronunciation. If you have no Irish speakers around you, it's very daunting even after years trying to learn it!

If you are fed up with people saying that Irish (and also Scottish Gaelic) is a dead or old-fashioned language, this is the book for you. Darach O'Séaghadha of @TheIrishFor Twitter feed sets things straight with this funny and fascinating book where he shows that the Irish language is a rich, modern and adaptable language and seeks to free it both from the anti-Gaelic brigade and from its association with the old-fashioned, stereotyped rural Ireland of the past and from the old-school conservative elite.The book tell's Darach's own story of his involvement of the language and what it means to him and also shows through his numerous examples of words, phrases and proverbs that languages are not for communication alone but also carry their own view of the world.As a speaker of Scottish Gaelic at lot of Motherfoclóir rings true about Gàidhlig na h-Alba too - it's expressiveness, adaptability and modernity and its need to escape from stereotypes, be accepted in modern settings and to overcome continued irritant of anti-Gaelic prejudice. Motherfoclóir shows that Gaeilge and Gàidhlig are for everybody who wants to learn and use them wherever they are and whatever they want to use them for.Now, stop reading this review and go out and learn Irish!

Leabhar iontach!! Léamh maith dóibh siúd gan aon Ghaeilge, agus spéisiúil dóibh siúd leis :)

Very funny, clever observations about the language and it's lovely nuances.

Darach really brings the language to life. Full of hilarious and thoughtful insights as well as beautifully written snapshots on his own life. I read it in a few sittings but will keep it forever near to dip in and out of.

Wonderful foclóir which you can dip into and out of as the mood takes you. Entertaining and educational