Introductions
Howdy! This is a comm for new and old users alike to introduce themselves and what their hobbies/interests are. This is also a good place to ask questions on anything you'd like to know more about, and generally to get acquainted with Hexbear and its users.
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Hi and welcome Siobhan!!
I absolutely love your name!! Sort of related but I’ve been trying to learn a little bit of Gaeilge (very, very) recently. The pronunciation has been a little bit confusing for me at first but it sounds wonderful when spoken. I should probably stop using Duo Lingo for that and find something better, since someone told me it’s awful for correct pronunciation.
Me too!!! I made the decision to transition earlier this year and have been on HRT for about 6 months now. While sometimes I really regret not figuring it out earlier, it really is never too late and I’m very happy at least my life is now heading in a much more positive direction. But anyways, there are more than a few of us older trans folks on the site, so you’ll be in good company here. :)
Anyways, I’m very glad you made it here and if you have any questions about the site, don’t hesitate to ask.
Learning the language is an act of love! If you're not able to find a múinteoir, then there are some great resources online.
Mollie Guidera offers online language lessons (www.irishwithmollie.com) and often offers free courses/workshops, and if I remember correctly she has social media with cute little videos on language learning and speculation on etymology.
Molly Nic Céile just released a lovely little book, Gaeilge i mo chroí (Irish in my heart), and also does some online lessons.
Manchán Magan is an Irish folklorist who explores very localized language to preserve words, phrases, and expressions that are particular to specific communities/areas. He also has a fantastic series of explorations on the connections between Irish and Indigenous struggle, and has a new book coming out about the common root of Irish and Vedic folklore/cultural traditional.
Ciara Ní É is a queer poet that I recommend, as she is part of a generation of queer Irish speakers that are at the forefront of building new language that expresses queer Irish identity without reliance on Anglo queer terminology.
Also, this is a really old classic, but Myles Dillon's Teach Yourself Irish, coupled with some online resources, maybe Rosetta Stone, will do much more for you than Duo Lingo.
Above all: music. Music is the living soul of language, if you want to understand Irish then immerse yourself in Irish music.
Wow. Thank you for all this fantastic advice and resources!! The best thing I was looking at before this was a paid online course done by DCU, but Mollie Guidera looks like a better option, and the rest of the resources mentioned look fantastic as well. 💚💚💚