I really want to learn irish gaelic. There are no teachers, no classes available here. On the other hand, I find it very difficult (or rather impossible) to study on my own with a book & CD (no grammar, spoken text too fast). I read that some chiffers have already learnt some gaelic, so how did you do it? Are there good online classes or any other methods suitable for an autodidact? Please help.
I’ve been studying Irish for about three years…mostly on my own with the help of various methods, including “Teach Yourself Irish” (book & cd), “TeachMe Irish” (computer program), and “Turas Teanga” (DVD & book method for intermediate learners). I’ve also been a participant for most of that time at www.irishgaelictranslator.com. Participating on the forum there, reading translations and gradually getting bold enough to attempt my own, has been a tremendous help. I’ve also found it useful, as I’ve gotten more proficient, to watch TV programs on TG4 (Ireland’s Irish language channel), which is available on WebTV at www.tg4.ie.
If you visit Irish Gaelic Translator.com, check out the “learning products” page…we review all the available learning products to help you get an idea of which might work best for you. Most of us who are learning on our own have used a variety of methods.
One bit of advice…if you’re looking for resources, look for “Irish,” not “Gaelic.” For all we have the word “Gaelic” in the name of our forum, it’s more appropriate to refer to the language as “Irish” (“Gaelic” typically refers to the language spoken in Scotland). If you buy books, for example, about “Gaelic,” it will be Scottish Gaelic. Also some Irish people find the use of the word “Gaelic” for the language offensive.
The only computer-based program I’m aware of that allows for interaction with a teacher is “Gaeltalk,” but it’s heavily biased toward the Munster dialect (fine, if that’s what you want)
Ádh mór ort!
Redwolf
The various teach-yourself books that I’ve picked up each seem to favour a different dialect. I know the Irish government has chosen one dialect to be representative, but I’m not sure which it is. I have seen some examples of how Donegal dialect differs from others in song lyrics, but I’m not sure of all the differences or which dialect to start with.
One book I picked up brought home a good point to me: why do you want to learn Irish? If you are looking to learn and understand song lyrics in Irish, most of the books and courses you see will be of little help to you, as they are directed towards conversational Irish. Song lyrics are more poetic, and just like song lyrics in English, they are not the way people normally speak.
djm
It can’t be done. It’s a well kept secret that Gaelic is not a real language at all. Years ago, the Irish concocted this supposed language to confound the British. It’s actually all quaint sounding gibberish. The Brits would come to town and the locals would instantly stop speaking English and switch into “Gaelic”, leaving the English scratching their heads in confusion. The Irish had so much fun with this that even as relations got better with the English, they kept up the charade to this day. 
“Teach Yourself Irish” used to favor the Munster dialect, but now uses An Caighdeán (The “Standard”). “The Standard” isn’t any one dialect, but combines elements of all, but it’s mainly a written standard.
It doesn’t really matter which dialect you choose…they’re all mutually intelligible…they differ to about the same degree as the English spoken in Texas differs from the English spoken in New York. Unless a person has a strong preference for a particular dialect, any will do. I happen to favor the Ulster dialect (my teacher learned her Irish in Donegal, but before I started working with her, I still tended to an Ulster blas, just because I listen to so much Ulster music) but I have no problem understanding someone from Cork or Galway.
You learn conversational Irish to be sure, when you first start out, but it will also help you with the songs, especially as you progress. Conversational Irish gives you a good grounding in the idioms. That’s also why it helps to have a group of people like the folks at IGTF, however…if there’s a poetic bit that you don’t understand, they can help you puzzle it out.
Redwolf
I hope people keep adding to this thread, since it’s something I want to
learn about too.
I got “Learn Irish Now” which is a computer language program, and it’s
probably very good, but, …I just didn’t connect with it.
Then I got Singing In Irish Gaelic by Mary McLaughlin, which I love.
It’s a CD and a very thin songbook (48 pg.)
She has selected 14 songs, from simple to complex. First she reads the
lyrics very slowly and clearly. It’s written out phonetically. Then she sings
it in a simple style. For me this really helps the words to stick in my
head, and also I feel an attachment to the words (who cares whether
my uncle’s book is on the table, but I do care about what happened to
Philip’s little boat!)
I wish Mary McLaughlin would put out volumes 2, 3, and 4!
I wish someone would make a recording of very simple poetry or lyrics
or some of the old Irish prayers, read nice and slowly. Rhyming helps.
Is such a thing out there?
And…I am dieing to know what the song “Dulaman” means…is it really all
about seaweed?! 
More helpful hints please!
i like the teach yourself irish/gaelic book/cd at your local book store. it teaches you fast, and all you need is just a little bit of practice every day.
Thanks for this. I think I will try first to get the book & CD “Teach yourself irish” and go to that forum. The computer program is for windows, so I will not be able to use it as we have only macs at home. “Turas teanga” seems to be for intermediate students, but i am a complete beginner. The songbook is also on my wishlist.
There is a club of irish-speakers which I will probably be able to meet sometimes, but they don’t offer beginners’ classes as there are not enough persons interested.
Song lyrics are indeed the first thing I want to understand. Maybe also tg4.
Two I liked, because they are slow and clear, and the words are simple–
…Siuil A Run-- sung by Orla Fallon on the Celtic Woman CD
…Ag Chriost an Siol-- sung by Iarla O Lionaird-- on Faith of Our Fathers II
\
Just found these–
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Irish.
If only they had this version as a book-on-tape!
Irish Proverbs/Seanfhocal
http://www.litriocht.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=159
Our ancestor’s wisdom made available in the most modern medium of them all - CD ROM. 501 Irish proverbs with translations into English. A useful resource for learners as well, given that each proverb is read aloud by a native speaker of Irish. There are also notes on the grammar and vocabulary of the proverbs
Well, you’ll like hearing this then. Mary (who also happens to be my Irish teacher) is thinking of doing the same thing with Irish Christmas songs. She trained a choir to sing Christmas songs in Irish to a performance level last year, and plans to do the same this year, as well as record a CD and (possibly) work on the book.
That is a great book, isn’t it? A lot of people have done their first bit of singing in Irish thanks to Mary!
Dulaman is about people hawking the type of seaweed that was used as a fertilizer in Ireland. “Dulaman Gaelach” means “Irish Seaweed,” but it’s also what you might call a man who sold that seaweed. There are different lyrics for it, but if you want to post the ones you know, I’ll be happy to take a crack at them.
As far as hints go, I can say take every opportunity you have to use your Irish, even if you only have cúpla focal (visiting forums such as www.irishgaelictranslator.com and www.daltai.com will help you do that). LISTEN to Irish every day, if possible (with both TG4 and Raidió na Gaeltachta available for free on-line, that’s easier than ever). Find a teacher if you can, if not, choose a method that seems to work for you (again, I refer you to the “Learning Products” page at IGTF). Memorize the 11 irregular verbs…that’s a huge step. Increase your vocabulary by looking up at least one new word every day and using it in a sentence. Label things in your house using Post-its: I had labels on everything for a while, though my daughter drew the line at my sticking a note on her…because she thought “m’iníon” looked too much like “minion”! Start a blog in Irish (even if you can only manage simple sentences at first)…it’s a great excuse to practice. Speak Irish to your pets…a dog will love hearing “is maith an madra thú!” as much as he likes hearing “good dog!” Sing in Irish! A CD you might enjoy is Pádraigín Ní Uallachain’s “A Stór 's A Stóirín”: 30+ songs in simple arrangements and sung with crystal clear diction, with a companion booklet that gives all the lyrics and a translation.
And remember: Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste!
If I can help in any way, let me know!
Redwolf
I love that song. Have no idea what it’s about, but I love it.
I wrote to Mary soon after vol. 1 came out. She said vol. 2 was already done, but that the publisher wouldn’t release it (i.e. put up the money) until the first volume proved itself.
If you liked that book/CD combo, there is another one of the same type called Stepping Stones to Irish Song by Seosaimhín Nic Rabhartaigh. Only six songs, but I found the pronunciation guide to be very helpful in this one. I got it on-line from Custy’s Music.
Per the liner notes from Clannad’s album Dúlamán:
Personally, I would like to hear someone do one of these teaching books for the “big” airs that are so often played instrumentally. I have never been good at understanding airs to be able to play them well on pipes. I can copy other players, but I don’t understand the original tunes or know what they sound like sung well to be able to craft my own version.
djm
The chorus translates to:
Walk, walk, walk my love
Walk gently and walk quietly
Walk to the door and elope/escape with me
And may you go safely my darling
It doesn’t really match well with the verses of the song, in which a woman vows to follow her true love, who has gone to be a soldier, but there it is!
Redwolf
I’ve found the best way to get a grasp on airs is to listen to them sung (from a variety of sources, if possible) while following the liner notes (if available) or a print out of the Irish words. Have you done a title search to see if any of the airs you’re interested in are available on CD?
Right now I’m working on learning “Sliabh Geal Cua na Féile” and “Gaoth Barra na dTonn.”
Redwolf
I’d spoken to the folks at Rosetta Stone http://www.rosettastone.com , and they are finally working on an Irish Gaelic version, under their Endangered Language program. At the end of last year, they were still putting a team together to settle the issue on dialect, and to select translators, editors, voicers, etc. I tried to put them in contact with Cló Iar-Chonnachta in Galway, but don’t know if that helped.
You can try their on-line demos in other languages to get a sense of how their programs work.
Kevin Krell
Kevin, I tried a free demo at rosettastone.com. Their method seems to be fun and easy. I hope they will have an irish version soon.
That would be a good thing. Rosetta Stone is the gold standard in self-teaching programs.
I sincerely hope they go with the Standard…that would be the most useful to the greatest number of people. Learning programs that focus heavily on one dialect can be confusing, especially to people new to the language. Of the three, probably the two that differ most from one another are Munster and Ulster.
Redwolf
Woo-hooo!!! 
We have their course for Portuguese and it’s excellent.
Lucky you!!!
Please tell her for me that I love her album “Celtic Requiem” 
…is thinking of doing the same thing with Irish Christmas songs. She trained a choir to sing Christmas songs in Irish to a performance level last year, and plans to do the same this year, as well as record a CD and (possibly) work on the book.
Good news!
If I can help in any way, let me know!
Thanks, this thread has gotten me inspired again.
Can you please tell me…is there a dictionary that has phonetic
pronunciations for the Irish words? I have the Pocket Oxford Irish
Dictionary, but it doesn’t help me with that. I can look a word up- but
then I still have no idea how to pronounce it, since it all looks like Klingon
to me. 
Some I have sung versions of, some I don’t. My problem is that I have trouble following the tune (although I know there is one in there somewhere). By the time generations of singers are done stretching and mangling the underlying tune it almost seems like gibberish to me. That’s why I’d like to see one of these Irish Sean-Nós for Dummies book/CD things that would cover the “classics” instead of just kids songs or obscure, regional things.
djm