We are going to post two seanfhocail here every week.
Irish has a wealth of proverbs (seanfhocail) for every conceivable situation. Seanfhocail literally means old words, this is the wisdom that has been passed down throughout the years. All cultures and languages have their own proverbs. Some Irish seanfhocail match English proverbs, but often each language has its own nuance. This gives us a glimpse into the values of that particular culture.
Ar aghaidh linn (Let’s go)!
Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.
There is no direct transtlation of this one. Praise the young and they will flourish. This is our philosophy in school.
Bíonn dhá insint ar ghach scéal.
There’s two sides to every story.
You can talk about the proverbs with your child and ask them to illustrate it for you in a picture.
Send them to emerb@carloweducatetogether.ie & we will try to get some onto the school website and/or FB page.
These are simple games you can play around the house, even if you have very little Irish. Remember that your children have way more Irish than you think. Let them teach you the basic phrases. That will be a really good Irish lesson for them.
Cad í an Ghaeilge ar ____?
What’s the Irish for ___?
( Cod ee on gwale geh air ____?) If you have no Irish at all you can start here, pick an everyday object and show it to your child. You just need to use this one question)
Taispeáin dom X!
Show me X. Pick an everyday item, your children know lots of vocabulary for items around the home. Taispeáin dom doras! Taispeáin dom cupán!
Cén dath atá ar?
What colour is ___? Again use everyday items.
Useful links for Gaeilge resources
Stories, songs, poems read aloud in Irish – Leighleat.com
Online daily Irish lessons. A primary teacher gives daily lessons on youtube.
Look up any word in English or Irish to find a translation or a meaning. Handy pronunciation guide.
http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/microsite/pl/irish/index.asp
Northern Irish curriculum site – nice visuals . Also French, German & Spanish resources available here.