More about the Gaeltacht...

Right so. I feel bad…again… about not explaining more about the Gaeltacht. To be honest the college wasn’t anything I had expected. You see what I was told was that a gaeltacht school is where you go to an Irish speaking part of the country with a bunch of other kids your age and learn irish. What I wasn’t told was that aside from the Irish-classes we had everyday from 8:30 to 2:00, we also had planned activities scheduled for each evening followed by a Ceili every night. Each class would last about 45 to 60 minutes and then we’d have a 15-20 minute break in between. Our first class of the day was usually with Pol, the most difficult teacher, but a lovely man all the same! He was always involving grammar and verb conjugating and new vocabulary. The second class of the day would usually be with Colm, who was usually the favorite teacher because everything he said made so much sense. He taught us more everyday sort of Irish phrases and facts and stories and what not, he also taught us a few songs over the weeks. The third class of the day usually was some sort of guest teacher or speaker that would either give a demonstration or give us something hands on. Colleen, the principal taught a few classes and she was a lovely teacher as well, she taught us more about the Irish folklore and history behind the Irish language. Gavin, the other Principal or Headmaster would’ve been the favorite teacher when it came to everything in general though. Mainly because he’s a bit famous in the sense that he stars in an Irish soap called ‘Ros Na Run’ that even I and some Americans would even be familiar with from watching tg4 online. So, whenever he would teach something or go to an event with us or call a ceili, whatever it was the room always seemed so much brighter! After the classes were over at about two each day, we’d walk home; and right when we walked in through the door our bhan-o-ti would start off in her normal routines, though getting us all to sit at the table was a but tricky sometimes. And when we were finally seated, she would stuff us to the brim with soup, or fresh bread, and the best fries you could ever put in your mouth! She always called us her ‘Ionis’ which is Irish for birdies because none of us girls were really big eaters. Especially since she had always been a bean-o-ti for boys, she was used to cooking a lot of food. So, I’m sad to say that a lot of food would’ve gone to waist because most of us would try whatever trick we had up our sleeve to get out of eating all four courses she tried to feed us!!! I know I’ve said that before but we really were way too well fed! After we’d have lunch we’d have another event at 3 or half 3 which usually involved taking a bus somewhere; whether it be to the sea or the town or mountain climbing or going to a ceili at another gaeltacht; the thing about them all is that they were always in irish! For instance, I remember my first day I was there we went down to the beach. And of course I was a bit concerned, especially since I had missed class that morning due to arriving a bit later in the day. I was soo urgent to learn as much irish as possible, and here we were…at the beach? And just then, Colleen, the principal comes up out of nowhere and pulls me into a circle of some of the kids and starts saying things in Irish which at that time I really would’ve had a hard time understanding because I wasn’t used to the dialect yet. I did get a few words about baseball, and rules, and games and such… so I knew what she was saying but I wasn’t sure what she was asking me. Also, just before then one of the girls I was with was caught speaking English and got a ‘carda buidh’ which in English is ‘yellow card’ which would be a sort of strike. So, say if you got 4 carda buidhs, you’d be sent home. You could imagine that I was terrified that if I said anything in English that I might get a carda buidh my first day! And of course I really wanted to make the best impression possible being that in their perspective, I would’ve come all the way across the sea to be there, and also since they had never had an American at the college before. So, back to the point… Colleen was obviously asking me about baseball and hands me a bat, cones, and a ball…. So I decided that she might’ve been asking me how to play baseball…. I took the stuff and right after I did there would’ve been an awkward silence. I realized that everyone was staring at me…. Therefore I would’ve slowly started explaining how the game worked, in Irish… eventually getting fed up and using a bit of English… which I found out later I wouldn’t have gotten in trouble because it was my first day! Anyway, we attempted to play baseball on the beach and most of the kids were completely clueless! I thought it was absolutely hysterical… but just by doing that, I learned at least 20 new words and phrases. I found myself taking situations like telling a team member to RUN!! Or STOP!! Or left, right, come over here! Catch it! I mean I honestly didn’t have a clue how to say those before that but just by asking someone beside me during a game, ‘How do you say this…?’ or ‘what does that mean?’ It was little things like that that stuck with me and still stick with me now. So, I’m sure that everyday whether I realized it or not, I really did learn a lot. What I realized mainly was that yeah I learned a lot in class, but most of it didn’t stick as much or at least as easily because we really didn’t get a chance to USE it like we would when we were out and about during the events. It’s times like NOW that I’m learning from the classes themselves because of studying all the notes I would’ve taken at the classes.

So all in all, it really was a great experience altogether… just thinking of how I came not knowing much at all, and having very very broken sentences, very bad grammar, and not much vocabulary… I’d say I came out having improved every one of those more than I ever could’ve just by studying or what not, in the length of time that I did! It really is pretty amazing now that I think about it…. Just to think that I could’ve learned as much as I did and also have had a great time while doing it! And maybe have made a few friends on the side as well! So I suppose I really am looking forward to using my irish more… perhaps at the fleadh… they always have certain areas of the festival designated for Irish-speakers or gaelic clubs and what-not. Of course now that I’ve been living with my aunt for a bit over a week after the gaeltacht we’ve been talking irish a lot, and we might not even realize it sometimes… it seems to be coming much more natural to me now that I wouldn’t really even notice it or try as hard as I used to- which is a great relief I’d say…

Right, so I have two more days here in Churchill Donegal, and then I’m off to Cavan to visit a friend until Sunday. So, Sunday we’ll head off to Tullamore together. And if I haven’t mentioned it, I’ll be going yet to another irish music school for a week, and the following Saturday will be the start of the Fleadh, or competitions! So as you might assume, I’m starting to get a bit nervous… You can imagine that I’ve been doing a lot of practicing as well! I’d say about every spare moment I get I spend practicing, whether it be singing, irish, English, pipes, or whistle… I feel so motivated because I want to have everything perfect for competing! Anyway, this week has been eventful as well. Mostly just because of random things around Churchill I’ve done, but most things I’ve done with the family. I’m just so in love with the scenery here though… and to think that saint Columbi was born here in this area where my aunt lives is just sooo cool… being that I would be very familiar with him from doing various readings and papers on him for my religion class at school. Right..well…I’ll try to keep yas updated! Thanks for your support as always and thanks for reading! I ask for any prayers I can get though, just for peace and patience in these last few weeks around the fleadh, it’s always very stressful, but I know it won’t be if I don’t let it be!

Love and Blessings,

~MarY`

Gaeltacht pics!!!!

here's a bunch of pics from the Gaeltacht.... and remember to click on the photos to read the description and to stop them from moving.... enjoy!!!

Love,

~Mary~

Just Everything I can fit for now...

“Everything that happens, happens for a reasons…” I am a firm believer in this phrase. I have been alive for 17 years and something I’ve learned is that every second of your life is precious. Like the choice between doing something right and wrong, there’s always a a different outcome depending on how you spend your choice. I’ve learned so much while I’ve been away from home… and being abroad itself gives you time to just think for yourself. The one thing that is really annoying me though is just that I’m so eager to learn anything I can get my hands on, but then once I’ve learned it, it doesn’t ever really stick. It’s sort of like I enjoy learning for the sense of accomplishment from it but I’m not really learning anything at all! I’m sure this isn’t entirely true, but it just feels like that right now.

As of this day today, I’m in Churchill Donegal- The one place out of every place in Ireland that I would call home. Every day I’m here I learn, do or see something interesting, new places, faces and ideas all the time… I really miss the gaeltacht, but I’m not sure if it’s for the right reason, because to be honest, I seem to be learning a lot more here because there isn’t quite as much distraction. At the gaeltach, sure, I had everything I need and all the opportunity in the world sitting in front of me, but then there were a million other distractions keeping me from using the lovely opportunity to its complete and full extent- which is very frustrating now that I think of it. See, the thing about most gaeltacht schools is that most of the kids who go are just going three weeks to get away from the parents to have a great time and do whatever you want oh yes and speak irish only because they make you speak irish. So I myself, having come only for the sake of the exact opposite of what every other kid there came for, was just having a bit of difficulty the first few days getting used to the situation. For example, the first couple of days I would ask a hundred million questions during class (stupid questions and all), and then I might be reading or studying notes from class during free time. So naturally a lot of the kids would approach me and say “Do you actually LIKE Irish or something?” and I’d be like…uh no… I’m just…doing homework? Haha, so then they just thought I might have done something bad to have to get homework to work on. Which is sad really because they really don’t understand how lucky they are to have such a wonderful tradition right in their midst, and they just see it as a burden. But all in all, I really did learn a lot of Irish. I met TONS of lovely new friends. I did more things in Gaoith Dobhair than I ever thought was possible. And most of all I just had a blast .

List of Highlights at the gaeltacht,

My Bean O’ Tigh… Marie Sweeney is the name of the woman who took care of us 14 girls that lived in ‘Teach Sweeney’ for the remainder of the three weeks. Right when I stepped in the door of her house my first day, I felt so comfortable. She had a lovely smile and of course she never spoke anything but Irish unless I needed her to explain what she was saying in English or if she just was being casual or something. My heart really went out to her the time I was there because she NEVER left the kitchen! She never stopped working to keep us girls full to the brim which she believed we liked when most of us would rather just eat little bits here and there. She never slept, because firstly she has a 6 year old boy to look after all the time, a husband to keep happy, and 14 girls to keep from slipping out of the windows in the middle of the night! (and yes that actually did happen once with one girls who just didn’t believe in rules). But Marie was nice enough not to send her home. There was ALWAYS drama in that house. Whether it be about something the boys had done earlier or about something someone said about someone that wasn’t true or just something silly. I was always trying my hardest to be the big sister of the lot because most of the girls were much younger than me as well. So that would be a part of the distractions that might have kept me from learning as much as I could’ve. But all in all I loved my Bean O tigh, I loved the girls in my house and I loved the teachers as well.

So second highlight – My teachers. They were all extremely lovely and never failed to help you when you needed a question answered.

Another highlight would be the town itself and the long walks, whether it be to school every morning, or the long walk to the seashores in the evening. Even when we thought that the day was to yucky to do anything we were still outside playing in the rain if that’s what we felt was fun at the time.

Every single day there was an adventure and to be honest I couldn’t pick a favorite part because of that reason. I loved every moment I was there and I really hope to go back next year, especially being that I was offered full scholarship to come back.


I plan on explain my highlights of the gaeltacht in detail soon. I feel so bad for not writing on here at all. I’ve just got so much to say and not much time to say it! Like right now for instance, my clothes are all wet and my shoes are squishy with water in them because I went for a nighttime walk around the village of Churchill with my aunt. When we left the weather was gorgeous but by the time we headed home it started pouring down rain. To be honest though, I don’t think any other place in the world has more history in it than Churchill and Gortan (the lake in the middle of the town). During our walk my aunt explained so much of it’s history that I never wanted to get back to the house. But alas, I’m back… the fire is dieing and my feet are cold, hehe. So I believe it’s time to put this up for now before I catch a cold again! (oh yeah that was one of my ‘High-lights’ of the gaeltacht, I had a nasty bug the first few days… but of course my Bean-o-tigh babied me the whole time!

So tomarrow I’m planning on staying on task but also just enjoying everything about being here, being that I know I’ll be gone before I know it. Time is flying by so fast and I really wish I could just make it stop! But I do miss everyone back at home sooo much and I send my love and thank you’s again to all who have helped me along the way. You all mean so much to me and I offer all prayers and blessings to you all!

Gach Beannacht

~Mary~

Hi Everyone! First I just want to appologise for not being able to write on here. I felt that when I left to come here I really was obliged to write, but I just haven't gotten a chance. But now that the gaeltacht is over I have a bit more time. So over the next couple of days I will be writing about the adventures I've had so far. Down below are some pictures I took in Gaoith Dobair (The Town I was in while at the gaeltacht college) while I was there. I'm staying in Belfast (Northern Ireland) right now so those who are calling my phone my be having trouble becuase the area code actually did change...after the sencond day I was here...hehe. Right well, I'm off to Stormant park to bring my wee cousins for a picnic (It's finally a nice sunny day. It's been raining for a week!)

Love you all very much and thanks for all the support!

If you click on the photos, they will stop and give a description as well.