Setting Up a
Local Irish Gaelic
Study Group
Tired of learning the Irish language alone?
This is how to find others to learn with.
Please share me!
You are free to distribute this booklet under the terms of the Creative Commons license refered
to below.
Thanks to Quinn for asking the question that inspired this booklet.
Contributors
Audrey Nickel <[email protected]>
Marlene Taylor <[email protected]>
Caron Osberg <[email protected]>
Kenna McCullah <[email protected]>
Devin Blankenship <[email protected]>
Mara Bernstein <[email protected]>
Edited by Eoin Ó Conchúir <[email protected]>
First edition. November 2011.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United
States License.
Foreword
Are you interested in progressing your learning of the Irish language, but can’t seem to find local
classes? Language is all about expressing yourself with others. What better way to do this
locally (and online) than to find others with similar interests.
In this booklet, you can find the experiences of six people who have already traveled the journey
(or part of it) in setting up a local Irish language study group.
“But I can’t speak Irish, how could I expect setting up my own local study group!”... As you’ll
read, you don’t have to be a a fluent speaker of Irish to start today. You can organize and
facilitate a local meet-up. All you really need is the desire to learn Irish, which you can then
share with others.
Here, you can learn from the challenges that the contributors have encountered, and how they
are getting around those challenges. You’ll also find practical tips such as how to find people in
your area, where to meet, how to schedule the meetings, and what format your study group
could take. You’ll also find links to online resources that may be of use to you.
Finally, remember that setting up a study group will help you in your language learning
endeavor. It’s a great way to find others with similar interests. You’ll have a more rewarding
experience learning with others. After reading this booklet you’ll realize that there’s nothing
really stopping you from starting today. Just don’t give up!
-- Eoin Ó Conchúir, Bitesize Irish Gaelic
Chapter 1:
The Challenges of Setting up an Irish Study Group
Let’s get the bad news out of the way!
Audrey
A difficulty we've had here in Santa Cruz is getting beginners to join in. We have kind of a
"gapped" situation here: Three people who are fluent speakers (Mary, Galt, and Galt's son
Conall), one person who gradually clawing her way toward fluency (yours truly), one
intermediate, and then a ever-changing group of people who are either absolute beginners or
"dabblers" who have been studying off and on for years, never getting much beyond very basic
stuff (I'm really surprised, actually, at how many of that type I know...people who have been
studying Irish longer than I have, but who still struggle with "Dia dhuit" and "Cá bhfuil tú i do
chónaí?"). We tried to make the conversation group welcoming to beginners, even setting aside
the first half hour especially for them, and offering conversational topics for them to practice, but
I think they found being in the midst of people who were more comfortable conversing a little
intimidating.
Part of our problem here, I think, is it's such a small area. There are successful convo groups in
the San Jose and San Francisco areas that are successful, in part, because they have a much
larger population to draw from.
Marlene
Similar to Audrey, our small group here too suffered many setbacks between combining
dabblers who would like to learn but get intimidated. But we also had a setback of gaining more
fluent speakers. If you are lacking a native Irish speaker you MUST own Foclóir Gaeilge Béarla by Niall Ó Dónaill, I can not stress enough how much that has saved us.
Lacking a truly fluent Irish speaker sometimes breaks down the confidence of the group. I've
literally seen people whom I've thought to be fluent break down with a simple question due to
not having someone there with a definitive answer to what may seem like a simple question to
one member. One way we have bypassed this is to ALWAYS say we will get back to the person
with an answer or link on how to find an answer within one week.
It took me five years to find someone else to even make a group locally!
Caron
In the beginning, I got about a dozen people, but the leaders of the large group in Minneapolis
had also told me ahead of time to expect a lot of interest followed by drop outs. We whittled
down to a core group of six of us who come regularly. It's been my experience that the men
won't stay. Indeed, I can't even get them to participate or stop fiddling with their laptops before
they drop the group. We have an Irish native here in town who two of us knew previously. He
joins us to answer questions and have fun about once a year.
Kenna
Most people who work in my town actually commute from several outlying areas, including
Spokane Washington which is about an hour away. Gas prices, slick roads, snow and work
schedules have been a barrier.
My experience in starting a study group has been very slow and after about 7 months, I have
one person that is a possibility! :D At first, I was in hopes of getting at least 3-5 people together
as a starter group and having it grow from there. I haven't given up on the idea yet.
Chapter 2:
Finding Others to Study With
Audrey
If there's a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in your area, they'll almost certainly be willing
to put notices in their newsletter for you. One of the goals of CCÉ is to promote the Irish
language, and each branch has a "Gaelic Officer" whose job it is to facilitate that.
Marlene
The most effective ways we found people to join were to put up pull tab fliers in all the bars,
pubs, and cafes. Anywhere where anyone meets for any kind of group. Then we put up things
on Facebook to target local people with the words Irish, Gaeilge, Ireland, etc.
The interesting part was that we got a lot of people by word of mouth. If everyone speaks out
saying they are looking for others to speak Irish with, a group is always bound to come together.
It does seem that hearing something from someone you actually know makes a big difference
and cuts down on intimidation.
The other great thing I've found to work well is to find other language speaking groups. My
boyfriend wants to learn Japanese that I've been teaching him, but then we've found a fluent
Japanese speaker who will teach us to trade for Spanish, as my boyfriend is fairly fluent in
Spanish and I was fluent over 10 years ago. This doesn't mean Irish gets a backseat, it's just a
subject trade I've found to work well. But I do find that I know more languages than the average
American. Basically, If you find any other language groups - let them know you are looking for
Irish speakers, they sometimes find someone for you. It's been a very successful way for me to
find other speakers. But I'm also near two colleges, so I think that has something to do with it.
Caron
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I had been assured that most groups simply need someone to be organized
more than they need a "real" teacher and I have found this to be true for our
group.
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The local Irish music association uses one local Catholic church for
performances. I put a notice in the neighborhood newsletter for the neighborhood
surrounding that church.
I let the people at the Irish dance school in town (also in the same neighborhood)
know. They put a notice in their newsletter.
I spoke to the person who runs the music association and he wasn't helpful at all,
but he might have been. They wouldn't let me advertise the class at any of their
concerts, but if you have a local group like this, they might. They wouldn't put my
link on their web site, either. However one of the stores in town put my link on
their web page.
In that same area of town, I put up pull tab notices in Irish pubs, trendy bars and
the local coffee shops.
I created a blog (just to use as a web site, not for regular posting) and a
Facebook page.
I created an email address.
I put up posters and notices at Irish--themed stores in town.
I put up posters and notices at local libraries. I got most of my students from this,
which surprised me.
I Googled Irish genealogy in Des Moines and found a group through the historical
society. They invited me to send an email to them for that group. Very helpful and
encouraging.
Kenna
On St. Patrick's Day, I handed out over 100 flyers to the crowd at the parade and many people
seemed interested but no bites. Through the next few months I hung flyers up at local coffee
shops, Irish restaurants & pubs, the local Irish gift store and down at the college in the language
department. I posted on Craigslist and I e-mailed clients from my business.
I even printed business cards so it would be easy for people to take the info without having to
write it down ( that actually was what most people used to contact me ).
Calls and email responses came in sporadically but I found a couple of main problems. One
was that some who were interested wanted a tutor to come to their home (certainly not qualified
for that!) others lived further out of town & weren't willing to commute to the meeting location.
Instead of waiting to get 4 or 5 people to all be able to meet, I think in my case, it would be
better to start out one on one, meeting one person for coffee or something and if it looks like
others want to join in from there, I certainly won't turn away from it.
Usually with me, these kind of things happen when I least expect it. Maybe in the future I'll be
able to get the 14% Irish population of Coeur d' Alene speaking Irish...even if I have to do it one
person at a time. :D
Devin
Be patient - steady momentum takes awhile, focus on what (and who) you gain. Invest in your
supportive regulars, but be nice to your inconsistent never-come-when-they-say-they-will
people, too.
Find your Gaels and Gaelophiles in the most (un)usual of places. Make sure every IrishAmerican knows what you are doing. Make sure the epicenters of Language nerd-dom know
about you. Leave no Irish pub uninformed, no Irish dance group uninformed, no
linguistics/anthropology/folklore group uninformed. At some point you may be the magnet to
which all Irish language & cultural activities flock. Someone will be disappointed that you don't
want to do Klingon. Track down all the people who others mention (the Irish guy who works at
that pub, or the neighbor who knows that person from Ireland... don't stalk... too much). Not
everybody will be an Irish language enthusiast- sometimes people from Ireland HATE Irish and
it will be a totally mystery to them why you are "wasting your time" when you don't have to learn
it. These people can seem really discouraging but you can just file them under traumatized.
You don't have to be an expert to put an Irish group together, just someone who can be a
catalyst for a group of people getting together. Keep an organized e-mail list. Phone numbers
are good, but there will be a point where the simple e-mail will go much further.
Create an e-mail account JUST for Irish stuff. Give it something catchy and memorable like:
[email protected] or [email protected] (if you think Warren might limit
people from around the state from getting in touch with you). This is something that you might
hand off to someone else in the event that you are unable to maintain the updates. Picture
yourself writing this e-mail address on multiple things, posting it on websites, having people tell
it to each other in a loud room at a party.
USE e-mail. Don't tell people about every piece of lint that you find in your laundry, BUT keep
everyone who has expressed interest in learning Irish on the list FOREVER unless they ask to
be taken off. If someone wants you to tone down the frequency or content of e-mails,
respectfully make a list of people who need to know about week-to-week stuff (your regulars)
and those who may only need to know month-to-month stuff (periphery). My first 4 people that
showed up enthusiastically to my first Irish group meeting never showed up again (very busy
people) BUT all of them are still on my mailing list and still express long-term interest in learning
Irish.
USE Facebook. I'm a biased Generation Y/Millennial type (29, I made our group when I was
25ish). Make a Facebook group called Warren Irish Language Group or Pennsylvania Irish
Language Group or (Whatever region of Pennsylvania) Irish Language Group. Make sure to use
Gaeilge in the group description. (Aside: I have learned to say "Irish-Gaelic" early in a letter or
conversation then Irish language and then (Gaeilge) somewhere to optimize searches and
clarify what it is that you're doing... you want people to find you).
Keep connecting. The Irish language world is small, agile, and friendly. Friend every Gaeilgeoir
you can find on Facebook... friends of friends who speak Irish. Don't be afraid, if you have a
question: ask it.
We created a newsletter: Send updates to the people who have expressed interest in learning
Irish.
We created an immersion weekend: After we reached local critical mass and had many regional
friends, we created an Irish language immersion weekend. We brought in teachers and had a
fabulous time. We've done it 3 times and are planning our 4th. There are people who will come
to the immersion weekend who never come to the group and vice versa.
Chapter 3:
Where to Meet
Audrey
A challenge we faced was finding a place to meet. Of the three of us facilitating the group, only
one of us (me) had a house large enough to host a group in (and my house is a bit off the
beaten path). We tried several cafes before we found one that had enough seating and that
was quiet enough for conversation. Our group met on Friday evenings, which was part of the
problem...even normally quiet little cafes in Santa Cruz often have music on Friday nights. If
there's a night other than Friday or Saturday when your group can get together, you'll probably
find this easier.
Marlene
A cafe locally also made a language night once a month on the last Monday of the month for
anyone to meet anyone else for certain languages. This took months of pleading to do so, and
for them to find a night when they don't have other events. The last meeting hosted a teacher for
Irish, a stay at home mom fluent in Japanese, and a huge crowd of kids who all were learning
French together at the local college. The first one was last month, and as experience has taught
me, if not meeting at least once weekly it may take up to a year to get a group started. The
awesome thing about an open ended meeting with lots of different language groups is that other
language groups can encourage each other. If you bring people for French the people learning
French may know someone wanting to learn Irish.
Any place that holds things like trivia or bingo nights, or even dart competitions also tend to be
excellent locations.
I've also noted that people who want to learn Irish often want to meet where Guinness is served
on tap. Yes, I know this may seem like a cliché but it has affected where younger crowds want
to meet.
As Audrey mentioned, the populous plays a large roll.
I'm in the north Bay Area of California, north of San Francisco. The largest town in our county is
not actually where we settled on meeting, weirdly enough. We ended up meeting in the town
most south in the county simply because more members lived there. When starting the group
not everyone will be happy about a location but do it where it makes the most sense. We did a
lot of voting, a lot .... I can't stress that enough. Basically, give everyone a say about things
every week and be flexible to make changes based on who actually shows up regularly.
The other thing I recommend you do is to get Skype meetings going. When people are spread
out this helps immensely. Skype to Skype is free and even has video chat. It is a little harder to
learn Irish over the phone but should you learn it together it makes it easier to understand what
someone is saying. I do this with my blind friend who lives over 2 hours away. This may help
break a barrier you are having getting the interested people together. It gives the ability of lots of
people meeting without leaving their homes. And of course if you'd like to add me to Skype I'd
be more than happy to speak with you or show you resources or tips I've learned.
Caron
The local library wouldn't let us meet there because their smallest room holds a minimum of 20
people and they wouldn't promise to make it available regularly. Their smaller rooms have such
restrictions - including talking! So I just have class in a classroom at my church.
Kenna
I think it is important to add here that no matter if studying with one person or a group, it should
be in a public area for safety reasons.
For me, it would be much easier to meet one person at a location and practice what we
learn...talking about the weather, using phrases of introduction when we meet, asking about
family... Basically things that are in the Bitesize Irish Gaelic lessons and available through the
many resources Eoin gives there.
I will definitely look into Skype because I really need to speak Irish! I do alright sounding out
words and understanding when it's spoken (at least what I have learned so far) and I'm doing
better at figuring out phrases or sentences that I don't know just by using the words in the
sentence I do know but when it comes to speaking it's difficult because I'm not using my own
speaking voice enough. I have been better about just not giving a hoot anymore if my family
thinks I'm nuts for talking to myself in Irish....maybe if they think I'm crazy enough they'll
institutionalize me and I'll have more time to learn - Ha Ha!
Devin
Select a suitable yet neutral place. If there is a particularly Irish-friendly place in town, go for it!
Understand their spatial limitations or things that you can do to be a welcome guest. Irish
restaurants are good, Libraries are good. Churches... sometimes turn people off, as can private
homes. If you want to feel ultra-comfortable and have ultra comfortable guests... pick a place
that seems neutral. If you choose a bar, know that Pennsylvania law will dictate who can
patronize your Irish group. Here in Indiana it is a "if you are 21, you can see a beer but you can't
sit in the bar... and this wall is here to remind you of that." The average age in my town is 22, so
meeting in a bar would be suicide.
Skype, there are a lot of us talking about connecting Irish speakers via Skype.
Chapter 4:
Scheduling Your Study Group Meetings
Marlene
Even I'm not able to meet with it a whole lot, and on occasion when I can they are on a "3 week
break" which happens during the busiest times like holidays and the end of Summer. We have
been meeting for over a year, or maybe even 2 years by now, and generally we do end up with
about 6 of the same people who return regularly so the base of our group all know each other.
Occasionally there is a straggler, but as Caron said, we rarely find men who stay for very long. I
don't know if this is just a coincidence as I do know a lot of men who speak Irish. Just no one
local. Occasionally we have someone who is native that can stop by from the Bay Area, so if
you have a larger metropolitan area within 2 hours that could be an option worth seeking out. It
does amazing confidence for the group.
Caron
I send out reminders for class time rather than making people remember when class is.
Everyone is busy.
Our group meets twice a month. That really isn't often enough, but our group has settled on it.
Kenna
In the summer when the weather is good, people are generally spending their spare time at the
lakes and rivers fishing or with family.
The other problem was Me! I operate a small sign company and I never know whether I will
have an 8 hour work day or 14 hour work day. In the summer a 12 -14 hour day is not
uncommon and evenings after work and fixing dinner, I just want to relax in the garden when I
get home. Weekends were the only time I could realistically meet with anyone. It wouldn't be
very fair on my part to put a study group together and then be the one that's running late or can't
commit.....a lesson learned along the way.
As mentioned, I have one person who is interested and it lends a little more flexibility with
schedules, rather than 4 or 5 schedules.
Devin
Have meetings once a week, same time, same place. Ask your group members what times
might work. (Use doodle.com to survey people on times.) I've found that groups meeting less
often than this tend to lose people because of the gaps of time between meetings. Understand
that not everybody (including yourself) can come to the meeting every week. Have the standard
that you WILL meet once a week and those who can't make it can let the group know... and it's
okay... life exists beyond Irish language group. We plan to not have meetings when it is on/near
a holiday or when all of us have expressed an inability to meet a certain week.
Chapter 5:
Setting up the Actual Study Group Meetings
Audrey
I did flirt a bit with the idea of starting a separate beginners' convo group, but between my
usually busy evening and weekend schedule and other peoples' obligations, that never got off
the ground. I think that may be a key point, though...people are more comfortable attempting
conversation if there isn't a huge gap in ability within the group. If you have enough people and
time, having a beginners' convo group (with maybe one or two intermediate speakers to
facilitate things) separate from the more fluent speakers' convo group might work better.
With beginners, I think it's also a good idea to have a conversational topic to start
with...something they can think about and work on during the week, so they won't feel quite so
out of their depth.
Marlene
We also have done as Audrey has wanted. The first hour is an anyone type of joiner where
English and Irish can be spoken. The second hour is devoted to Irish so that anyone who wants
to hear and speak Irish can do so. Any time after that is optional if people want to continue to
stay and ask questions or talk amongst themselves; which generally runs into an additional hour
or two, but has known to be longer.
The problems mainly sit with the fact that people who are interested often get intimidated and
there may or may not be a fluent or knowledgeable person at every meeting. So put simply,
many levels of learners and not many of them some weeks.
Caron
No one in our study group is looking to become fluent, no one has plans to visit, move to or
work in western Ireland or Donegal...I have two students I think would like to learn more, but the
reality is that they are just as busy and unfocused as the rest of our small group. So we have
fun, we learn something every time we meet. I keep my expectations in line with the reality of
our group. And yes, we have learned things and I am quite sure (I give quizzes!!) that they've
retained quite a lot of it.
Devin
Empower group members to select materials and contribute to each meeting. This makes it
much more their group and not just a thing that they may or may not show up to. We used
"Teach Yourself Irish" in the beginning. If your group were to sign up for Eoin's Bitesize Irish
Gaelic, you'd maybe be able to work through it at the same pace as a group.
Chapter 6:
Language Learning and Resources
Marlene
One of my favorite websites that is free and shows pronunciation for a native English speakers
(it's meant for people that can't hear it) is erinsweb.com. I have copied many of the lessons into
Word or PDF format for easier visual presentation. It gives a really good lesson presentation, in
a logical format for learning words that will fit together nicely as you progress. Not sure if I
mentioned this before. Oh and it's in Munster dialect, but it shouldn't matter what dialect you do
at the start.
Even if you are a beginner I highly recommend getting Turas Teanga (book and accompanying
CDs) (even though it is more intermediate material), it helped me progress much further out of
my "beginning" league last year. But of course get Progress of Irish and some other beginning
materials that show grammar, etc. The reason I recommend Turas Teanga is that I find on top
of using Bitesize Irish Gaelic that it has me going conversationally really quickly. And isn't that
part of learning a language? So you can speak it in useful situations?
The other thing I highly recommend is to watch TG4.ie. As a beginner it is really important to
hear as much Irish as possible being actually spoken. What's great about that site is that you
can stream any show that interests you. I regularly pick out phrases that I love and I watch
things of interest to me so it heightens the experience. Plus it gives contextual and situational
language that is hard to get out of books. I also recommend watching the same episode over
and over to pick up more around the phrases you find you like.
Audrey is also great, if you have any questions or need anything. She told me this year that she
has helped start a new forum which is useful for learning Irish, Irish Learners' Forum.
I also find that when I study really hard (say like Rosetta Stone for 3 hours), I need to take a
break for at least one day. I know I am successful when I wake up with phrases in my head the
next morning. Everyone learns differently though. Success for me is also when Irish enters my
dream. I find when I dream in Irish there are more phrases than I actually consciously know, so
just keep at it. Note the things you say every day and find a way to say it in Irish. For me one of
those things was "sweet!!!" when something good happens. So now my boyfriend and I say
"Milis!!!!" [mill-ish] I've even got friends saying it who don't like learning other languages! It's
great!
Recently I also joined An Líonra. It's a Facebook for Gaeilge. I've noted a lot of videos and
material people have put on, and it MAKES you want to know what they are saying because it's
interesting or funny. Signing up is mostly in English, so to start it's easy.
If you'd like to download an old Irish font script a friend of mine and Audrey's has a site ...
folkplanet.com. As you progress in learning Irish you may run into materials in old font. It's good
to make yourself familiar with it early on.
Feel free to contact me if you want anything else. I've sifted through countless materials
(undoubtedly there's loads more out there!), and I know how expensive it gets but I have found
a lot of very basic useful ones out there. Though, nothing can really replace true immersion. The
best advice I got from someone was to immerse yourself as best you can, one learns quickly
that way.
The other thing I want to suggest is to start learning proverbs 'seanfhocail' ( "old words"). We
use them a lot in English and the Irish use them like water or oxygen. I try to learn at least one a
month, but better is to learn one every week. It really gets your head into Irish.
One of my favorite is: Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile
It is symbolized by the meeting of two beetles (usually two lady bugs). It literally means meeting
beetle beetle other. So really I think of it as one beetle meets an other beetle. Or in English "It
takes one to know one'. The Irish literally throw these at each other ALL the time. The other
thing I've noted is that the Irish generally answer a question with another question, but I'm sure
you'll pick up on that later.
http://www.irlfunds.org/news/pr/sayings.html
I run around talking to myself in Irish all the time too! No we're not crazy and practice makes
perfect!
Caron
I lead the class and used to do all the preparation necessary to teach each class without
sounding like an idiot, but now we rely on bitesizeirishgaelic.com. That has taken a huge load
off my shoulders as I was concerned that my students spent FAR too much time obsessed over
the nuances of pronunciation no matter how often I talked to them about dialects. If it weren't for
bitesizeirishgaelic.com, I'm not sure I would still be as happy with the commitment I made as I
am now. Not one of my students does homework and I never did let that get me down. Of
course, we would learn more if we all did, but I always remind myself that we're each busy,
we're still having fun and we're all on the same wavelength.
Kenna
I love TG4, I stream it while I'm working so I basically listen more than watch. I listen to Irish as
much as I can. It's encouraging to hear what you've learned because sometimes it feels like
there just isn't much progress happening but in reality that isn't the case.
Mara
I think that ranganna.ie is also a great website. There is some stuff to access for free but there
are also a lot of things to buy. I really like the following two books because they are humorous
and use cartoons:
● Mac Póilin, Aodán. Irish Is Fun! A New Course in Irish for the Beginner.
Ceredigion, Wales: Y Lolfa Cyf, 2004.
● Ó Riain, Seán. Irish Is Fun-Tastic! Ceredigion, Wales: Y Lolfa, 2001. Reprint, 5.
Also consider visiting the Fulbright Ireland website. I think there are some really exciting
collaborations going between the Irish government, Fulbright Ireland, academia, and
charismatic individuals, like all of you! Please let me know if you have any trouble navigating
the Fulbright Ireland website.
Chapter 7:
Don’t Give Up
Marlene
Don't give up at first ... the group here has suffered setbacks depending on time of year as
things like school or work get in the way of the same people always meeting. People have a
way of coming back if they know you'll still be there even if months go by.
The other key thing to note is not to give up for at least a year or more when starting a new
group. It took us a year and a half to get a comfortable sized group of about 6 to 8 with new
members coming every other week to check things out. It helps if it is in the evening, but we had
our group on Fridays in the afternoon as most members were retired or at the local college.
I can't say enough how sometimes it seems like an uphill battle to find other Irish speakers
locally but just know that they are out there. Never give up! Because chances are, if you've
thought of starting a group in your area, likely other people have thought of it too. It really has
surprised me just how many people stop by with just an interest.
It's humbling to learn a language so different from English. I've learned Japanese, German, and
Spanish and I can confidently say that Gaeilge is much more difficult than all of those. I guess
that's what drives me! As well as remembering how my great grandmother spoke it so
beautifully before her death.
Caron
We've been doing this for two years now. We've had people come and go - don't let that get you
down. Truthfully, I'm not sure I want newcomers anymore unless they fit into our small group. I
don't advertise anymore, either. I do not speak Irish well and I'm not a teacher.
Good luck and please reach out to any of us with your questions or if you need encouragement!
Kenna
In no way am I giving up on the idea of a study group happening. I would love it if that happens.
I have, however, changed my approach.
Mara
Don’t give up!
Appendix:
Contributors to this Booklet
Audrey Nickel
Hi! I'm Audrey Nickel, from Santa Cruz, California, and I've been learning Irish for almost nine
years. I got involved with the language because I've been in love with Irish traditional music
since I was a child, and to my mind, you can't really understand a country's traditional music
unless you're also steeped in its language, as well as its history, literature and folklore. When I
was young, there were virtually no resources available for American learners of Irish, but about
nine years ago, I discovered the Irish Gaelic Translation Forum on line and realized that, in the
internet age, self-teaching really was possible. Since then, I've connected with the wider Irish
language community, and I've fallen head over heels in love with the language for its own sake.
I really enjoy helping other people discover how they can learn this ancient and living language.
An Ghaeilge Abú!
Email:
[email protected]
Marlene Taylor
I'm in the north Bay Area of California, north of San Francisco. I'm the founder of the San
Francisco Irish Culture & Expat Group meetup group.
Email:
Site:
[email protected]
http://www.meetup.com/SanFranciscoIrishCulture/members/3796416/
Caron Osberg
My name is Caron and I live in Iowa: not exactly the center of the Irish-speaking universe! There
are two Irish language groups in Iowa, but there wasn't one in Des Moines. With some
encouragement from a large group in Minneapolis, I simply looked around to see where the Irish
interest may be and then began spreading the news.
Email:
Site:
[email protected]
http://learnirishdesmoines.blogspot.com/
Kenna McCullah
To tell a little of myself, I am an absolute beginner. I became interested in the Irish language
while doing genealogy on my father's side of my family tree and found I have a very strong Irish
heritage. This is my first attempt at learning a new language and I completely enjoy every
minute of it. I live in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. According to census demographic data, there is
almost a 14% Irish population here. That's pretty high for a population of about 25,000 people
and I really thought I would have a group together in no time. It's not exactly a tiny town but it is
spread out around farm land, timbered mountains and rural communities.
Email:
[email protected]
Devin Blankenship
I'll share some of the tips I've developed through the creation of our Irish language group,
newsletter, and immersion weekend in Bloomington, Indiana.
Skype:
Facebook:
Mailing list:
IndianaDevin
Devin Taylor Flanigan Blankenship
Indiana Celtic Community
Bloomington Irish Language Group
Irish Language Immersion: Bloomington Celtic Culture Weekend.
http://www.IndianaCeltic.org
Mara Bernstein
My name is Mara Bernstein and I am working on a PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Indiana
University in Bloomington, Indiana. The only reason I ever seriously considered learning Irish is
because I randomly met Devin Blankenship one day in a university computer lab. He had spent
a couple of years trying to find other people with which to learn Irish. He has his own wonderful
roller-coaster story to tell. I will say that Audrey, Caron, Marlene, and Kenna have had similar
experiences to Devin and myself in Bloomington. I am interested in why people are learning
Irish, how they are doing it, and what kinds of impacts and outcomes come from what people
are doing as a result of learning Irish.
Email:
[email protected]
Eoin Ó Conchúir
With a mix of having been brought up speaking Irish, and being addicted to the Internet from an
early age, I’ve long had an interest in sharing the language online. My wife Sasa and I set up
Bitesize Irish Gaelic for learning to speak Irish online. On the site, sign up to our newsletter to
keep in touch.
URL:
Email:
http://www.bitesizeirishgaelic.com/
[email protected]
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