Here are some more seasonal activities and the locations in which they are practiced.  This time it’s not geographic locations, but the setting in which the activity would take place.   Can you match the gníomhaíochtaí with the láithreacha?  Again, there may seem to be some potential for overlap, but by the time you’re done, I think you’ll find there’s one best answer for each activity.

Gníomhaíochtaí:

1.. snámh

2.. peataireacht a dhéanamh ar ainmhithe clóis

3.. siúl faoi Chlochán na bhFómharach (nó macasamhail de)

4..  iascaireacht

5.. caisleán gainimh a thógáil

Láithreacha:

a) loch   

b) linn snámha

c) feirm peataí

d) trá

e) National Leprechaun Museum, i mBaile Átha Cliath

Nótaí:

ainmhí clóis [AN-iv-ee klohsh], a domestic animal, lit. an “enclosure” animal

Clochán na bhFómharach [KLOKH-awn nuh WOH-wur-ukh], one of several Irish names for the Giant’s Causeway.  Note that the Irish is quite different from the English (“clochán” means “stony place,” not “causeway,” as such, and a Fómharach (or Fomhórach) primarily means a Fomorian, with the ordinary word for a giant being “fathach”).  Also note that this Irish phrase uses the possessive plural form, “the stony place of the Fomorians,” marked by the eclipsis (the “bhF” at the beginning of the word).  The English phrase is sometimes considered singular (Giant’s Causeway), and sometimes plural (Giants’ Causeway).  The official website for the site solves the problem by obfuscating it – they say “The Giants Causeway,” with no apostrophe (http://www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com/).  That is, no apostrophe even within the text; I wouldn’t expect one in the URL name.  So there’s one more casualty of the apostrophelessness of our current society – now we don’t know whether the site is credited to one giant or more than one.  The Irish, at least, is specific – possessive plural! 

snámha [SNAW-vuh] means “of swimming.” The word “linn,” which we discussed recently in the term “fraochlinn,” has at least five meanings: pool, pond, lake, water, sea.  And that’s not counting the homonyms (linn, a period of time, as in “lenár linn,” and linn, “with us,” a form of the preposition “le,” used in phrases like “Dia linn”). Admittedly a bit confusing at first, since all three of these words are quite widely used!

feirm peataí: on my one visit to a “feirm peataí” in Ireland, I had the privilege of meeting Orla (nach maireann), allegedly the smallest known example of a Dexter cow, already a very small breed,  in her day (ca. 2000).  The Dexter may be the smallest breed of cow in the world, slightly smaller than the typical Kerry, I believe.  An bhfuil duine ar bith cinnte faoi sin?

Freagraí: 1b, linn snámha; 2c, feirm peataí; 3e, it’s the macasamhail, of course, one of the walk-through displays at the newly opened National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin; 4a, loch (a lake; perhaps you have a favorite – any suggestions?); 5d, trá, as long as it’s not a “duirling” (stony/shingle beach)

Nóta do na Freagraí: Of course, the Leprechaun Museum’s simulated Giant’s Causeway is indoors, so it isn’t limited to the summer season, but certainly visiting such a kid-friendly museum would be especially popular while schools are on holiday.