(le Róislín)

Ó Dhroichead na Leathphingine i mBaile Átha Cliath go ceann de na droichid is daoire ar domhan sa lá atá inniu ann!  Is iad “droichid” ábhar ár mblag inniu.  An bhfuil a fhios agat cad é an droichead dola daor atá i gceist agam?

But before we get down to brass tacks and talk tolls (dolaí), let’s just look at the basic word for a bridge, “droichead.”

And before we even do that, and just for good measure, let’s put aside the other sort of bridge, “beiriste,” which you might have guessed is the card game.  “Beiriste” is basically an adaptation of the sound “bridge,” and I don’t have much more to say about it, having never played it.  I can’t say I’ve ever heard much reference to it in Irish-speaking circles, which is, of course, simply my own little slice of experience.  For a bit more on “beiriste,” see the nóta below.

Anyway, back to “droichead” itself, which you might recognize from some very prominent Irish place names, especially Droichead Átha (Drogheda).  We see similar anglicized spellings in the townland names  “Droghed” (Co. Derry) and Kindroghed (Co. Donegal).   Sometimes an original Irish place name is translated, as in Droichead Nua (Newbridge), of which there are several in Ireland, and Droichead na Dothra (Ballsbridge), which literally means “Bridge of the (River) Dodder.”  And of course there are various  bridges around the world that have been given Irish names, including Droichead Bhá Oakland (California) and Droichead na nOsnaí (An Veinéis).  If the bridge is named for a person, the Irish word order is the reverse of the English (Droichead George Washington, Droichead Bhalfe Tone).  If a place outside of Ireland has a bridge well known enough have an Irish name, the word order is also reversed, as in Droichead Londan.  For that phrase, note also that “Londain” changes to “Londan,” to show possession, a slight difference but noticeable none the less.

Here are the main forms of the word “droichead” (for some readers, this will be partly be a review of https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/how-to-say-bridge-and-gate-in-irish/, 14 Eanáir 2014, which dealt with New Jersey’s Bridgegate.

droichead [DRIH-hud, note the “c” is silent and the “h” is like the “h” in “human” or “humid”]

an droichead, the bridge

droichid [DRIH-hidj], of a bridge

an droichid, of the bridge; costas an droichid

droichid, bridges

na droichid, the bridges

droichead, of bridges

na ndroichead [nuh NRIH-hud, note the 1st “d” is now silent], of the bridges; Cathair na nDroichead (leasainm ar an Veinéis)

In certain circumstances, “of the bridges” will have “séimhiú” (“dh” instead of “nd”), for example, in “fadhb dhroichead Konigsberg” as discussed in math, where the phrase literally means “the problem of the bridges of Konigsberg.”

And a few specific types:

droichead crochta, a suspension (lit. hanging or hung) bridge, which, of course suggests a playback to the last blog (nasc thíos), but with the “love locks” on a suspension bridge: An bhfuil do ghlas crochta crochta ar an droichead crochta?  Although from what I’ve seen of suspension bridges, it wouldn’t be as easy to hang a padlock on them; some don’t have pedestrian access and others are just too big.

droichead tógála, a drawbridge (lit. a lifting or raising bridge)

clárdhroichead, a plank bridge

droichead téada, a rope bridge, as in “Droichead Téada Charraig a’ Ráid” (Co. Antrim).  An ndeachaigh tú trasna an droichid seo riamh?  Freagraí: Chuaigh / Ní dheachaigh.  Mise: Ní dheachaigh.  Note: after “trasna” we have the same form used to show possession, “droichid,” just like we also have “trasna na sráide” and “trasna an bhóthair.”

Maidir le dolaí droichid (bridge tolls), ní raibh “Droichead na Leathphingine” saor (“cheap”) nuair a tógadh é.  A half-penny actually had some buying power back in 1816, when the bridge was built, although it seems like a small amount now.  I tried to find the cheapest bridge toll in existence today, but didn’t get very far with my cuardach Google.  I got many more results and discussions looking for “an dola is daoire,” the most expensive toll.  Fad m’eolais, is ar “Dhroichead na Cónaidhme” atá an dola is daoire anois, $45 do charr (dhá acastóir) agus $7.50 do gach acastóir breise.  Ach ar ndóigh, tá an droichead seo ar cheann de na droichid is faide ar domhan ach ní hé an droichead is faide é.  Cá bhfuil sé?  Tá an freagra thíos.    An bhfuil a fhios agaibh an bhfuil droichead ar bith níos daoire ná an ceann seo a bhfuil dola $45 air?  Bheinn buíoch as an eolas.  SGF — Róislín

Nasc: https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/an-bhfuil-do-ghlas-crochta-gra-crochta-agat-fos/ (14 Feabhra 2014)

Nóta: You might remember Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous lines on bridge, now available in Irish, thanks to Breandán Ó Doibhlin’s translation (An Prionsa Beag) of Le Petit Prince.  Deir Saint-Exupéry:  “Labhair mé leis [ie gnáthdhuine mór – R] fá dtaobh de bheiriste, de ghalf, de pholaitíocht agus de charbhait.  Agus bhíodh an duine mór sin thar a bheith sásta gur chas sé le duine chomh ciallmhar liom féin.”  The context, famously, is what Saint-Exupéry could talk about with the people who didn’t understand his pictures “Uimhir a hAon agus Uimhir a Dó,” in other words, with people who simply see the surface picture and not the true subject, which, as you may recall, is a boa digesting an elephant.  The Irish translation is readily available today (http://www.amazon.com/The-Little-Prince-Prionsa-Beag/dp/0955625009, i measc díoltóirí eile) and will probably be discussed in future blogs, since it is one of my favorite books (i dteanga ar bith!).

Freagra: Téann Droichead na Cónaidhme ó Nua-Bhrunswick go hOileán Phrionsa Éadbhard i gCeanada.  Dollair Cheanadacha atá i gceist sa phraghas sin.  An raibh tú riamh ar an droichead sin?