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Tag Archives: May

Merry, Month, May, and How to Say It All in Irish Posted by on Apr 24, 2014

(le Róislín) As we approach Lá Bealtaine and mí na Bealtaine, it seems a good time to break apart the time-worn phrase “merry, merry month of May,” and see how these words appear in Irish.  So we’ve got at least four words for “merry” plus a curious use of “buí,” one basic word for “month”…

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Between a Rock and a … May Day Fire? (or Life on the Horns of a Dilemma — as Gaeilge) Posted by on May 1, 2012

(le Róislín) Amongst the numerous phrases in English for being, essentially, stuck between two difficult choices, we have “between Scylla and Charybdis,” “between the devil and the deep blue sea,” and, perhaps most widely used of all, “between a rock and a hard place.”  Irish, natch, has its equivalents.  One is, fairly straightforwardly, “rogha an…

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Cé Mhéad Lá sa Mhí? (How Many Days in the Month?) Posted by on Jan 20, 2012

(le Róislín) A reader recently posted a question about how to say how many days a month has.  Bhuel, ar mhaith leatsa na bearnaí sa chairt seo a lionadh isteach ? Oh, and dála an scéil, the months in this chart are not in chronological order.  Don’t want it to be too much of a giveaway!…

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Ainmneacha na Míonna i nGaeilge (Names of the Months in Irish) Posted by on Sep 6, 2011

(le Róislín) We’ve discussed the Irish names of various months as this blog has continued, but this might be a good time to go over the liosta as a whole. First let’s look at “Meán Fómhair” (September).  By the way, if this is a new term for you, or if you’re new to the list…

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An Chéad Lá den Earrach (The First Day of Spring) – Not! Posted by on Mar 21, 2009

(le Róislín)  Shortly after St. Patrick’s Day, we welcome in an tEarrach (the Spring).  Or do we? We may be accustomed to thinking of March 20th or 21st as the beginning of Spring, but there is actually a lot of controversy in English as to whether Spring starts on the first of the month or…

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