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Tag Archives: Naomh Pádraig

Beirt Naomh Mhí na Feabhra: Naomh Bríd agus San Vailintín Posted by on Feb 3, 2014

(le Róislín) Irish has two words for “saint.”  I wonder if any other language is similar in this regard, but for now, we’ll just look at the two Irish words, “naomh” and “san.”  For most purposes, they are not interchangeable.  February celebrates both “Naomh Bríd” and “San Vailintín,” so let’s look at why they have…

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Béigil: Uaine nó Glas? (Which Type of ‘Green’ for Bagels?) Posted by on Mar 27, 2013

(le Róislín) I figured there would be a lot more online references to “green beer” than to “green bagels” and, iontas na n-iontas, that was the correct assumption.   When you search for the terms in Irish (beoir ghlas, beoir uaine, béigil ghlasa, béigil uaine), the numbers for both drop dramatically. Not that there are that…

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Póit, Poit, Poitín, Póitín, Pótaire, Potaire, or, Mind Your “Síntí Fada” Posted by on Mar 17, 2012

(le Róislín) Continuing with the topic of tippling and toping for Lá Fhéile Pádraig, here’s another interesting assortment of timely tidbits of vocabulary.  Four of the words in the title actually have to do with drinking (really three and a variation), and two have nothing to do with drinking, but are simply here as a…

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Deir an Dúmheidic (Black Medick): “Ba mhaith liomsa a bheith i m’iomaitheoir freisin!” Posted by on Mar 13, 2012

(le Róislín) In the last blog (blogs.transparent.com/irish/an-tseamrog-the-shamrock/), I noted that there were at least eight contenders for the title of “shamrock,” including seamsóg (wood-sorrel) and various types of seamair (clover).  The blog I cited (www.naturalistsalmanac.com/0317stpat.html) mentioned there being eight possibilities, but only elaborated on six (five types of clover and the wood-sorrel).  So what are the other…

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Seachtain Fhéile Pádraig a Ceathair: An tSeamróg (The Shamrock) Posted by on Mar 22, 2010

(le Róislín) Maybe this series should really be “Coicís Fhéile Pádraig” (St. Patrick’s Fortnight).  Actually, this will probably be the last blag on “Naomh Pádraig” for this year, though there’s enough information on him to have the series last go ceann bliana (for a year). I thought we’d wrap up with “an tseamróg,” before we…

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Lá Fhéile Pádraig! Posted by on Mar 12, 2009

(le Róislín) As you might have guessed, the title phrase above means “St. Patrick’s Day,” a good time for launching this “blag nua” (new blog).  Remember that in pronunciation, the “fh” of the word “Fhéile” is completely silent.  For that reason, you sometimes see the phrase written as “Lá ‘Éile Pádraig,” dropping the “fh” entirely. …

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