Letters to the Editor: Getting to grips with the Irish language

An example: ‘Tá mé sa seomra mór’ literally translates as ‘Am I in the room big’. This is head-wrecking for a child, particularly as 90%-plus of the schoolday is taught through the medium of English. Suddenly, they’re expected to switch to something that appears illogical.

From our parents, we picked up how to say sentences in English so that we arrived in school with the basics. But we didn’t pick up how to speak in Irish from them.

Is there a way to introduce kids to the language? Basic sentences when saying good night to a child, such as ‘sin é mo srón’ and ‘sin é do srón’ will introduce them to words, to my/your and to the beginnings of grammar. Add in a different word each week, eg, súil, béal, lámh, cluais, gruaig, etc.

Years ago, I read about a teacher who used to get each child to explain the origins of their own townland, and through this method each child realised that, while perhaps lacking fluency, they had considerable knowledge of the language.

A very good way to foster a love of the language is to introduce kids to place names. Carraig Dubh = Blackrock. Baile Átha Cliath = Hurdle Ford City. Dublin = Dubh linn = Black Pool. Quickly, they’ll learn that Baile does not mean “milk”. 

Inevitably, when they ask about a place name that you don’t know, tell them to look it up on logainm.ie, a wonderful resource that will encourage independent learning.

If you want to get adventurous, there are 70-plus distinct spellings of Yew placenames in Ireland, eg, Athy (Áth Í = Ford of the Yew), Donohill (Dún Eochaille = Fort of the Yew Wood), Emly (Imleach Iubhair = Marsh? at the Yew), Mayo (Magh Eo = Plain of the Yew), Newry (An tIúr = The Yew), Rush (Rus eo = Peninsula of Yews) and Youghal (Eochaill = Yew Wood). 

Lean ar aghaidh. 

Pascal Ó Deasmhumhnaigh, Inis Corthaidh, Co Loch Garman. 

Catherine Martin is taking her job seriously

Thank you Catherine Martin for taking your job seriously.  Events like the Ryder Cup don’t just happen. They need to be researched, prepared, and seen in action. Finer details don’t just happen.

Some jobs are better than others and unfortunately we all can’t have the good jobs, but those that do have them need to do them well and Catherine Martin seems to be doing her job well.

We can not expect our minister to head off on her own with a notebook and end up with the standard of event we would be proud to host. 

We have a history in this country of hosting world standard events, indeed when we hosted the Eurovision four times out of five we redefined the standard in my opinion. That happens from preparation, so thanks to all involved and I expect to see the preparations continue in two years' time in New York.

Peter Kennedy, Tralee, Co Kerry.

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Vital signs at Cork University Hospital

Around the main entrance door to Cork University Hospital 24 separate signs indicate that bicycle parking is prohibited, yet not one sign indicates any bicycle parking area convenient to the entrance.

For an organisation that is supposed to look after and promote the health of citizens this is most disappointing. Perhaps some of the vast HSE budget could be spent on a bicycle rack — and a sign.

Gerald Duffy, Ballinlough, Cork.

Politicians’ role in low Garda morale

The impasse between the Garda Commissioner and rank and file gardaí is a deep cause of concern. It seems difficult to understand how matters came to this point with 99% of frontline gardaí expressing no confidence in their commissioner.

Spokespeople for the gardaí repeatedly express the view that they are not being listened to, that they are not being trusted, that they are not allowed any discretion, and bureaucratic accounting rather than proactive policing now seems to be the main focus of their job.

The appointment of a commissioner from outside the force may have been the correct one (and it was certainly a courageous decision on the part of the commissioner himself in accepting it) but the danger is that it could also be seen by rank and file gardaí as a vote of no confidence in them.

This was especially the case against a background when politicians and journalists appeared to be vying with each other to criticise the gardaí. One politician even suggested gardaí should not be allowed to have any discretion at all.

Judgment and discretion are of course at the heart of any frontline public service and nowhere are these qualities more vital than in a policing service. For generations, An Garda Síochána have earned the trust of the Irish people.

As an unarmed community police force, An Garda Síochána has been one of the great success stories of an independent Irish state.

It is unfair to personalise the current dispute around the Garda Commissioner as the seeds of the situation extend well beyond him. By their generalised criticism some politicians have had a significant role in undermining garda morale. Politicians now need to play a positive role in restoring that morale.

John Glennon, Hollywood, Co Wicklow.