Nua!! / New!!You can now listen to Liam agus Bairbre - just click on the link at the bottom of this page.Na hAisteoirí / The Actors: Cóilín Ó Floinn (Liam)Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair (Bairbre)Treoir / InstructionsA translation of the dialogue is available further down the page. Even if your knowledge of Irish is very limited, try reading the dialogue initially without looking at the translation – you should be able to guess the meaning of some of the phrases from the context. The Test Yourself! facility will be available again shortly. Once you’re familiar with the dialogue, you can click on the "Test yourself!" button to check your knowledge. Cúlra / BackgroundLiam is twenty-nine years old and lives in the Donegal Gaeltacht. He’s from a mixed farming background but now works as a shop manager in Letterkenny. *Bairbre, who is twenty-eight, is originally from Cavan, but now lives in Dublin, where she works as a nurse. She met Liam while attending an Irish course in Donegal over five years ago. They dated for two-and-a-half years but split up when discovered that had gone back to her former fiancée behind his back. Their separation was not amicable. *

Liam and Bairbre recently met for the first time in three years. They had dinner together, went back to her place later on and ended up sleeping together. A few weeks later Bairbre finally plucks up the courage and rings Liam to discuss the situation.

Dialogue 39

Bairbre: Bhí mé díreach ag iarraidh leithscéal a ghabháil leat. Tá an-bhrón orm faoin mhéid a tharla an oíche sin. Bhí mé ar meisce agus ...

Liam: Ná bí ródhian ort féin – tá an locht ar an bheirt againn. Ach tá an scéal rud beag níos casta i do chás-sa agus tú geallta. Ar luaigh tú rud ar bith le Noel go fóill?

Bairbre: Níor luaigh. Tá mé idir dhá chomhairle faoi sin. Tá mé trína chéile go mór ón oíche sin; níl mé ag codladh i gceart, tá mo ghoile caillte agam ...

Liam: Sílim féin gur cheart duit labhairt le Noel faoin mhéid a tharla. Seans go mbeadh sé tuisceanach go leor.

Bairbre: Tá a fhios agatsa go maith nach mbeadh. Ná bí ag rá rudaí amaideacha.

Liam: Ná bí ag tabhairt amach domsa – níor chuir mise brú ar bith ort codladh liom. Bairbre: Tá a fhios agam sin.Liam: Sílim go léiríonn an méid a tharla nach bhfuil tú i ngrá le Noel i ndáiríre. Dá mbeadh, ní tharlódh a leithéid.

Bairbre: Níl mé ag iarraidh do chuid tuairimí a chluinstin. Agus má bhíonn comhairle de dhíth orm uait, iarrfaidh mé é.

Liam: Tá tú ag éirí feargach liomsa gan cúis ar bith. Cad chuige ar chuir tú scairt orm má tá tú oiread ar buile liom?

Bairbre: Bhí mé ag iarraidh an scéal a phlé, go díreach. Caithfidh mé imeacht anois – tá Susan ag bualadh isteach chugam i gceann cúpla bomaite.

Liam: Ar mhaith leat castáil liom go luath agus cúrsaí a phlé i gceart? Tá sé deacair labhairt faoi rudaí mar seo ar an ghuthán.

Bairbre: B’fhearr liom gan castáil leat – tá rudaí casta go leor mar atá siad. Sílim nár cheart dúinn bualadh le chéile níos mó.

Liam: An bhfuil tú dáiríre?

Bairbre: Tá. Caithfidh an bheirt againn leanstan ar aghaidh lenár saol féin. Ní shílim go dtig linn a bheith cairdiúil – tá sé ródheacair.

Aistriúchán / Translation

Bairbre: I just wanted to apologise to you. I’m really sorry about what happened that night. I was drunk and ...

Liam: Don’t be too hard on yourself – both of us are to blame. But things are a bit more complicated in your case since you’re engaged. Have you mentioned anything to Noel yet?

Bairbre: No. I’m in two minds about that. I’ve been really in bits since then; I’m not sleeping properly, I’ve lost my appetite ...

Liam: I think you should talk to Noel about what happened. There’s a chance he’d be understanding enough.

Bairbre: You know well that he wouldn’t be. Don’t be saying stupid things.

Liam: Don’t give out to me – I didn’t force you to sleep with me. Bairbre: I know that.Liam: I think what happened shows that you’re not really in love with Noel. If you were, such a thing wouldn’t have happened.

Bairbre: I don’t want to hear your opinions. And if I want advice, I’ll ask for it.

Liam: You’re getting angry with me for no reason. Why did you call me if you’re so angry with me?

Bairbre: I just wanted to discuss the matter. I have to go now –Susan is calling into me in a few minutes.

Liam: Would you like to meet me soon and discuss things properly? It’s difficult to talk about things like this on the phone.

Bairbre: I’d rather not meet you – things are complicated enough as they are. I don’t think we should meet any more.

Liam: Are you serious?

Bairbre: Yes. Both of us have to get on with our own lives. I don’t think we can be friends – it’s too difficult.

Gramadach / GrammarThe adjective mór (big) is lenited because it follows *géarchéim *(crisis), a feminine noun:

mór (big) géarchéim mhór (a big crisis)Words that follow the simple preposition ar are often lenited. When a condition, a state, an emotion or a general location is being referred to, however, there is no lenition:

ar buile (furious)

ar meisce (drunk)

ar muir (on the sea)Most consonants are lenited after the simple preposition + article don, but d, t, s remained unchanged:

fear (a man) don fhear sin. (for / to that man)

but deireadh seachtaine (weekend) don deireadh seachtaine (for the weekend)