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. Bairbre has recently found out that she’s pregnant and she’s sure that Liam is the father, rather than her fiancé Noel. After much deliberation, she finally gets the courage to ring Liam.

Dialogue 41

Liam: Tá sé go deas a bheith ag caint leat arís. Ach dúirt tú an t-am deireanach a labhair muid nach raibh tú ag iarraidh bheith i dteagmháil liom níos mó, go mbeadh sé ródheacair.

Bairbre: Tá a fhios agam gur dhúirt mé é sin ach ...

Liam: Is cuma. An rud is tábhachtaí ná go bhfuil muid i dteagmháil le chéile arís.

Bairbre: Caithfidh mé bualadh leat go luath. An dtig leat a theacht go Baile Átha Cliath?Liam: Bhí sé i gceist agam dul ansin i gceann coicíse nó trí seachtaine, má tá tú ag iarraidh ...

Bairbre: Caithfidh mé bualadh leat roimhe sin. An mbeifeá saor an deireadh seachtaine seo?

Liam: Bhí mé féin agus cara liom ag brath dul chuig ceolchoirm sa Ghrianán i Leitir Ceanainn. Tá na ticéid ceannaithe againn cheana féin. Nach dtig linn labhairt ar an ghuthán anois?

Bairbre: Ní thig.

Liam: B’fhearr liom gan an socrú atá déanta agam a chur ar ceal.

Bairbre: A Liam, le do thoil, tar go Baile Átha Cliath Dé hAoine. Caithfidh mé labhairt leat.

Liam: Cad é atá cearr?

Bairbre: Níl mé sásta é a phlé ar an ghuthán.Liam: An bhfuil fadhbanna agat féin agus Noel?

Bairbre: Níl, ní sin é.Liam: In ainm Dé, abair liom cad é atá ag cur isteach ort. An bhfuil tú ceart go leor?Bairbre: Níl mé ceart go leor. Tá mé go mór trína chéile.

Liam: Le do thoil, inis dom cad é atá ort.

Bairbre: Ní thig liom. Buailfidh mé leat oíche Aoine i mbeár an Central Hotel ar a hocht a chlog.

Liam: Maith go leor. Beidh mé ann.

Aistriúchán / Translation

Liam: It’s nice to be talking to you again. But you said the last time we spoke that you didn’t want to be in contact with me any more, that it would be too hard.

Bairbre: I know I said that but ...

Liam: It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that we’re in contact with each other again.

Bairbre: I have to meet you shortly. Can you come to Dublin?Liam: I intended going there in a fortnight or three weeks’ time, if you want to ...

Bairbre: I have to meet you before that. Would you be free this weekend?

Liam: Myself and a friend of mine intended going to a concert in the Grianán in Letterkenny. We’ve bought the tickets already. Can’t we speak on the phone now?

Bairbre: No.

Liam: I’d rather not cancel the arrangement I’ve made.

Bairbre: Liam, please, come to Dublin on Friday. I have to speak to you.

Liam: What’s wrong?

Bairbre: I’m not willing to discuss it on the phone.Liam: Do you and Noel have problems?

Bairbre: No, that’s not it.Liam: For God’s sake, tell me what’s bothering you. Are you alright?Bairbre: I’m not alright. I’m really in bits.

Liam: Please, tell me what’s wrong with you.

Bairbre: I can’t. I’ll meet you on Friday night in the bar of the Central Hotel at eight o’clock.

Liam: Okay. I’ll be there.

Gramadach / GrammarBairbre uses the following phrase:

Tá a fhios agam gur dhúirt mé é sin. (I know I said that.)

Gur dhúirt is often used in the spoken language but go ndúirt is the form usually used in the written language.An dtig leat ...? (Can you ...?) is the Ulster Irish version of An féidir leat ...?:

• An dtig leat a theacht go Baile Átha Cliath? (Can you come to Dublin?) The noun seachtain (week) has a special form that is used after the numbers 3-10:

1 2 3-10

seachtain amháin dhá sheachtain trí seachtaine, ceithre seachtaine, etc.The above dialogue contains a few examples of the imperative, second person singular (i.e. the form used when speaking to one person):

tar go Baile Átha Cliath (come to Dublin)

abair liom cad é atá ag cur isteach ort (tell me what’s bothering you)

inis dom cad é atá ort (tell me what’s wrong with you)