Feleece Novidod! Hapy Nu Yeer! Thug tú faoi deara go raibh mílitriú ann? …You noticed there was misspelling? Maith thú! Good for you! Ach nach minic a bhfeictear mílitriú sa Ghaeilge agus ní thugann éinne faoi deara é? But isn’t it often that misspelled Irish is seen and nobody pays attention to it? ‘Nollaig sona’ in ionad ‘Nollaig shona,’ mar shampla, nó ‘An Gorta Mor’ in ionad ‘An Gorta Mór’ Mery Cristmus instead of Merry Christmas or The Grate Hunger instead of The Great Hunger, for example. Níl ann ach an Ghaeilge… It’s only Irish… Bíonn sé ar nós cuma liom ag daoine. People don’t care. Fiú sa scannán iomráite Million Dollar Baby, an frása Gaeilge a dúradh arís is arís eile ann, ‘mo cuisle,’ níor inis duine ar bith do Clint Eastwood nach raibh sé sin ceart agus nach ndeireadh aon duine ag a bhfuil Gaeilge ar bith a leithéid. Even in the famous movie…, the Irish phrase which was said over and over again, ‘my dourling,’ nobody told CE that that wasn’t correct and that nobody who has any Irish at all would ever say such a thing. ‘Mo chuisle’ a bheadh ceart, dar ndóigh, mar cuireann an forainm sealbhach ‘mo’ séimhiú ar an ainmfhocal a leanann é i gcónaí (más inséimhithe é). ‘My darling’ would be correct, of course, as the possessive pronoun ‘mo’ always lenites the following noun (if it can be lenited). Is iomaí Éireannach a bhí sa scannán sin. There were lots of Irish people in that movie. Sonra tábhachtach don phlota an leasainm sin. That nickname was an important detail of the plot. Ach ba chuma leo. But they couldn’t care less. Cad tá cearr leis seo? What’s wrong with this? Cén fáth nach dtugtar meas ar bith don Ghaeilge mar theanga? Why isn’t Irish given any respect as a language?

Ag tosú na bliana úire seo ag gearán is ag clamhsán atá mé, is dócha. I’m starting the new year complaining and grumbling, I suppose. Ach bítear ag súil le feabhas ag tús gach bliana. But every year we hope for improvement. Cá bhfios nach mbeadh daoine ní ba chúramaí i mbliana? Who knows that people might not be more careful this year? Bímis dóchasach, ar a laghad. Let’s be hopeful, at least. Níl sé deacair ar bith a leithéid seo a chinntiú, má tá ríomhaire agus teacht ar an idirlíon agat. It isn’t difficult at all to make certain of such things. Nuair a scaipeann daoine bréaga nó eolas míchruinn faoi stair na hÉireann, bímid á gceartú. When people spread lies or incorrect information about Irish history, we always correct them. Is féidir dúinn Gaeilge mhíchruinn a cheartú chomh maith (go béasach, dar ndóigh). We are able to correct erroneous Irish too (politely, of course). Is maith an rud é go mbíonn daoine ag iarraidh Gaeilge a úsáid ó am go chéile, agus molaimis sin. It’s a good thing that people attempt to use Irish from time to time, and we ought to praise that. Ach dá mbeadh daoine ag ceiliúradh stair na hÉireann agus ag scaipeadh scéalta míchearta chun sin a dhéanamh, ní bheadh éinne sásta leis. But if people were to celebrate Irish history and were spreading incorrect stories to to that, nobody would be satisfied with that. Thabhraimis cabhair agus comhairle dóibh, chun é a chur ina cheart. We’d give them help and advice in order to set things straight. Déanfaimis amhlaidh maidir leis an nGaeilge. Let’s do the same concerning the Irish language.

Chuala mé scéal grinn le déanaí. I heard a funny story recently. Tá duine ina shuí ag léamh an bhiachláir i mbialann agus nuair a fhíofraíonn an freasalaí de cad ab áil leis, deir sé gur mhaith leis na botúin ghramadaí. A fellow is sitting reading the menu in a restaurant and when the waiter asks what he would like, he says he would like the gramatical errors. “Níl aon ní mar sin againn” deir an freastalaí, agus ionadh air. The waiter says in surprise, “We don’t have anything like that.” “Bhuel, cén fáth go bhfuil siad ar an mbiachlár, mar sin?” deir mo dhuine… Well, how come they’re on they menu then?” the man says…

Déanaimid go léir botúin – ní bhíonn saoi gan locht. We all make mistakes – even Homer nods. Ní dhéanann an móramh díobh aon dochar. Most of them do no harm. Agus ní maith le héinne an beachtóir. And nobody likes a know it all. Mar sin, ní mór dúinn a bheith cúramach. So we need to be careful. Is binn béal ina thost, deirtear. The silent mouth is sweet, they say. Más féidir lámh chúnta a thabhairt do dhuine chun a chuid Gaeilge a fheabhsú, go ndéantar é, deirim, ach má chuireann an ceartúchán isteach ar an gcomhrá nó má choscann sé ar labhairt na Gaeilge, ná déantar é. If a helping hand can be given to someone in order to improve their Irish, let it be given, I say, but if the correction interferes with the conversation or if it stops the speaking of the Irish, it shouldn’t be done. Ach ar an lámh eile, má tá comhartha nó tatú nó rud atá le foilsiú i gceist, níl sé de cheart ag aon Ghaeilgeoir fanacht ina thost má tá botúin ann! But on the other hand, if a sign or a tatoo or something which is to be published is in question, it’s not right for any Irish speaker to remain silent if there are mistakes! Níl sé sin go deas. That’s not nice.

Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit, agus go raibh feabhas orainn go léir i mbliana, le cúnamh Dé! Happy New Year to you, and may we all improve this year, with God’s help!