Under a Harvest Moon in Ireland

Failte, Reader. Welcome back if you're a regular.

It's Tuesday. I don't usually write on Tuesdays, but I'm trying out this new Hiberno story writing for the podcast, and I didn't get the story finished until yesterday morning. Why? Because I was gallivanting in Dundalk, Drogheda and surrounds at the weekend. Here's me imagining how Cú Chulainn might have looked, tied to the stone, dying. (He was likely much taller, of course). To see more about this stone and Ireland's warrior Cú Chulainn, pop over here.

For New Readers

Welcome to what has been a somewhat metamorphic project since it began again in June 2024 - a blog that I'm still figuring out in terms of theme. I am close to self-diagnosing as having an ADHD brain, so it's been somewhat challenging for me to pin down a theme. I enjoy so many. Are you like that at all? 

One of the things I enjoy most is putting words together in English. Well, more specifically, Hiberno English, the English of Ireland. Contrary to what people might think, it is not British English (BE), though aspects of BE do form its basis, of course. They did come over and ban Irish for long enough to force the Irish population into a set of subservient English speakers. (There is merit to us speaking English today at the same time). During the summer of 2024 (just after the beginning of this blog), I began writing stories with glossaries of the Hiberno English words I used in them. And that's what I'm back to doing now - with a twist - the story starts with a word as a mnemonic. Here's what I do.

Frist, I think of a word centred around the day I'm writing, or the week, or something cultural or that happened in my life - or even better - a word a follower, someone who reads this blog (you), or someone who listens to the podcast sends me as a request. Last week, St. Valentine's Day fell, so last week, I did the word /single/. You can read the story and learn the words here.

Love Stones

The day after Valentine's last week, I found a surprise gift in the plant pot outside the lift in my apartment building. At first, I didn't pick it up. I just took a photo and thought it must have been left by the building keepers as a nice ornament. The next day, it had moved to another pot. This time, I wondered more deeply and decided to lift it to find out where it came from. Underneath, there was a note which read: "Regalo/Gift. Put foto on Facebook. #froggie."

This week's story is thus dedicated to the flaithúil of a fella who created and left a surprise gift for a stranger on Valentine's, brightening their week wonderfully. As usual, the glossary of terms is below the story. I suggest reading first to try to understand from context. I try to write in a way that can make some words guessable. Then, look at the words, read again, choose a few you want to use, and make up some sentences or questions to practise them. You can also try to notice them in your life, and speak what happened using the word. I'll give you an example of that another day. For now, enjoy the story. Listen to the podcast to follow along with the words.

Under a Harvest Moon in Ireland

“Which feckin way is it?”

Fiach’s eyes darted left and right, following the direction of his head. He hadn’t been down near the bog for years, and the cnoc he’d just come over had led him astray. A sudden chill crept over him in his Grandfather’s voice…

“Watch out for the fóidín mearaí when you’re out on that bog!”

Fiach was a flaithúil of a rábaire, if a bit of an innocent. He shivered, tucking his shoulders into his neck so his coat collar would cover his earlobes. He’d forgotten his Grandfather’s words and the fóidín mearaí had got him, leaving poor Fiach finding himself lost on the bog a little before dusk. Next thing, just as quick as the confusion had come upon him not a few moments before, so the eyes of an easóg bore a flash of theirs into his – and were gone. In their place, moving slowly towards him, emerging from the light bog mist that signified good weather to come, floated the twinkling eyes and ethereal form of a woman. She looked to have no more than forty years on her, like Fiach. The rábaire rightified himself, standing up a little taller as he met her gentle gaze.

“Have you lost your way, Traveller?”

Fiach felt his insides melt. Her voice trickled into his ears, winding its way around his heart.

“I have, m’lady. And yourself? What has a young woman the likes of you out traipsing around a bog at this hour of the day?”

“There is a fothain a few feet from here. You’re too deep into the bog to get out tonight. Folly me.”

They soon arrived at a small shelter the likes of which Fiach had never seen on the bog. He was sharp enough not to enquire into it. The woman was guiding him not only to safety and a bed for the night, but food and a bit of company. Sure you don’t go enquiring into a thing like that.

“Go out and find a gealtaire – or a few if you can spot them, and some firewood as well.”

“Find a gally what?”

“A gealtaire – a piece of bog-deal for to use as a torch when the darkness settles in. Mind you, ‘tis the night of the Gealach na Gcoinleach, so ‘twill be that there is light.”

Fiach had a flashback to his days on the bog with his grandfather.

“See where they’ve dug there?” He’d point to an ancient looking tree and the earth all moved and cut around it. “That’s to get right into the roots of the bog-deal tree. They’ll use the bog-deal ace then and chop it into pieces to be dried. It makes a great torch does the bog-deal tree. There’s flúirse business in it altogether for the local gossoons.”

Not long after, Fiach returned with a huge gabháil of firewood, and the finest gealtaine he could find thrice over. She was sitting by a fire stirring a sweet-scented molasses-type substance in an oigheann. Beside her sat two steaming mugs of stew.

“Settle yourself there and eat.”

The pair sat gabbing long into the oíche. Fiach even got a wee gáilleog of a whiskey so fine he was reluctant to finish it. Though finish it he did, soon thereafter stifling a gant, causing his elbow to promptly slide off his knee and send his torso tumbling towards the woman by his side.

She steadied him instantly in a moment that was as perfect an opportunity to enjoy an occasion of sin as is the night of Samhain for a feast. But it would have been right for neither of them to give in to their passions. As Lady of the Bog, she had a duty to keep all travellers kind of heart safe. Fiach himself was changing his ways after learning a few tough lessons about the importance of running long races at slow and steady paces. He’d made a vow to himself that from now on, he’d spend time getting to know the women he was interested in, learn a bit about them as a person first. It was a new thing for him, a new thing he liked very much.

Having dampened the fire, Fiach’s hostess helped him up and into the fothain. The strangers smiled at each other. Gently pecking the centre of his eadán as he lay onto the pillow, the Lady of the Bog left Fiach to rest.

Hiberno English Glossary: 

1. Feckin: an emphatic word to express frustration. Weaker and less offensive than ‘fuck’. Not a curse.
2. Cnoc: a hill or a "knock." 
3. Fóidín Mearaí: a sod of confusion. A part of the path which confuses the traveller, and may make them lose their way.
4. Flaithúil: generous / kind-hearted.
5. Rábaire: a strong, active, athletic person.
6. If: used like ‘although’ or ‘even though.’
7. Innocent: not quite normal.
8. Easóg: Weasel. Often seen as the familiar of a witch amongst the Celts.
9. Rightified: steadied / rebalanced.
10. Traipsing: walking around, possibly with a somewhat heavy foot.
11. Fothain: shelter.
12. Folly: follow. 
13. Gealtaire: a piece of bog-deal (see below) to be lit and used as a torch.
14. Bog-deal: Wood from a tree that’s been in the bog for hundreds to thousands of years, rooted deep. Often, the tree was burned and the area then left to become bog.
15. For to: to indicate purpose.
16. Gealach na Gcoinleach: Harvest Moon.
17. Bog-deal ace: A type of knife used to cut the bog-deal tree.
18. Flúirse: plenty. 
19. Gosson: young lad.
20. Gabháil: an armful of (sticks, for instance).
21. Oigheann: a flat-based oven pot placed on an outdoor fire for cooking.
22. Gabbing: talking about all sorts of things and another.
23. Oíche: night. 
24. Gáilleog: a small drink of something.
25. Gant: a yawn.
26. Occasion of sin: an external set of circumstances that incite or entice a person to sin.
27. Samhain: What the world now knows as Halloween. An ancient Celtic festival.
28. Eadán: forehead. 

Teacher Activity: 

If you teach English in Ireland, or just want to expose students to some beautiful Hiberno English, you are welcome to use this story with classes. Please simply ensure to credit me with creation by adding my name, and a link to my podcast, this blog or my Instagram. I'd recommend B2 or a very strong B1+ as the level. There are many ways you could use it, depending on student capacity. Only you can determine that. Here are a few ideas: 

One:

1. Make a matching activity of the vocabulary. 
2. Pre-teach using the activity then get students to read. 
3. Give students comprehension questions to answer. 
4. Follow Up: students write 3 questions each using 3 different words/phrases from the story. They must be questions they can ask their classmates. For instance, "when was the last time you stifled a gant? Why?"
5. Free Practice: students mingle or in pairs/groups discuss their questions. 

Two: 

1. Get students to read and guess context first. Ask them some comprehension questions to check, or give them the questions in advance.
2. Repeat the matching, comprehension, and follow up activity as above.

Three: 

1. Teach the Irish fada (maybe contrast it with the Spanish accent, or other languages speech markers on words).
2. Use the story to practice pronunciation including the fada. You can choose the aspect that fits your class best. Notice the linking differences between English and the Irish words. 

Four: 

1. Remove the Hiberno English words. 
2. Ask students to read and guess what words are missing (English words based on context. Accept any that would fit as possible). 
3. Get students to do the matching activity. 
4. After checking, ask them to fit the words into the story. (*ensure to mix the words up first). 

Five: 

1. Use a combination of any of the above. 
2. Finish by asking students to write what happens next. 

Please let me know if you use it, how it goes, and suggest changes or updates if you ran into challenges or think something could work in addition to what's above.