The Irish Words You Should Know

<p>‘The best book on the Irish language I have ever read – so funny, so soulful’ <strong>Tommy Tiernan</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>Loinnir: </strong>The sunlight sparkling on the waves, or the merriness you feel after early pints of stout in the morning.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>When you speak in Irish, every word is a tiny poem that reveals a new perspective. The Irish language is our inheritance. It lives underneath us in the soil, it blows through the leaves on trees and rises from the roots. Hector Ó hEochagáin is on a mission to help us reclaim that inheritance.</p><p> </p><p>From beautiful and melodic words like LOINNIR and phrases like ‘CÉN CHAOI A BHFUIL TÚ?’ – the perfect greeting for when the postman stops by on a winter’s morning; to ‘GAFA’– a way to say you’re so busy you don’t even have time to go to the toilet; ‘DAMANTA’ – when you have an almighty headache or terrible hangover; and ‘SIOCTHA’– when it’s so cold the grass is crunchy under your feet, rediscover the fun and magic of Irish words you can use every day.</p><p> </p><p>‘The godfather of modern Irish brings new meaning, richness and relevance to our language’ <strong>Paul Galvin</strong></p>