In the Name of the Fada
Des Bishop is a stand up comedian from New York.He’s spending a year learning Irish in one of the most vibrant parts of the Connamara Gaeltacht. It’s compelling viewing, whether you are a fan of the language or not. Just don’t look if you are easily offended. There’s great riff on the ‘an modh coinníollach’ (the present conditional) in the second episode. His ultimate aim is to do as whole set as Gaeilge by the end of the year. As each programme progresses he uses more and more of the language, and less and less English. Inordinately good television, whatever your chosen mode of language. H/T Aaron!
In the introduction to every programme he says that he wants to do the first stand-up comedy gig in Irish. I heard that Dara O’ Briain has already done that though.
I think it would be hard for even the most anti-Irish language person not to smile at Des’ version of ‘Jump around’
http://www.desbishop.com/ – click on Léimígí thart.
I think its brillant, but I’m a bit claonta.
There was a man from Gaoth Dobhair, Neilly Mulligan I think who died recently, who did stand-up in Irish.
Maybe Im wrong, maybe it was someone else?
Hilarious Mick and thanks for the memory:)
I have a personal memory of ‘an modh coinniollach’ involving an brute of an FG culchie teacher, a poor stuttering young import with Randalstown forebears and the verb ‘tiocfaidh’
Will add it later when I get some time !
I have to admit I chuckled at his bemusement when he thought he had at least learnt how to count to 10 until someone informed him of the concept of “beirt”.
Mar eolas, tá nós* anois ar fáil ar fhormais sa bhreis …
http://issuu.com/nosmag/docs/eagran0/41
Info, nós* is now available in a new format? Looking good I think.
I think if anything is to be a success in Irish it simply has to be better than the equivalent in English, I think that is true of nós*.
Of course because it is Irish I could be said to be stilted a little. I really hope that nós* becomes a printed mag, I think it is a very positive sign not just for Gaels but for all Irish people that young talented people can still get together and do things as we say in Irish ‘ar son na cúise’ (free of charge). It is a credit to them.
I dont know if it the Des Bishop factor, the TG4 generation or is it that somebody is good at computers and doesnt waste all their time blogging?
But the best of it is that the purists are raging, its been a month now and no-one has found a mistake yet!
A few people have probably done stand-up in Irish before but i suppose the line just adds to the show, which is brilliant.
A lot of things are happening at the minute – Des Bishop, nós*, Irish nightclubs throughout the country – the signs are good for the future.
Ar aghaidh leis na Gaeil!
‘Ar aghaidh leis na Gaeil!’
Cinnte (Kincheh)
Agus dar ndho (Awguhs dawr no)
ar do wicycle
(Air do wicycle)
but please God he’s successful,
I found that piece by Bishop whereby irish speakers will ‘borrow’ a wider known english word even when there is an Irish term e.g rothar ( bicycle) but yet abuse the english word by imposing the Gaelic grammatical construct on the english word . Another example was the use of the word ball (english ) instead of the Irish ‘Liathroid’(grey rolling thing) so instead of saying ‘Se mo liathroid’ (Shay muh leehroad ) for (that’s my ball) they’ll say ‘Se mo bhall’
‘Shay mo wall’
Bishop is a hoot and the man has precious little respect for the purists of Gaeldom.