I had no idea what lay ahead, as we had never been to Glencolmkille before. I shared my first impressions of this area with you last week, and now I want to write a few words about the course I attended in Glencolmkille.

Nuair a shroicheamar Oideas Gael i nGlencolmkille ar an Satharn, chuir bean den fhoireann fáilte romhainn agus threoraigh sí muid go dtí ár lóistín ar imeall an bhaile. Lóistín leaba agus bricfeasta a bhí ann agus bhí seomra mór dúbailte againn (mé féin agus mo bhean chéile) le seomra folctha en-suite.  Is trua é nach raibh lánlóistín ar fáil, cosúil leis an lóistín a bhí againn i nGleann Fhinne an tseachtain roimhe, ach sin a bhfuil.

One hundred and twenty people attended the induction session at seven o'clock on Saturday, and one of the organizers explained to us everything about Oideas Gael and the courses that would be available to us. In particular, he said that Irish classes would be available to us at seven levels and another special course called 'Accuracy in Irish'. This course is aimed at people who speak Irish to a high standard, who already have some knowledge of the grammar of the language but who wish to gain a better knowledge of it. The emphasis is on writing and reading the language but speaking activities are also involved. I had no choice but to attend this course!

The other seven classes were more general with the emphasis on spoken Irish. My wife signed up for one for them and she really liked the course. We had a busy schedule, with classes taking place every day (Monday to Friday) from ten o'clock in the morning until lunchtime at one, and again from three to five o'clock in the evening. an bhéim ar Ghaeilge labhartha. Shínigh mo bhean chéile suas le ceann dóibh agus thaitin an cúrsa go mór léi.  Bhí sceideal gnóthach againn, agus ranganna ar siúl gach lá (Luan go hAoine) óna deich a chlog ar maidin go dtí am lóin at a haon, agus arís óna trí go dtí a cúig a chlog sa tráthnóna.

There were ten people in my class, and we had a great teacher called Dubhán. I already knew him, as he taught us the advanced class in Glenfinn the week before. Dubhán is a man very familiar with the subject of Irish, and he has a PhD in hand at the University of Ulster, on the Fiannaíochta legends. He is also a creative writer, and has published a collection of poetry called 'IDEO Locator'. Dubhán laid out the course based on the textbook written by Éamonn Ó Dónaill MA, 'Gramadach gan Stró'. Éamonn taught the same course years ago, using his own book.

I loved the approach that Dubhán had. It didn't start with chapter 1, chapter 2 and so on through the book, page by page. Instead, he chose interesting topics, and then taught lessons discussing those topics and using the book to give us insight. We also did homework from the book, to convince us of the points.

The following are a few examples of the material.

Adjectives in the Genitive Case: I didn't know before this class that there are three declensions of adjectives! We learned about them and the rules associated with them.

Numbers: Dúbhán dived deeply into this matter, and we learned things like this: 'the beginning of the first week' (week in genitive case), but 'the beginning of the second week' (with week in the nominative); 'the end of the long great eleventh year' (genitive) and 'the value of the twelve houses' (nominative).

Verbal noun – genitive case: This genitive case is usually the same as the verbal adjective. For example: 'smoking', but 'smokers' (caitheamh versus caite in latter case), 'cleaning toilets', but 'toilet cleaner’(glanadh versus glanta in latter case)).

The nominative form instead of the genitive: this is a difficult matter – when two (or more) words come together in the genitive case what changes need to be made? It is necessary to learn about the Meaning Unit (Definite and Indefinite) first, to understand the rules related to it. Example: 'discussing John's son's problems' (‘ag plé fhadhbanna mhac Sheáin’).

Variations of speech: for example - 'I don't believe the house was right' ,(Ní chreidim a dheise a bhí an teach); 'there is no man so strong that age does not weaken him', (‘níl fear dá láidre nach lagaíonn an aois é’); 'As Smart as you are, I am smarter', (‘dá chliste tú, tá mise níos cliste’); 'the man is getting weak'( ‘tá an fear ag dul i laige’).

I don't have space to mention other subjects, but the examples mentioned above gave you a small taste of the course. We had a great week learning all the time, and I will definitely be back to attend another course before long. If you are interested in improving your Irish, I highly recommend the courses offered by Oideas Gael in Glencolmkille and courses are also available online!

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Glencolmkille

The sheet of fields overflowing

Waves sliding down the valley

Falling towards the sea below

To the most beautiful place in the world

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Its name is Glencolmkille

I have never seen anything like it

Wonderful and warm people live there chroíúil ina gcónaí ann

The site is steeped in history suíomh

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Located in Donegal Gaeltacht

In a beautiful, remote place out in the countryside

In a beautiful, remote place out in the countryside

To speak Irish with ease

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You have affected me deeply, O Glencolmkille

You have me put completely under your spell

I am changed because you moved my heart

I'll miss you when I'm back home

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Glencolmkille O Glencolmkille

Your equal is not to be had, be it old or new

Glencolmkille O Glencolmkille

We will be back together, be it sooner or later

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There is no arguing about the beauty of Glencolmkille. My eyes almost popped out of my head when we were driving down the road from Ardanra and an incredible view was revealed above us, stretching down to the shining sea, with the town of Glencolmkille sitting in the valley, framed by majestic hills that drop steeply into the choppy waves on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It is difficult to describe this place, without resorting to poetry, to convey to you the feelings associated with the sight. That's why I wrote the poem mentioned above. I also wrote a short poem in English – here it is:

Glencolmkille

Fresh green-fielded quiltwork spills,

Pleats and folds tumbling down hills,

Gliding through glistening, gulleted glen,

Riven by meandering river Murlin

Cloud-swaddled as it cradles spangled sainted land,

Then Softly surrenders to the sea's silver sand.

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There is much to recommend about the Glen and its area, in terms of the activities available. Oideas Gael's headquarters are on the edge of town, and they organize Irish language courses from the beginning of the summer, at all levels. Other courses are also available – including archeology and mountaineering – all in Irish. People meet in Glencolmkille who have a strong love of culture and language, and although most of them are Irish, foreigners are also involved. I will be writing an article about the same matters in another article, but today there is a general overview, about Glencolmcille and the area where it is located.

Áiseanna agus lóistín

The town has shops, restaurants, pubs and a garage. Bed and breakfast accommodation or self-catering apartments are available, but are very popular. Therefore, it is quite difficult to find any kind of accommodation in the town itself and people often have to find accommodation somewhere else, like Na Cella Beaga, and then commute to the Glen.

Slí Cholmcille agus Turas Cholmcille

The Cholmcille Way goes from Glencolmcille in Ireland to the Isle of Î in Scotland, visiting sites associated with the Saint's life and tradition. This Way is similar to the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Every year, a pilgrimage is organized by Gaeltacht cooperatives and language planning areas. The walks are usually led by mountain guides and native speakers.

In Glencolmcille itself, Slí Colmcille follows the route of Turas Colmcille. People go on a pilgrimage to Glencolmkille every year between the 9th of June (the festival of the Saint) and the 15th of August (the festival of the Ascension). Some ancient stones (dating back to 3000 BC) and gallants (dating back to 500-700 AD) can be seen at the 15 sites that make up the stops on the tour.

An Clachán

The 'clachán' was opened in 1967, as a community project founded by Father Mica daivhir, a famous priest who founded many social schemes. There are seven thatched houses located under the mountain near the large beach, which give the visitor an insight into local life in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries in west Donegal. There is also a nice craft shop and cafe.

Conclusion

Glencolmkille is a beautiful and remote place, with many facilities and activities available. I would highly recommend you to visit it and especially if you want to improve your Irish.

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