A Fleadh phrasebook
Cúpla focal /KOO-pluh FUK-ul/ — “a few words”. Enough Irish to be polite at the bar, applaud the tunes, and find the toilet. Pronunciation is approximate; the locals will help with the rest.
5 sections26 phrases
6 entries
Greetings & civilities — open every conversation.
Dia duit/JEE-a ditch/greeting
— Hello
Literally “God be with you”. Ulster slenderises the d's — “Dia” lands closer to “JEE-a” than “DEE-a”.
Dia is Muire duit/JEE-a iss MWIR-eh ditch/reply
— Hello (in reply)
The expected response — “God and Mary be with you”.
Slán/slawn/farewell
— Goodbye
Short and warm. “Slán go fóill” for “bye for now”.
Go raibh maith agat/guh rev MAH ah-gut/thanks
— Thank you
Singular. Plural is “go raibh maith agaibh”.
Tá fáilte romhat/taw FALL-cheh ROH-it/reply
— You're welcome
Tá áthas orm bualadh leat/taw AW-hus UR-um BOO-loo lat/introductions
— Nice to meet you
Lit. “there is happiness on me at meeting you”. Ulster ends “bualadh” with an “-oo”, not “-uh”.
6 entries
At the bar — the only category most people will rehearse.
Pionta Guinness, le do thoil/PYUN-ta Guinness, leh duh HULL/order
— A pint of Guinness, please
Add “amháin” (ah-WAWN) before the comma if you want to be specific about “one”.
Sláinte!/SLAWN-cha/toast
— Cheers!
Literally “health”. The toast. “Sláinte mhaith” = “good health”.
Babhta eile?/BOW-ta ELL-eh/round
— Another round?
An bhfuil bia agaibh?/un will BEE-a AH-giv/food
— Do you have food?
In Ulster “bhfuil” lands as “will”, with a slender bh.
Tá mé súgach/taw may SOO-gukh/honest
— I'm a bit tipsy
Affectionate. Confess only to friends.
Uisce, le do thoil/ISH-keh, leh duh HULL/order
— Water, please
Pace yourself. Whiskey comes from the same root.
6 entries
Music & sessions — for the corner table with the fiddles.
Seisiún/SHESH-oon/noun
— Session
An informal trad music gathering. The whole point.
Ceol/kyole/noun
— Music
Amhrán/OW-rawn/noun
— A song
Often unaccompanied. Listen for the pin-drop hush.
Cá bhfuil an seisiún anocht?/kaw will un SHESH-oon ah-NOKHT/question
— Where's the session tonight?
Maith thú!/mah HOO/praise
— Well done!
Shouted between tunes. Or after a fine round.
Go hiontach/guh HOON-tukh/praise
— Wonderful / brilliant
Distinctly Ulster — Donegal turns “iontach” into “OON-tukh” where the south says “EEN-tukh”.
4 entries
Getting around — useful when the pints catch up with you.
Cá bhfuil an leithreas?/kaw will un LEH-rass/question
— Where is the toilet?
The most-asked phrase at any Fleadh. Memorise this.
Cá bhfuil…?/kaw will/question
— Where is…?
All-purpose opener. Point at a map, smile.
Tá brón orm/taw brohn UR-um/polite
— I'm sorry / excuse me
Lit. “there is sorrow on me”. The Irish wear feelings outwardly.
Cabhraigh liom!/COW-ree lyum/urgent
— Help me!
For when the craic outpaces the legs.
4 entries
Fleadh-flavoured phrases — keep these in your back pocket.
Fleadh Cheoil/flah KYOLE/noun
— Music festival
Where you currently are. “Fleadh” alone just means feast — short “a”, not “aw”.
Craic agus ceol/krak AH-gus kyole/phrase
— Fun and music
The whole proposition, in three syllables.
Tóg go bog é/toag guh BUG ay/advice
— Take it easy
Said warmly. Often before someone takes it not easy.
Beidh muid ag dul go Béal Feirste/bay MWIDGE egg DULL guh BAYL FERSH-cheh/place
— We'll be going to Belfast
Béal Feirste = Belfast. Lit. “mouth of the sandbank ford”. Ulster says “bay” for “beidh”, not the Munster “beg”.
