Motherfoclóir

The Irish for Passport is pas, which can also mean an episode in time or a fit (of rage or madness, for example). This week Darach is joined by journalist Naomi O’Leary, who has written extensively about EU matters and co-presents “The Irish Passport” podcast. They chat about Ireland and Europe, the politics of language, national identity after Brexit and the joys of multilingualism. --- Contact the show at https://twitter.com/motherfocloir or email us at [email protected].

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**"If I were a boy /Even just for a day /I’d roll outta bed in the morning /And throw on what I wanted and go"** **Beyoncé Knowles, If I Were A Boy, 2007** Welcome to our 50th episode! If you're a regular listener you may have heard us mention the Modh Coinníollach before... but what is it? As with Peig who we chatted about last week, the Modh Coinníollach has become a kind of mascot for those who have bad memories of Irish from school. This has become a tired cliche in need of a good shake. In order to get a good handle on the Irish conditional mood, Darach summons German-speaker Peadar and Spanish-speaker Éimear to compare it to the arrangement in other European languages. Is our conditional really so bad on a global scale? The gang also chat about Muppets, Haribo, Fatal Deviation and Beyonce, and Peadar gives a cheeky tip for spoken Irish. --- Contact the show at https://twitter.com/motherfocloir or email us at [email protected].

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Back in 2003, a schoolboy sitting at his home computer was messing around on the internet and, without fully realising it, opened a window for the Irish language. That window was Vicipéid, and seventeen years later it is still letting light and air in. But who was that boy and what did Gaeilge and Ireland mean to him?
Well, that boy was Gabriel Beecham and he is the guest on today’s show. He chats to Darach and Ola about taking the first step of creating the Vicipéid frontpage, the long space between taking the first and second steps, and watching the Wikipedia volunteer ethic form at this very time. It was the start of a journey which took him to the most famous green owl in linguistics.
He talks about his relationship with languages in general and Irish in particular - a relationship which led him to becoming a Duolingo contributor. A doctor by day, he also gives the gang some insights from the frontlines of Ireland’s fight against Covid-19.
Featuring:
Gabriel's favourite Vicipéid entries
https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9alteola%C3%ADocht
Gaeilge i mo chroí - Is DUOLINGO GOOD for IRISH?
https://youtu.be/CVSG4bFdKto
Ciaran Duffy’s astronomy prints as gaeilge.
https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/hellociaran/
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Support Motherfocloir on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darach
Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/
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Contact the show:
twitter - @motherfocloir and @theirishfor
email - [email protected]
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Want to record your own podcast? Check out our studios at https://thepodcaststudios.ie

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“Basic Structure of an Irish Fairytale:

1. Don’t do the thing
2. Does the thing
3. Death”

Do you understand what mythology is, and its role in the way all stories are told and heard? Do you understand what TikTok is and why teenagers are spending hours preparing nine-second one-person plays in their bedrooms? How could these two things possibly be linked? Fortunately today we have a guest who can explain both.
Donegal’s Róisín McNally is an accomplished TikTok-er with a degree in Celtic Civilisation. She tells Éimear and Darach about how Deirdre of the Sorrows is just your typical goth teenager surrounded by disappointing adults, how Irish mythology is full of women discovering their potential when they are left alone by men, and the influence of Celtic Woman and Enya on Gen Z cosplayers.
This is the final episode of Motherfoclóir’s Season 2 - we’ll be back soon! Thank you for all your support.
You can find Róisín on TikTok and Insta at @roro_the_terrible
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Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/
Support for this episode comes from Foras na Gaeilge - https://www.forasnagaeilge.ie/
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Contact the show:
twitter - @motherfocloir and @theirishfor
email - [email protected]

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When we in Ireland think of Irish-America, our minds tend to rush towards rivers died green, New York cops and maybe even a Massachusetts political dynasty. But there’s a lot more to the story than that. In particular, the Appalachian region, crossing multiple states, has its own culture and identity distinct from its neighbours in the South and Midwest, of which Irish music and language have made a significant contribution.
In this week’s episode, Darach and Peadar chat to Rebecca Wells, a singer in Nashville, Tennessee. She tells the lads about her Appalachian roots, the influence of Irish music on bluegrass and other musical traditions, the overlap between accents and dialects and the way what you call a can of carbonated drink is an indicator of where you are from. She also tells the story behind her Twitter handle @faoiltighearna and her favourite Irish word.
Rebecca’s band Paper Ravens are on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IDMk7CcFgOyFIgN69Qkj8?si=lrULNBjWSUGxbHDugXVzVw
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Get Kirsten Shiel art prints here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/kirstenshiel/
Support for this episode comes from Foras na Gaeilge - https://www.forasnagaeilge.ie/
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Contact the show:
twitter - @motherfocloir and @theirishfor
email - [email protected]

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