[I Mo Ghaeltacht Bheag Fhéin]

I Mo Ghaeltacht Bheag Fhéin
In My Own Wee Gaeltacht
Jim Keenan's newsletter on his journey learning Irish

I started this newsletter as a broad brush diary of my journey learning Irish and as a way of helping me stay accountable by sharing it with two other friends. Since the start, many more friends have joined the reading and I'm very grateful to each and every one of you. Go raibh míle maith agat! I hope you may find something here to encourage and support you on your own Irish language journey.

2021

Date: August 1, 2021

This is where, for the moment, the regular publications about my journey end. At the end of August, I will have reached one full year of intense study of Irish. I will have completed all the content offered by Bitesize Irish. I will have completed all the 100 level courses in Irish on FutureLearn. I will be done with Gaeilge gan Stró. Significantly, I will also have finished my Imaginary Long Walk through all the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland.

My work, of course, is not done. I'm still developing ideas on the classic novel "Séadna". I'm slowly reading "An t-Oleánach". I will, however, be moving into a new phase of my journey. I am no longer an absolute raw beginner at Irish. I am moving into an intermediate phase and I'm trying to decide right now what this will look like. One of my thoughts is that I will continue to produce a newsletter but I will write the entire thing in Irish. I can't say for sure what will happen. All I know for sure is I will continue to move forward.

I'm thinking to write a comprehensive report of my life I Mo Ghaeltacht Bheag Fhéin at the end of August. I want to thank everyone who has read about my journey. You have been important to me, encouraging me even as you have been invisible. All I can say is, you've seen me do it. If you want to learn Irish, you can, too!

Slán go fóill! Bye for now.

Issue 19 - June 30, 2021
Glac sos! In which I take a break from studying five hours a day to only two hours a day for two weeks; My latest story "Duilleog agus Cloch"

Issue 17 - May 31, 2021
Nine months gone - an evaluation of my progress, goals achieved and goals yet to be completed; where I expect to go as I make my way to the one year mark

Issue 16 - May 15, 2021
Challenges and changing outlooks; Imaginary Long Walk in Na Forbacha; Séadna; Book Reviews; Entering the MADRA 5k charity run

Issue 15 - April 30, 2021
More learning progress; Imaginary Long Walk to end of the peninsula and the Blasketts; Séadna; Learning new words and expressions on the fly - how I pick up new vocabulary from my virtual walks

Issue 14 - April 15, 2021
More learning progress; FutureLearn Irish 104; listening and speaking; virtual city walk in Killarney; An Daingean

Issue 13 - March 31, 2021
More learning progress; meeting with Irish speakers; swapping Hebrew for Irish; Oileán Chléire

Issue 12 - March 15, 2021
A New Irish dream; Gaeilge gan Stró review; FutureLearn Irish 102-103; Last issue's mystery solved; Béal Átha

Issue 11 - February 28, 2021
Six Month Evaluation and plans for the next six months; FutureLearn Irish 102; some resources

Issue 10 - February 15, 2021
More learning progress; miracles of learning; Yu Ming is ainm dom; FutureLearn Irish 101; How I do my Imaginary Long Walk; Baile Mhúirne

Issue 9 - January 31, 2021
More learning progress; the road gets rough, Séadna, The Hosting of the Sidhe

Issue 8 - January 15, 2021
More learning progress; flashcard apps; old Irish type; virtual city walk in Wexford; my Imaginary Long Walk and the Great Famine.

2020

Issue 7 - December 31, 2020
My end of the year assessment of my Irish; my first Irish poem; evaluating my learning tools; virtual city walk in Waterford; my Imaginary Long Walk heads to Gaeltacht na nDéise.

Issue 6 - December 15, 2020
Reflection on where I am in Irish; more learning progress; Motherfoclóir; virtual city walk in Cork; the Long Imaginary Walk in Meath

Issue 5 - November 30, 2020
Reflection on learning Irish in the time of COVID; more progress; Gaeilge: a Radical Revolution; singing; my Imaginary Long Walk begins in earnest; I start composing my first poem in Irish; self evaluation at 90 days.

Issue 4 - November 15, 2020
What having my own wee gaeltacht means to me; reflections on review; more progress; singing and reciting; Thirty-Two Words for Field; starting on my Long Imaginary Walk from the port of Drogheda heading to Baile Ghib

Issue 3 - October 31, 2020
More progress; more songs; Froganna beaga glasa; more city walking and the idea for my Long Imaginary Walk to every gaeltacht; Mo Scéal ó 1953

Issue 2 - October 15, 2020
My progress; Shake Hands with the Devil; singing; more reading; how I use my virtual city walks for talking practice - Tralee; the start of my tea challenge

Issue 1 - September 2020
This is where it all begins: my broad brush diary of my Irish learning experience and helping to keep myself accountable: how and with what I'm studying; singing and poetry; what Irish books I'm reading; video blogs I'm watching; I begin my virtual city walks in Ireland. - Dublin

 


 

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