Seachtain na Gaeilge….

Seachtain na Gaeilge….

Banner photo credit: Courtesy of myfbcovers.org

We can’t guarantee these phrases will get you a free Irish Whiskey on St. Patricks Day, but worth a shot so to speak.

This is Irish Language Week, (that would be Seachtain na Gaeilge to you), or so we are informed by The Embassy of Ireland’s cultural center.

Embassy_of_Ireland_in_Washington_DC

Photo credit: Courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Seachtain na Gaeilge is the largest celebration of their native language and culture held in Ireland every year.

So you may want to start practicing a few phrases to butter up the bartenders before heading out on March 17th starting with: Dia dhuit!: Hello – followed by Conas atá tú?: How are you? or Cad is ainm duit?: What is your name?

And be sure to say Más é do thoil é: Please and Go raibh maith agat: Thank you – it may just get you a free round or two.

The 42nd annual Washington D.C. St. Patrick’s Parade will be held on Sunday this year with the 2013 theme: ‘Celebrating Service to the Stars and Stripes”.

1934

Not expected at the parade but making history: “History was made on 18th February, 2013 when the first tweet in Irish was sent from space, by Canadian astronaut Cmdr Chris Hadfield: “Tá Éire fíor-álainn [Ireland is beautiful]! Land of green hills and dark beer. With capital Dublin glowing in the Irish night.”

OK, make it a dark beer if you like.  Just be sure that if you are glowing in the Irish night, you take a taxi home so that when you say Tá mé go maith: I’m fine, you are.

“Ta Eire fíor-álainn!” – first tweet as Gaeilge in space! Courtesy of RTE

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