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"In t-Ainm na Fhada" leis Deas Mac an Easpaig

Tá mé ag léamh agallamh Beo ann an seachtaine seo. Nuair tá mé go bhfuil ag géabh a thabhairt ina traen, léann mé ar feadh beagán noimead. Tá mé ar an leath bealaigh triu sé. Téann mé níos mall go leor as Gaeilge. Tá mé ag iarraidh a chleachtadh líofach Ghaeilge agam. Is mian liom a fásadh stór focal orm.

Fuair mé an mí seo gur alt an-maith orm, leoga. Is Deas Mac an Easpaig Meiriceánnach é; ach tá sé fuirseoir Éireannach go aithnidiúil. Tá sé ag obair seó grinn ar an bhoinn. Is dhá bliain is tríocha d'aois anois. D'imirt sé as Nua-Eabhrac go hÉirinn agus é ceithre bliana déag d'aois.

Bhí suim aige riamh sa Ghaeilge, dúirt sé Caoimhe Ní Laighin Bheo, an iris idirlín go iontach as lámha le chéile Oideas Gael. Rinne Deas dhá straith araon ar RTÉ cheana féin. Bhí siad ráchairt an-mhór orthu. Faoí deireach, tá Deas ábalta a staidéar an teanga i d'Tír an Fhia i Leitir Móir i nGaeltacht Chonamara, ina gContae nGallimh. Bhí sé ag déanamh clár nua faoí an eachtra seo go dana. Is é "In t-ainm na Fhada."

D'fhoglaim an t-uafás bainte amach aige anuraidh. Tá na straith nua teilifíse seo ag forbairt a scannánú Dheas ag cur roimhe an blas fhíor-Ghaeilge Chonnacht a fáil air taobh istigh de bhliain amháin. De réir Caoimhe, is an t-éacht aige. Measaim sí go bhfuil "ag éiri go breá le Bishop ó thaobh na bhfuaimeanna de-- is geall le dúchasach de chuid Chonamara anois". Mar sin féin, imreoidh sé os comhair lucht féachana lán Gaeilgeoirí mar chuid de sheó speisialta. Craolaidh na straitheannaí is nua RTÉ 1. Chuir tús léi ar an 13 Márta. Fheadhfai tú ag breathnaim an chéad dhá eipeasód ar an idirlín ar an nasc síos. Chonaic mé siad inniu. Scríobhfaidh mé fúthu an t-am ina dhiaidh sin, nuair iarrfaidh mé as Gaeilge, afach.

"In the Name of the Fada" with Des Bishop

I've been reading an interview in Beo this week. I'm only part of the way through it. When I take the train, I read for a while a few minutes. I go much more slowly in Irish. I've been wishing to practice my Gaelic fluency. I want to increase my vocabulary.

Indeed, I found this month a very good article for me. Des Bishop is American; but he's a well-known Irish comedian. He works in stand-up comedy shows. He's thirty-two years old now. He left New York for Ireland when he was fourteen. He's had an interest before in Irish, he told Caoimhe Ní Laighin of Beo, the splendid on-line magazine "hand-in-hand with" Oideas Gael.

Des has made two series together with RTÉ. These were received very well. Lately, Des has been able to study in Tír an Fhía in Leitir Mhór in the Connemara Irish-speaking district, in Co. Galway. He's done a new program about this bold adventure. It's "In the Name of the Fada."

He learned to accomplish a great deal for himself the past year. This new TV series is developing around filming Des taking on getting the flavor of true Connacht Irish within only a year. According to Caoimhe, it's a great achievement. She thinks that "Bishop's gotten on nicely with the sounds-- it's like he's a Connemara native now." But, he will play before an audience full of Irish speakers as part of a special show. The newest series will be broadcast on RTE 1. It started on March 13th. You can watch the first two episodes on-line at the link below. I saw them today. However, I will write about them next time when I try Irish.

Beo agallamh/ interview: Be careful/Bí curamach! Feic suas/Look up Eagrán 83/ Márta 2008

Grianghrafái & epeasódaí chlár na RTÉ /Photos & episodes of the show:
www.rte.ie/tv/inthenameofthefada