Léim an Bhradáin / Leixlip

Léim an Bhradáin / Leixlip is a town near Dublin in north-east Co. Kildare

Vocabulary:
léim (m) = jump, leap, bound
bradán (m) = salmon
an bradán = the salmon
bradáin = of a salmon
an bhradáin = of the salmon
léim an bhradáin = a leap of the salmon

Grammar:
The definite article (“an” & “na”) go in between the two nouns.
Also the singular definite article “an” lenites initial consonants b, c, f, g, m and p of singular male nouns in a genitive case.

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

An Bóthar Buí / Enfield

An Bóthar Buí / Enfield (also known as Innfield) is a town in south Co. Meath

Vocabulary:
bóthar (m) = road
buí = yellow
bóthar buí = a yellow road
an bóthar buí = the yellow road

Grammar:
Masculine nouns in singular nominative are not lenited after a definite article “an” and adjectives after the masculine nouns are not lenited as well.
Feminine nouns in singular nominative after “an” and addjectives are lenited.
slí (f) = way
slí bhuí = yellow way
an tslí bhuí = the yellow way

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

An Chanáil Ríoga / Royal Canal

An Chanáil Ríoga / Royal Canal is a 145 km long canal between River Liffey and Longford

Vocabulary:
canáil (f) = canal
an chanáil = the canal
rí (m) = king
banríon (f) = queen
ríoga = royal, regal
ríocht (f) = kingdom

Grammar:
There are two genders in Irish language – masculine (m) and feminine (f).
Feminine nouns starting with b, c, f, g, m and p are lenited after the singular definite article “an” in nominative. Masculine nouns are not.

canáil (f) > an chanáil
banríon (f) > an bhanríon
bean (f) = woman > an bhean = the woman
but
fear (m) = man > an fear = the man
buachaill (m) boy > an buachaill = the boy

Feminine nouns starting with other consonants are not lenited.

ríocht (f) > an ríocht

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

Droichead na Sionainne / Shannonbridge

Droichead na Sionainne / Shannonbridge is a village on the River Shannon, the longest river of Ireland

Vocabulary:
droichead = bridge
An tSionainn = The River Shannon
droichead na Sionainne = a bridge of the River Shannon

Grammar:
All rivers are feminine nouns in the Irish language and they always take a definite article “an”.
An tSionainn = River Shannon
An Bhearú = River Barrow
An tSiúr = River Suir
An Abha Mhór = River Blackwater
An Bhanna = River Bann
An Fheoir = River Nore
An tSuca = River Suck
An Life = River Liffey
An Éirne = River Erne

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

An Móta / Moate

An Móta / Moate is a small town off the M6 motorway in Co. Westmeath

Vocabulary:
móta = moat
an móta = the moat

Grammar:
The singular definite article “an” lenites initial consonants b, c, f, g, m and p of singular male nouns in a genitive case.

caisleán = a castle
an caisleán = the castle
caisleáin = of a castle
an chaisleáin = of the castle
móta caisleáin = a moat of a castle
móta an chaisleáin = a moat of the castle

The plural definite article “na” eclipses initial consonants b, c, d, f, g, p and t of plural male nouns in a genitive case.

caisleáin = castles
na caisleáin = the castles
caisleán = of castles
na gcaisleán = of the castles
mótaí caisleán = moats of castles
mótaí na gcaisleán = moats of the castles

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

An Féar Bán / Ferbane

An Féar Bán / Ferbane is a small town on the River Brosna in Co. Offaly

Vocabulary:
féar = grass
bán = white, fair
féar bán = fair grass
an féar bán = the fair grass

Grammar:
Diacritics are very important in the Irish language.
fear = man
ban = of women
fear ban = a man of women

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

Seanbhóthar Thuama / Old Tuam Road

Seanbhóthar Thuama / Old Tuam Road is a road in Monksland in Co. Roscommon

Vocabulary:
sean = old
bóthar = a road
seanbhóthar = an old road
tuaim = tumulus, burial mound (genitive: tuama)
Tuaim = a town in Co. Galway
seanbhóthar Thuama = an old road of Tuam

Grammar:
An adjective normally goes after a noun, but some of them can get before it. In that case they are written together and the noun is lenited.

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair

Fearann na Manach / Monksland

Fearann na Manach / Monksland is a small town west of Athlone in Co. Roscommon

Vocabulary:
fearann = land
manach = monk
fearann na manach = the land of monks

Note:
The word “manach” is spelled incorrectly with two letters “n”.

#roadsigns #roadsign #road #sign #ireland #eire #irish #irishlanguage #gaeilge #anghaeilge #learnirishfromroadsigns #foghlaimgaeilgeochomharthaibothair