Gaeilge Thar Lear

Bhí rud éigin ann sna 2000í. Ní féidir liom ainm cruinn a chur air — ach bhí a fhios agat nuair a bhí tú ann. Teanga chomhroinnte. Íomhá shoiléir de cad a bhí i gceist le bheith óg. Domhan a bhí ag dul i dtreo amháin.Agus ansin, go mall agus go cinnte, d'imigh sé.San eagrán seo de Gaeilge Thar Lear, táim ag smaoineamh ar an domhan sin — ar cad a bhí ann, ar cad a d'imigh leis. Agus ar an mothúchán aisteach a thagann nuair a chuireann an algorithm rud ar ais os do chomhair nach raibh tú ag lorg._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There was something about the 2000s. I cannot quite name it - but you knew it when you were in it. A shared language. A clear image of what it meant to be young. A world that felt like it was going in one direction.And then, slowly and surely, it was gone.In this episode of Gaeilge Thar Lear, I am thinking about that world - about what was there, about what went with it. And about the strange feeling that comes when the algorithm returns something to you that you were not looking for.

San eagrán seo de Gaeilge Thar Lear, labhraím le Caoimhín Mac Uilín ó Chill Chainnigh, atá anois lonnaithe i Londain. Is é Caoimhín bunaitheoir an chlub reatha Rí Rá agus Rith, tionscnamh a thugann deis do Ghaeilgeoirí sa chathair teacht le chéile, dul ag rith agus an Ghaeilge a úsáid i suíomh sóisialta agus gníomhach.Pléimid bunús an smaoinimh, cé atá páirteach ann agus conas atá an club ag fás. Labhraímid freisin faoin tionchar a bhí ag an gclub CLG Gaeilge Na Gaeil Óga i mBaile Átha Cliath air agus é ina mhac léinn, agus mar a spreag an taithí sin é chun pobal Gaeilge dá chuid féin a chruthú i Londain.Tagann an comhrá ar a chuid maratón freisin, lena n-áirítear an scéal faoin ngeansaí O’Neills gan choinne a chabhraigh leis na ciliméadair dheireanacha a shárú. Déanaimid machnamh chomh maith ar an gcaoi a bhféadann siúl agus rith trí chathair léargas nua a thabhairt ar stair, ar charachtar agus ar scéalta ceilte na háite.Thosaigh an comhrá seo tar éis dom postáil ó Chaoimhín a fheiceáil ar Cogar faoi Rí Rá agus Rith, agus bhí orm tuilleadh a fháil amach faoin tionscnamh. Bhí Caoimhín flaithiúil lena chuid ama agus ba mhór agam an deis a scéal a chloisteáil agus a roinnt._____________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode of Gaeilge Thar Lear, I speak with Caoimhín Mac Uilín from Kilkenny, who is now based in London. Caoimhín is the founder of Rí Rá agus Rith, a running club that brings Irish speakers together to run, socialise and use Irish in an active and welcoming environment.We discuss where the idea came from, who is involved, and how the club has developed since it began. We also talk about the influence of the Irish-speaking GAA club Na Gaeil Óga in Dublin, where Caoimhín played hurling while studying in the city, and how that experience inspired him to create a similar Irish-language community in London.The conversation also touches on the marathons he has completed, including the story of how an unexpected O’Neills GAA jersey helped carry him through the final kilometres of a race. We reflect on how running and walking through a city can reveal so much about its history, character, and hidden stories.This conversation began after I came across Caoimhín posting on Cogar about Rí Rá agus Rith — and I wanted to find out more about the idea behind it. Caoimhín was generous enough to give me his time, and I really appreciate the opportunity to hear and share his story.

In this episode of GTL, we take a journey through history - but not through dates, battles, or great historical figures. Instead, it begins with a small house beside a lake outside Berlin, a book that sat unread on a shelf for ten years, and one simple question: why are some of us so drawn to history?From Horrible Histories to Age of Empires, from fantasy maps to podcasts about worlds long gone, this is an episode about the doors that history opens for us. About the threads that connect people, places, and different eras. And about that feeling when you realise there is always another story behind the one in front of you.An episode about curiosity, storytelling, and the things that capture a child's imagination. About teaching, parenthood, and the challenge of raising children in a world where every question can be answered instantly.And above all, an episode about the threads we follow through books, games, maps, and stories — and why we keep wanting to see where they lead._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________San eagrán seo de GTL, téann muid ar thuras trí stair — ach ní trí dhátaí, cathanna ná ainmneacha móra. Ina áit sin, tosaíonn sé le teach beag cois locha taobh amuigh de Bheirlín, leabhar a bhí ar sheilf le deich mbliana, agus ceist shimplí: cén fáth a bhfuil cuid againn chomh gafa leis an stair?Ó Horrible Histories go Age of Empires, ó léarscáileanna fantaisíochta go podchraoltaí faoi shaolta atá imithe le fada, is eagrán é seo faoi na doirse a osclaíonn an stair dúinn. Faoi na snáitheanna a nascann daoine, áiteanna agus tréimhsí éagsúla. Agus faoin mothúchán a thagann nuair a thuigeann tú go bhfuil scéal eile i gcónaí taobh thiar den cheann atá os do chomhair.Eagrán faoi fhiosracht, faoi scéalaíocht, agus faoi na rudaí a mhúsclaíonn samhlaíocht páiste. Faoi mhúinteoireacht, faoi thuismitheoireacht, agus faoin dúshlán atá roimh ghlúin atá ag fás aníos le freagraí láithreacha ar gach ceist.Agus thar aon rud eile, eagrán faoi na snáitheanna a leanann muid trí leabhair, cluichí, léarscáileanna agus scéalta — agus faoin bhfáth a mbíonn muid fós ag iarraidh a fheiceáil cá dtugann siad sinn.

San eagrán seo de GTL, téann muid ar thuras trí stair- ach ní trí dhátaí, cathanna ná ainmneacha móra. Ina áit sin, tosaíonn sé le teach beag cois locha taobh amuigh de Bheirlín, leabhar a bhí ar sheilf le deich mbliana, agus ceist shimplí: cén fáth a bhfuil cuid againn chomh gafa leis an stair?Ó Horrible Histories go Age of Empires, ó léarscáileanna fantaisíochta go podchraoltaí faoi shaolta atá imithe le fada, is eagrán é seo faoi na doirse a osclaíonn an stair dúinn. Faoi na snáitheanna a nascann daoine, áiteanna agus tréimhsí éagsúla. Agus faoin mothúchán a thagann nuair a thuigeann tú go bhfuil scéal eile i gcónaí taobh thiar den cheann atá os do chomhair.Eagrán faoi fhiosracht, faoi scéalaíocht, agus faoi na rudaí a mhúsclaíonn samhlaíocht páiste. Faoi mhúinteoireacht, faoi thuismitheoireacht, agus faoin dúshlán atá roimh ghlúin atá ag fás aníos le freagraí láithreacha ar gach ceist.Agus thar aon rud eile, eagrán faoi na snáitheanna a leanann muid trí leabhair, cluichí, léarscáileanna agus scéalta - agus faoin bhfáth a mbíonn muid fós ag iarraidh a fheiceáil cá dtugann siad sinn._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode of GTL, we take a journey through history - but not through dates, battles, or great historical figures. Instead, it begins with a small house beside a lake outside Berlin, a book that sat unread on a shelf for ten years, and one simple question: why are some of us so drawn to history?From Horrible Histories to Age of Empires, from fantasy maps to podcasts about worlds long gone, this is an episode about the doors that history opens for us. About the threads that connect people, places, and different eras. And about that feeling when you realise there is always another story behind the one in front of you.An episode about curiosity, storytelling, and the things that capture a child's imagination. About teaching, parenthood, and the challenge of raising children in a world where every question can be answered instantly.And above all, an episode about the threads we follow through books, games, maps, and stories - and why we keep wanting to see where they lead.

In this episode of Gaeilge Thar Lear, I ask a simple question: why am I not excited about the World Cup?The story starts in 2002 - in Saipan, in Cork, in my childminder's house - and takes me through those magical years between 2004 and 2008, through FourFourTwo magazines, through der Sommermärchen in Germany, and on to Qatar, to 2026, and to a question I still cannot fully answer.This is an episode about sport, memory, and the kind of magic you build in your head when you are young. About the way sport can be more than sport - an image of the world, a connection to a place, a part of who you are.And about my little girl - three years old now - and the World Cup that will be hers when she turns eleven._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________'This episode was inspired by the following newspaper article: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/06/03/paul-howard-the-world-cup-is-the-greatest-thrill-ever-as-long-as-you-arent-there/________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________San eagrán seo de Gaeilge Thar Lear, cuirim ceist shimplí: cén fáth nach bhfuil sceitimíní orm faoin gCorn na Domhanda?Tosaíonn an scéal i 2002 - i Saipan, i gCorcaigh, i dteach mo childminder - agus tugann sé mé tríd na blianta iontacha sin idir 2004 agus 2008, tríd na hirisleabhair FourFourTwo, tríd der Sommermärchen sa Ghearmáin, agus ar aghaidh go Qatar, go 2026, agus go dtí ceist nach bhfuil freagra agam uirthi fós.Is eagrán é seo faoi spóirt, cuimhne, agus an saghas draíochta a chruthaíonn tú i do cheann agus tú óg. Faoin tslí a mbíonn spóirt níos mó ná spóirt - ina íomhá den domhan, ina nasc le háit, ina chuid de cé thú féin.Agus faoi mo chailín bheag - atá trí bliana d'aois anois - agus an Corn na Domhanda a bheidh ann di nuair a bheidh sí aon bhliain déag d'aois.

San eagrán seo de Gaeilge Thar Lear, cuirim ceist shimplí: cén fáth nach bhfuil sceitimíní orm faoin gCorn na Domhanda?Tosaíonn an scéal i 2002 - i Saipan, i gCorcaigh, i dteach mo childminder - agus tugann sé mé tríd na blianta iontacha sin idir 2004 agus 2008, tríd na hirisleabhair FourFourTwo, tríd der Sommermärchen sa Ghearmáin, agus ar aghaidh go Qatar, go 2026, agus go dtí ceist nach bhfuil freagra agam uirthi fós.Is eagrán é seo faoi spóirt, cuimhne, agus an saghas draíochta a chruthaíonn tú i do cheann agus tú óg. Faoin tslí a mbíonn spóirt níos mó ná spóirt - ina íomhá den domhan, ina nasc le háit, ina chuid de cé thú féin.Agus faoi mo chailín bheag - atá trí bliana d'aois anois - agus an Corn na Domhanda a bheidh ann di nuair a bheidh sí aon bhliain déag d'aois._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In this episode of Gaeilge Thar Lear, I ask a simple question: why am I not excited about the World Cup?The story starts in 2002 - in Saipan, in Cork, in my childminder's house - and takes me through those magical years between 2004 and 2008, through FourFourTwo magazines, through der Sommermärchen in Germany, and on to Qatar, to 2026, and to a question I still cannot fully answer.This is an episode about sport, memory, and the kind of magic you build in your head when you are young. About the way sport can be more than sport - an image of the world, a connection to a place, a part of who you are.And about my little girl - three years old now - and the World Cup that will be hers when she turns eleven._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________'This episode was inspired by the following newspaper article: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/06/03/paul-howard-the-world-cup-is-the-greatest-thrill-ever-as-long-as-you-arent-there/