Lá Bealtaine is one of the four major festivals celebrated in ancient Ireland, each at the turn of a season.

Samhain was the old Celtic New Year, celebrated on November 1st. Oíche Shamhna, or Halloween, was celebrated the night before. Samhain is also the Irish word for November.

Next we have Imbolc, more commonly known now as St Brigid’s Day, celebrated on the 1st of February, and the start of spring.

Bealtaine is the Irish word for May, and the start of Summer.

On August 1st we celebrate Lúnasa, harvest time, which corresponds to the English Lammas Day. Lúnasa is the Irish word for August.

So, in our second session of new classes in the Irish Centre we concentrated on the topic of food, learned some food vocabulary and how to say:

I like – Is maith liom

I don’t like – Ní maith liom

I hate – Is fuath liom

I like …, but I prefer…

Is maith liom uisce (water) ach (but) is fearr liom uisce beatha (whiskey)

Now you can use the following vocabulary list to make sentences,

bia – food

bialann – restaurant

biachlár - menu

bricfeasta – breakfast

lón - lunch

dinnéar – dinner

cupán tae – a cup of tea

muga caife – a mug of coffee

uisce - water

uisce beatha - whiskey

arán – bread

bagún – bacon

ubh – egg

uibheacha scrofa – scrambled eggs

im – butter

bainne – milk

siúcra – sugar

císte (milis) – cake

cáca (milis) - cake

briosca – biscuit

brioscaí - biscuits

iasc – fish

sicín - chicken

feoil – meat

fíon – wine

beoir – beer

uachtar – cream

uachtar reoite

subh – jam

úll/úlla – apple/apples

ispíní – sausages

anraith – soup

glasraí – vegetables

Try writing:

I like jam but I hate butter.

I love wine but I do not like beer.

I like cake, but I prefer biscuits.

I don’t like chicken.

I love fish and chips.

Beir bua,

Terri

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