All is not perfect, but it is a hugely valuable source for learners who wish to get the approximate pronunciation of a word or sentence.

The dialect used is Ulster. Here’s hoping for Connacht and Munster versions!

See: http://www.abair.ie

Does anyone know why it’s offline? Unfortunately they have always been quiet about who’s behind the project.

Please do reply if the site is indeed back online.

Update: As noted in the comments, the dictionary is back online!

There are not that many Irish dictionaries available online. There’s Focal.ie, An Foclóir Beag, and EnglishIrishDictionary.com, for example. But that’s about it.

All of these dictionaries are closed. They do not harness the power of the Internet masses, of the large Irish-speaking community online. They don’t make their databases freely available to the Irish language community, either.

Here’s where a collaborative dictionary could help. Such a dictionary would be empowered by its users. It could keep up-to-date with current word usage. Wiktionary is such an effort, but it’s not very easy to quickly search through.

Here’s where Foclóir Gaeilge.ie comes in. It will be an Irish collaborative dictionary. With a simplicity for searching, and a simplicity for adding to it. Simple as that.

The dictionary will be accessible through both Irish and English language interfaces.

Here’s a sneak preview: http://www.focloirgaeilge.ie

Over at Irish-Sayings.com you can currently pick up for yourself a St. Patrick’s Day Pub Cheat Sheet. Print it off at home, and curse as Gaeilge like a made Irish person. It’s only available for this week only!

It includes such classic gems as Póg mo thóin and Pionnta Guinness, le do thoil. While you there, you can listen to several hundred recordings of three native Irish speakers.

It’s only a bit of craic!

Free: GaelSpell Firefox extention

(On the linked page, select Irish/Gaeilge dictionary install.)

GaelSpell can be installed as a dictionary extention for the Firefox browser. This checks the spelling for Irish when you’re entering forms online. You can always de-activate the extention when you don’t use it.

Tip: Because it’s so straight-forward, I even use the extention for text that’s not meant for online. Just open up a web page with a text input box (for example, a blog comment box). Paste your Irish text into the box, and GaelSpell will show you spelling errors. Then copy-paste the text back into your application.

GaelSpell 2007 for Microsoft Office

For 24euro, you can download GaelSpell, a spelling checker for Microsoft Office. It’s for the PC only. You can download an earlier version (GaelSpell 3) for free on that page, but it only supports Office XP.

Ceart: Grammar checker

From the same people who developed GaelSpell, Ceart is stand-alone Apple Mac software. A PC version is on its way, according to the site.

It’s stand-alone, so it doesn’t work inside of your word processor. It costs a hefty 65euro. It’s a grammar checker, so more advanced that GaelSpell alone.

EasyReader: includes “writing editor”

EasyReader is a $75 program for learning to read, speak and write Irish. As part of this, it includes an editor for written Irish. Supposedly, the editor not only helps with spelling and grammar, but teaches you how to say things “in the Irish way”.

This course has been created to help you learn, or re-learn, a range of simple words, phrases and expressions on everyday topics that can be easily used within your own daily life. There are no accompanying textbooks, so simply listen, repeat and enjoy an cúpla focail for yourself!

The PDF transcripts and MP3 files are now available online, hosted by the Sunday Independent. Get them while they’re still there!

Believe it or not, the last official English-Irish dictionary to be published was 50 years ago, but Tomás de Bhalraithe (see English-Irish Dictionary reviews).

The dictionary project (see foclóir.ie) has been undertaken by Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the whole island of Ireland. Part of their responsibility is to develop Irish dictionaries.

The project will eventually comprise of 50,000 English headwords. This is currently being compiled as of early 2008. After that, it will be translated to Irish. Interestingly, equal emphasis will be given to the three dialects of Connacht, Ulster Munster. Whenever the project finished in the coming years, it will be available both in print an in electronic format.

Here are some places to pick up your Irish dictionary of your liking.

1. Litriocht.com

Claims to have “Every Irish Book in Print”. The web site’s interface may not be perfect, but they do offer a great range of Irish books. Specifically, look at their dictionaries section.

Prices in Euro and shipped from Co. Kerry, Ireland.

2. Amazon.com

It’s good to pick up a dictionary, especially if you’re already familiar with Amazon. However, their classification of Irish dictionaries isn’t very straight forward. The edition of a certain dictionary they stock may not be the latest edition, and it’s often not easy to make out exactly what dictionary you’re reading about!

3. An Spailpín Fánach

Sells a small selection of Irish dictionaries, but the dictionaries are the old An Gúm (publisher) favourites.
Prices in Euro and shipped from Co. Galway, Ireland.

4. Gill MacMillan Publishers

Search their catalogue for “dictionary”. They publish several (alternative) dictionaries. Quite pricey shipping from Ireland to the US.

5. Some more

Borders, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.co.uk also stock some Irish dictionaries.

Reply if you know of any more online stores I should include!

If you are a native English speaker, what doesn’t help is that the English language became much more simplified during the last millenium. It lost many aspects that you’ll see in other languages, such as the gender of nouns (le or la in French), and declensions (e.g., in German).

But there’s no avoiding grammar if you are learning a new language. While maybe complex, grammar does makes sense. Obvious patterns will emerge when you study how Irish sentences are formed. You will have lightbulbs going click! over your head when you figure out different rules.

There’s no easy and fast way to learn Irish grammar. Over at Irish Gaelic Translator.com you can pick up your free PDF download (no registration required) of Wombat’s Irish Grammar Guide. Wombat goes through the basics of Irish grammar, in a style that’s aimed towards non-linguists.