Pronunciation Guide for Spancil Hill

The story of Cahey in Spancil Hill begins in Ireland in 1885 when he was only seventeen. As I researched the book, I wanted to be able to keep the dual languages he had learned at great risk to him at the time. I researched the pronunciations but I am not an expert in the Irish language. I am sure there are errors but I wanted a way to say the names I heard in my head. My experience in community theatre influenced how I used the Irish language within the text of the book. I had a director tell me when I was playing Sara in Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein, “You don’t have to have an accent to play to the audience, you just need to pronounce a couple of words and the audience will get that you are living in London.” Those words were vitamin (vee- ta-men) and schedule (sha-dule). Here I offer my pronunciation guide should anyone want to work through pronouncing some of the Irish names, all researched to be actual names in Ireland in 1885. The phrases at the end of this list are offered as well. Note that all of the Irish phrases used in the book are followed by translations to allow the reader not to miss the meaning but to think a little about how the Irish sounds.

The Irish language is a Celtic language related to Scottish, Gaelic, and Manx (Isle of Man) as well as Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. According to irishlanguage.nd.edu, the word “Gaelic” in English derives from Gaeilge which is the word in Irish for the language itself. However, when English is being used, the Irish language is referred to as ‘Irish,’ not ‘Gaelic’.”

The British rule of Ireland from the 16th to 19th century, deliberately suppressed and marginalized the Irish language. British royalty wanted to eradicate Irish culture and promote English as the dominant language. Laws, such as the Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) of 1737, banned the use of Irish, discouraging its use in public life, education, and legal proceedings. This law was repealed with independence in 1922. Today, according to the Central Statistics Office of Ireland, almost 1.9 million people (aged three years and over) stated they could speak Irish, an increase of more than 112,500 people since Census 2016 (+6%). One in ten people who spoke Irish could speak it very well while a further 32% spoke it well. The majority of Irish speakers (55%) could not speak the language well.

Proper Names
Ardrahan – (are DRA han) village outside of Gort, Ireland
Ballinasloe – (BA lin as low) horse fair outside of Galway
Bardán – (bur din) Cahey’s brother who joins the British Army
Cahey – (KAY hey)
Cáit – (Kate) baby girl of Michael and Sheila
Camán – (ca men) [Connacht Dialect] stick used in hurling
Ceilidh – (KAY lee) social event for folk music and dancing
Clanricarde – (klan RIK ard) Lord Clanricarde
Colm – (calm) accountant at the distillery in Galway
Cnucha – (k nu ka) Battle of Cnucha, a hillock
Cumhal – (cum hall) Finn Mac Cumhal
Currachs – (CUR racks) a small round boat made of wicker covered with watertight material propelled with a paddle
Dunkellin – (DUNK e lean) Dunkellin River
Eileen Aroon – (I lean ah ran) folk song
Finegas – (fin GAS) Finegas the Bard
Gort – (gurt) village near Labane
Kilcolgan – (KI col gin) The Weir at Kilcolgan
Kloen – (clone) William Kloen
Labane Village – (le Bane) village where Micll lives
Maumturk – (ma turk) Maumturk Mountains
Micil – (MY cell) Cahey’s love
Mickileen – (MICK a lean) fugitive selling his horse to Cahey
Muirghein – (mur ren) wife of King Ryan
Ó hArrachtain – (O ha ra tane) English adaptation: Harrington
Ó Ruadháin – (O ru da he) King Ryan
Pádraig – (PAW drig) son of Seámus
Praiseach – (PRA shah) Connacht dialect, stew/gruel
Séan – (shawn) grandson of King Ryan
Seanaháthair – (shawn a hush) grandfather
Seámus – (shay mus) boss at distillery
Slieve – (sleeve) Slieve Bloom Mountains
Sliotar – (slit-er) a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, has a cork core covered by leather used in hurling
Sniffen – (SNIF fu) Sniffen Court, Cahey’s and Frederick’s house in New York
Somerindyck – (SOM ran deek) John Someindyck, owed property in the middle of Broadway above 76 th Street in New York
Stiabhna – (ste IB na) young man who disappears
Tirawley – (TI raw lea) Tirawley’s tide, ballad of Ireland

Irish Phrases
Amárach – tomorrow (a-MORE-da)
Ce bhfuil tú – How are things going? (kayn hee uh WILL too)
Charra – a charra, oh friend (ka ra)
Conás ‘tá tú – How are you? (KUN-uss tah too)
Dia dhuit – Hello (tia-goosh)
Fain – wait (fane)
Go gcuire Dia an t-ádh ort – May God put luck upon you (Guh gir’uh d’eeuh uhn tah ort)
Maidin – morning (MAY-din)
Nuair a bhíonn tú ag fágáil – When you are leaving (nu-air a bee-hem too egg fa-jile)
Rath Dé ort – good luck (rah-jay-urt)
Tráthnóna maith – good evening (tra-NO-na math)