I wish I felt worthy of using an Irish salutation.
I'm 3rd generation Irish-American and can still hear my great-grandma Byrne's English spoken with thick Irish; beautiful music!
My initial intent was to begin the task of learning her language, but with my aging brain I'm really questioning whether I could even begin[i][/i] to tackle it.
I envy those of you who can distinguish all the different dialects. I had no idea there were so many.
In any case, I'll thank you in advance for any and all help you can provide. I hope I don't irritate you too badly.

I agree, the different dialects definitely set the learning curve.

But dialects aside, I'm still very new at this, and I can't believe how easy the language is to pick up otherwise. I've been serious about it only for a few weeks, and I can already recognize the different words in a spoken sentence. I can "guess" on some pronunciations before hearing them and half of the time I get it right. I can spell and pronounce at least 20 words (maybe more). Just start with one and it builds. Pick a few victims in your life (spouses, children, and coworkers work great) and speak the words to them over and over. Or say them in the shower, in the car, etc. Sign up for the Irish Word a Day email from talkirish.com -- it's a good place to start (I think, but I'm still new at it myself).

Do it!!

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I'm very much a beginner learner. Don't hesitate to correct me, as long as you explain why. This is how I learn best!

Hi. Welcome to the forum.

If grammar gives you headaches and dialects feel daunting, I'd recommend you try Buntús Cainte. It is full of simple conversations in standard Irish pertaining to everyday life (albeit life in the sixties in Ireland). Grammar is introduced to you secretly but methodically and you hardly notice it happening.

Buntús Cainte does lack a bit in the explanation department (there are no explicit explanations, just heaps of examples) but if you feel stumped by anything, you can get more than ample explanation here to make up for it.

If you read an explanation here and don't quite understand it, don't be afraid to ask the question again till you get an explanation that _you_ understand. It is not irritating to us - what makes us think about the question helps us learn about the language.

Oh, yeah, and what mimerim said.

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[hr]Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher[/hr]
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thank you both so much for the warm welcome and advice for this complete novice!

And to add to that: if grammar gives you a headache and feels daunting, basically just ignore my explanations (and posts in general).

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

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