That’s a different issue altogether. Bush is unnecessarily (and, prescriptively speaking, incorrectly) repeating the verb in the phrase, while in Jay Bee’s examples, the repeated verbs are necessary, because they functions as verbs in two independent clauses.

“Where it was was the Hilton” = “Where it took place was the Hilton” = Is é an Hilton an áit a raibh/tharla sé.

The first ‘was’ is the verb in the phrase “where it was” (meaning “the place where it was”), where the subject is ‘it’. This phrase as a whole is then the subject in the main sentence, and the second ‘was’ is its verb.

So you can replace “(the place) where it was” with a simple pronoun ‘it’ and have a sentence with the same structure and (basic) meaning: “it was the Hilton”.

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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.

Thanks for that guys.

I was able to pick out what was Ulster; it was no issue. They're all beautiful to me

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Oh, yes, I agree they are all beautiful, but like colours it is better to keep them well-defined or you may end up with a mess.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
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).

Indeed!

Kokoshneta,
would these work>


What it is is a cat = Is é cat é a rud atá sé/ann
Who it is is Bill = Is é Uillium an duine atá ann.
Where it is is the Hilton = Is é an Hilton an áit a raibh/tharla sé.
When it is is at 3 o’clock = Is é (a) trí (a) chlog atá sé
How it is is good = Is é an chaoi atá (go) maith
Why it is is anybody’s guess = ???

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

For these four, I’d switch them around and use the appropriate abstract noun + ná:

Is é an rud/’Séard atá ann ná cat
Is é an té/duine atá ann ná Uilliam
Is é an chaoi a bhfuil sé/an dóigh (mar) atá sé ná go maith
Is í an uair a bhfuil sé ná ar a trí a chlog (though this last one is strange. Ar a trí a chlog a bheas/bhí sé would be better, avoiding the construction altogether and using either past or future tense)

(Remember that caoi is followed by the dependent form of the verb, whereas dóigh is followed by the independent form)


Yup, can’t think of a better way to phrase this. Is í an áit a raibh/ar tharla sé ná an Hilton sounds odd, for some reason.


I don’t think this one can be translated directly at all. The closest I can get would be something like this:

Caidé is cúis leis, n’fheadair a’ nduine (Ulster)
Cad is cúis leis, ní fheadair aon duine (Caighdeán)

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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.

I think that may be because you need either ina(r) or ann to complete the subordinate clause:

Is í an áit ina raibh sé ná an Hilton
Is í an áit a raibh sé ann ná an Hilton
Is í an áit inar tharla sé ná an Hilton
Is í an áit ar tharla sé ann ná an Hilton

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
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).

Could be. The i is not usually required, but I agree it sounds better with it here—perhaps because the verbal complement in the sentence is so very short.

(I’m thinking of a parallel line from Crúiscín Lán: an áit a mbeidh mé ag éisteacht le na mugannaí dá mbuaileadh, where the verbal complement is much longer, and the sentence doesn’t need the preposition to sound complete)

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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.

dá mbualadh, dar liom

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Braitheann sin ar an áit; tá a lán áiteanna i gCúige Uladh (in)a bhfuil an l sin caol. Bhí mé ag smaointiú ar leagan Chlannad, agus más buan mo chuimhne, tá sí leathan ins an leagan sin.

Sa Chaighdeán, bíonn sí caol i gcónaí, ar ndóigh.

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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.

Cha bhíonn. Go bhfios domh is é an t-ainm briathartha atá i gceist. "áit a mbeidh mé 'g éisteacht le na mugannaí dá mbualadh" = the mugs at their clinking/striking or whatever

Agus ins a' chaighdeán (agus i gcuid mhaith áiteach don Ghaeltacht) tá an t-L sin leathan.
Is ins an bhriathar shaor (aimsir chaite) "buaileadh" atá l caol.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne