Apparently this can mean a friend or compagnon in Irish English, but in Irish there seem to be a whole list of words for it. Are there nuances between them ? Which one would be the most appropriate ? Here's the list -

cardálaí - a gossiper and a carder (apparently those whose job it was to card wool, were known for gossiping while they did their work)
reacaire - a newsmonger, a gossip - there's also the variant - reacadóir (but which dialect does it come from?)
scaothaire - windbag (but I don't think this would do)
ráflálaí - a rumour monger, a chatterer
luadrálaí - a gossip
There are also other words such as cúlchainteoir, but this means backbiter, béadánaí - slanderer, cabaire - a babbler, and clabaire - a garrulous person, but I'm not sure they'd fit.

Luadrálaí would be most appropriate in this instance.

Do native Irish speakers actually use this word? It looks like a focal.ie word?

Cian

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Go raibh maith agaibh

All I can say is that cúlchaint is in both the Teanglann and Foclóir dictionaries and that they have quite a few examples of it in their Phrases and Examples section -

he's a terrible gossip - fear mór cúlchainte is ea é - (it's interchangeable with béadánaí)
never mind the gossips - ná bac le lucht na cúlchainte
he was gossiping with the neighbours about her - bhí sé ag cúlchaint leis na comharsana fúithi

But this isn't quite what I'm looking for, here's the context - (in the story of the Giant's Stairs) -

.....off he marched in the cool of the evening through the Hawk's Glen to Monkstown. Here lived an old gossip of his (Tom Clancey by name)......

Robin had plenty of gossips to spread the story of his wonderful adventure - Passage, Monkstown, Ringaskiddy, Seamount, Carrigaline - the whole barony of Kerricurrihy rung with it.

so here it seems to mean not only someone who he shares gossip with but also someone with whom he is well acquainted.

Another word for gossiping or prattling that I have heard in Corca dhuibhne is "cabaireacht"

cloisim mo chomharsana ag siúl síos suas an bóthar agus iad ag cabaireacht

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Bíonn rudaí maithe mall

Cinnte tá - an bhfuil a fhios agat an rann só ?

An Madra Beag is An Slimide

Arsa madra beag le slimide,
A bhuail leis lá sa ród:
"Is ait an créatúr tusa,
Níl eireaball ort d'aon sórt.
Ní chorraíonn tú in aon chor,
Siúlann tú go mall.
Is ait an créatúr tusa,
Is do thigín ar do dhrom."

"Gan dabht ar domhan,
Tá m'eireaball ann,
Ach, ní chorraíonn sé pioc.
In airde staighre mo thig atá,
Is ní bhraitheann sé an sioc.
Ach, éist leis seo, a mhadra ghlic,
Dod' chúram féin tabhair aire mhaith,
Abhaile leat, a chabaire!"

Oh tá fhios agam é, rann ó rabhláí rabhlaí, ach ní rabhas cinnte cad é an focail chabhaire go dtí anois.
Ní dheineas an ceangailte

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Bíonn rudaí maithe mall

That's a good word.




I wouldn't use that. I'd leave that to the original meaning.




That's a good word too I think.




Yes, somebody who talks a lot, a big mouth (Dúin do chlab! - Shut-up!). I think we can assume somebody who talks a lot is also a gossiper.



It does look like it. But "cúlchaint" is used. To talk behind somebody's back. Not so sure about "cúlchainteoir" though, I think one of the other words would be more common.

Go raibh maith agat, a chara.