I'm writing about people long ago and I want to say "it was not often that they met strangers" would I say "níor mhinic..." for that or is that wrong? Thanks

The way I see is that the statement remains true in the present. "It is not often that they met strangers".



There are many sentences in Peadar Ua Laoghaire's Irish with "is minic" followed by the past tense:



An interesting question is whether the preterite or past habitual should be used:



In fact both "is minic"+preterite and "is minic"+past habitual are found.

I've never read a good explanation of this, but I think the past habitual is used when you wish to add the nuance of habituality (something happening frequently in the past). You don't have to have it.

Note these:





The word "minic" itself doesn't automatically trigger the past habitual. It seems you have to want to lay stress on that aspect to use the past habitual.

Go raibh maith agat!

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