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blowin

Perhaps a section for this too ? The phonetics and inflection are very difficult to work out if English is your only language .
I am sure someone will correct me if I have still got it wrong !

Personal names :
Sliabahn : She vaun ( she as in shelter . Vaun as in worn ) .
Padraig : Porrick ( porridge , stick ) . Often abbreviated to " Podge" . ( Try calling an englishman that ! "podge / podgy " = tubby / a bit overweight . )

Place names :
Ballina : Bal ( balance) - in - ah ! . All of the emphasis is on the last letter . It is like the exclamation "ah ! " rather than the slow , contemplative " ah " .

It might be worth mentioning that a lot of place names have different spellings , depending on where they are written . They can differ from one end of the village to the other ( eg street signs ) . Tubbercurry also = Tobercurry , which is how it is spelt on most road maps .

quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

How about an easy English place name to pronounce like Worchestershire.

Just to show the different pronunciations in Ireland. There is a small townland near me in Sligo called Moylough. Being from County Louth I would pronounce it Moy as in Joy and Lough as in Lough Ness but the locals say Moy Law.

There is also a th sound that is found in Ireland. It is between the Tee sound and the Thee sound. To make the Tee the tip of the tongue goes on the palate, to make the Thee the tip goes beyond the teeth. The Irish sound is made by the tip of the tongue being placed on the back of the teeth, as in " the poor creathur " [ the poor creature ].

Try it and AMAZE your friends.