Breandán Mac Conamhna
Author: Breandán Mac Conamhna
Publication date: 2026
RRP: € 20
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 9781914596483
The Mayo dialect of Irish is part of the North Connaught sub-dialect of Connaught Irish and differs substantially from the South Connaught or Galway Irish. The book gives some illustrations of the
differences. The book also describes the researches conducted in the 1930s and 1950s into Mayo Irish, and gives whatever information there is to be had on the original researchers and their informants.
Mayo Irish has four micro-dialects: Erris; Ballycroy/Achill; Toormakeady; and East Mayo. It describes each micro-dialect and gives a list of words and phrases unique to the micro-dialect. It has chapters on grammar and pronunciation and has a substantial list of words which are mainly unique to Mayo Irish, or have a unique Mayo or Connaught pronunciation.
About the author
Breandán Mac Conamhna was born and reared in Belderrig, in the Erris Gaeltacht. He obtained a BSc and an MSc in Mathematics from University College Galway. He was a teacher and lecturer in England for twenty years, and he returned as head of the then Regional Technical College, Sligo, later the Institute of Technology Sligo. After twenty-one years, he retired in 2001 and now lives in Sligo. Breandán has been busy in retirement, and has written five books, two in Irish. He has three curraghs, and except for Covid years, he has them on display most years at maritime festivals in France.