Go mbeannaí Dia duit, hello to all and sundry this meteorologically confusing Spring, you are all welcome to the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
Is fada uainn iad - long gone are the days when Irish was considered the sole preserve of feirmeoirí - farmers and iascairí - fishermen.
Today, Irish is spoken by hipsters and hicks, the hoi polloi and the aristocracy.
And Irish is not confined to talking about sheep scab or Bovine Viral Diarrhoea. The language is more than capable of being a vehicle to discuss the important issues of the day.
Tá sí incurtha leis means it is up to the task.
For instance, the big issue that could affect all our lives is being played out sa Mheánoirthear - in the Middle East, sa Phalaistín - in Palestine and in two distinct areas, Gaza and An Bhruach Thiar - the West Bank.
In a worst case scenario, we could be on the brink of an Tríú Cogadh Domhanda - the Third World War.
It really does seem as if we are on the cusp if major movements in the tectonic plates of recent geopolitics and that the self-proclaimed moral superiority of “western values” is being put to the test like never before.
How can the west lecture Russia or China about human rights when they are willing participants to an cinedhíothú - the genocide going on in Gaza?
To date, over 34,262 Palestinians have been killed, 70% of them are women and children.
Scriosadh otharlanna agus ollscoileanna - hospitals and universities were destroyed, residential areas razed to the ground by US-made missiles,
Matt Kennard from the news website Declassified UK, has said that Britain has flown over 200 spy missions over Gaza, suggestion that they are “likely collecting footage of Israeli war crimes.”
Tharla an chéad sléacht the first slaughter occurred, let’s not forget, on 7 October when Hamas attacked Israel, with 3,000 missiles and 3,000 of their militants breaching Israeli security Israeli security killing an estimated 766 sibhialtach - civilians and 373 security personnel.
(It has been plausible claimed that some of the deaths were attributable to panicky Israeli Defence Force helicopters firing at everything in sight.)
Some see the 7 October attack as the work of sceimhlitheoirí - terrorists hell-bend on destroying Israel while other see it as an attempt to break the Israeli blockade which has turned Gaza into what is frequently referred to as an open air prison.
To even see the Palestinian point of view is to find oneself as being frith-Sheimíteach - anti-Semitic, a charge that is in danger of losing all meaning so often has it been used in the most spurious circumstances.
Many people have a problem with Síónachas - Zionism and even Giúdaigh - Jews have a problem with Zionism, whether it is Jews living in Israel or amongst its huge diaspora throughout the world.
In the meantime, Palestinians are suffering for what Europeans did to the Jews 80 years ago and the political boundaries of the Middle East are also a creation of European powers.
CÚPLA FOCAL
Is fada uainn iad (iss fada ooeen aid) - long gone are are the days
feirmeoirí (feramoree) - farmers
iascairí (eeaskeree) - fishermen
Tá sí incurtha leis (taa shee inkherha lesh) - it is up to the task
sa Mheánoirthear (sa vaaniriher) - in the Middle East
sa Phalaistín (sa falashteen) - in Palestine
An Bhruach Thiar (un wrooakh heer) - the West Bank
an Tríú Cogadh Domhanda (un chreeoo cugoo dowanda) - the Third World War
an cinedhíothú (un kinyayeehoo) - the genocide
Scriosadh otharlanna agus ollscoileanna (scrisoo oherlana agus olsculana) - hospitals and universities were destroyed
Tharla an chéad sléacht (harla an cayd shlaykht) - the first slaughter occurred
sibhialtach (gyoodee) - civilians
sceimhlitheoirí (shklevlihoree) - terrorists
Frith-Sheimíteach (freeh-hemeetchahk) - anti-Semitic
Síónachas (sheeonahiss) - Zionism
Giúdaigh (gyoodee) - Jews