Hector Ó hEochagáin

Many of us wish we had paid more attention in Irish class and could still speak the cúpla focal. When we lose our language, we lose a part of who we are. Here, Hector makes adding an Irish word a day to your vocabulary a habit that’s as easy as brushing your teeth. Month-by-month, through stories, words and phrases, Hector takes us through the year with words from the practical to the magical, for every season and new moon. When you start the day, you’ll be able to name the gallúnach (soap) and ubh brúite (boiled egg). And when you look out your window and see the robin is building his nest again in spring, you’ll be able to greet the spiteog through Irish. Reclaim your heritage (oidhreacht) by learning an Irish word a day and with Hector.

‘The best book on the Irish language I have ever read – so funny, so soulful’ Tommy Tiernan Loinnir: The sunlight sparkling on the waves, or the merriness you feel after early pints of stout in the morning. When you speak in Irish, every word is a tiny poem that reveals a new perspective. The Irish language is our inheritance. It lives underneath us in the soil, it blows through the leaves on trees and rises from the roots. Hector Ó hEochagáin is on a mission to help us reclaim that inheritance. From beautiful and melodic words like LOINNIR and phrases like ‘CÉN CHAOI A BHFUIL TÚ?’ – the perfect greeting for when the postman stops by on a winter’s morning; to ‘GAFA’– a way to say you’re so busy you don’t even have time to go to the toilet; ‘DAMANTA’ – when you have an almighty headache or terrible hangover; and ‘SIOCTHA’– when it’s so cold the grass is crunchy under your feet, rediscover the fun and magic of Irish words you can use every day. ‘The godfather of modern Irish brings new meaning, richness and relevance to our language’ Paul Galvin