GLOSSARY

IRISH WORDS

Aengus - Irish god of love and war

Aos sidhe – people of the mounds, fairy folk

Athair – Father

Bean sidhe – woman of the mound, a harbinger of death

Briseadh geis naofa – breaker of geas or prohibition

Cá bhfuilimid? – Where are we?

Caer Ibormeith – swan princess of Aengus’s dreams

Cailín - lass, girl

Cave of Ruín Arsa - Cave of Ancient Secrets

A chara – my friend

A chéadsearc – my dearest love (literally my first love)

Cialleach – in folklore, the divine hag or queen of winter. If the

day is cloudy on February 1, she oversleeps and can’t collect

enough firewood, so winter will end soon. If the sun is shining,

she collects plenty and it will be a longer winter. Sort of like the

groundhog.

A chuisle — darling, dear (technically pulse)

A chuisle mo chroí – pulse of my heart/beat of my heart

Codail go sámh — Sleep tight

Cup of Cheartais — Cup of Justice

Dercad – a deep form of meditation

Dheartháir – brother (as in sibling)

Ériu  – ancient name for Ireland

Fealtóir – betrayer

Geis – a taboo or vow 

A ghrá  – my love

Go dtí go mbuailfimid arís, a dheartháir - Until we meet again, brother.

Hills of ár Sinsear — Hills of our Ancestors

In ainm an Athar, agus an Mhic, agus an Spiorad Naoimh – In

the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Is chuisle mo chroí thú — You are the beat of my heart

Is é mo chroí mise, anois agus i gcónaí, a ghrá — my heart is yours, now and always, my love

Leanbh - child

Léine – a tunic

Más é do thoil é – please

Máthair bandia – goddess mother

A mhic – my son

A mhuirnín – darling, my beloved

Sá ruithe geis – violator of a taboo or vow

Sabhaircín – primrose

Saol gan bás – life without end

Seanchara - old friend

A shíorghrá – my eternal love

Slan abhaile – safe home

A stórín – little treasure

Ta mo chroí istigh ionat – my heart is within you / I love you

A tiarnán – my lord

Tir na nÓg – Land of Youth, the otherworld

Tlachtga - ritualistic site where the Samhain fires were relit and

dispersed throughout the countryside

Tráthnóna maith – good afternoon

Triubhas – trews or trousers

Tuaisceart, Conacht – the area of Connaught Ciarán comes

from

Tuamaí na Dearmadta – Tombs of the Forgotten

Túatha de Ui Fiachrach Muaide – Ciarán’s túath or clan

 Image by Mary Bettini Blank from Pixabay