Words only the Irish use.

[Hardy]

I live outside Omagh.

"I'm going down to Derry"

"I'm going up to Dublin"

What's that about?

We had a discussion about that before. Starts here.

[laoislad]

I live outside Omagh.

"I'm going down to Derry"

"I'm going up to Dublin"

What's that about?

Dubs are always going down somewhere also.
They go down to Donegal for the weekend for example.

[Hardy]

Funnily enough, while the Dubs divide the country into Dublin and "dowen da coontry" the Corkies have three categories: Cork, up de country (boy) and West Cork.

[Billys Boots]

I thought the jinnet was the offspring of 'relations' between horses and donkeys - not the mule, the other wan!

Maybe. I just thought it was a female donkey. Jack and Jenny, so I assume Jennet was a female donkey. You could be right though.

Here you go. You were right.

Here's your bit of Irish for the day: jennet.
While it might be an English word, its definition is slightly altered here in Ireland. I hadn't actually heard the word before moving here and hearing locals use the word frequently in their metaphors; "He made a jennet out of me" (meaning that one was made to appear foolish) or "I went motoring down the road like a jennet" (meaning one went very fast).
Now the dictionary defines Jennet as "A female Donkey" and "A small Spanish horse." Irish people would disagree with this; a jennet is definitely not a donkey – donkeys reproduce, jennets cannot. A jennet is the offspring of a stallion and a female donkey, akin to a mule, which is the offspring of a mare and a male donkey. Now!

I like the stream of consciousness posting - is that a first?  I especially like the line in bold - am thinking of having it framed and sent to you.  Everyday for a month.  Every year for ten. 

[deiseach]

I live outside Omagh.

"I'm going down to Derry"

"I'm going up to Dublin"

What's that about?

In Tramore, going 'down town' is to go into Tramore town centre. Going 'into town' is going to Waterford.

[AZOffaly]

Same as that in Newport, even though Newport is really a village. Down town = Newport; Into town = Limerick.

In Kerry (South Kerry) they say 'going back town' for into Cahirciveen.

[ONeill]

I've been out of Tyrone for a right while now...do they still say 'ken' for 'can' or was that just an East Tyrone wan one?

As in, 'ken ye pass me over that tin of corned beef there?' or 'Meath ken be tara dorty.'

[general_lee]

Funnily enough, while the Dubs divide the country into Dublin and "dowen da coontry" the Corkies have three categories: Cork, up de country (boy) and West Cork.

I had always just thought it was 'Cork' and 'Not Cork'

[Orior]

Has anyone heard of a gamaroo, as in "why didn't you fist pass it ye gamaroo ye?"

Pronounced Ga (rhymes with Fa) Ma (rhymes with emm.. err.. Ma) and Roo (rhymes with Loo)

[muppet]

In Castlebar:

Up town or down town, it doesn't seem to matter.
Up to Dublin or Sligo
Down to Achill or Galway
Back to Westport.

[Mayo4Sam]

Out to Westport/Belmullet/Achill

Into Ballina

Up to castlebar/foxford/Charlestown

[T Fearon]

Pronunciation of the surname Hughes as Queues! Very prevalent in the six counties

[StephenC]

In Mayo .. The surname Walsh is pronounced Welch.

[johnneycool]

Anyone else use the word 'gullions' when talking about muck or gutters?

[AZOffaly]

Never heard of that.

What about 'tackies' for runners? (The kind you wear). Up in Offaly we'd say runners, I've heard others call them sneakers (probably from Yankee TV) but when I came to Limerick in 1991 I heard the word 'Tackies' for the first time.