Sean Fhocail | Old Words

I grew up in the South Connemara Gaeltacht, on the west coast of Ireland. It is one of the remaining regions in Ireland that speaks Gaeilge (Irish) daily. It is my first language and my native tongue. As a child, “Sean Fhocail”, which, in the Irish language, means “Old Words”, are the Proverbs that were part of everyday speech where I grew up. What I find beautiful about Sean Fhocail, or Sean Fhocla as we say in my particular region, is their close association with the land, with animals, birds, the sea, with the presence of the sun, moon and the tides, and of course the changing weather, with the moments of merriment and celebration, with the ordinary daily life of our people. Sean Fhocail, like folklore, are passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. This wisdom can stretch back hundreds of years. The landscape was imbued with sacred significance and mystery for our Gaelic and Celtic ancestors. Every field had a name. Every mountain, stream, and rock had its own story to tell. Every tree and river had its own significance, its own spirit.