Comhfhocail – Compound Words

Despite its popularity, Duolingo has notable limitations compared with live online instruction. Technology can open access and build foundational skills for Irish learners, but it cannot replace the socially-embedded interaction of successful language learning. Recent research strongly suggests that Duolingo is most effective as a supporting tool rather than a standalone solution. App-based learning cannot provide the corrective feedback and sociolinguistic engagement of class instruction, conversation sessions, workshops or book club meetings.

Finally, another part of the Aran Islands’ identity comes from being a Gaeltacht. Although Oliver Cromwell did arrive on the islands during his conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century and set up a defensive fort there, he eventually left with his troops. The population of the islands increased afterwards, as some people from the mainland moved to the Aran Islands to escape the reach of the English. Because inhabitants were ultimately less harried by the colonizers, the Irish language was able to persist. Today, Irish remains the first language of the islands.

Being a coastal island, Ireland has developed a close relationship with ‘na rónta’ (seals) throughout its history. Sometimes the bane of fishermen, sometimes a source of food and supplies in difficult times, and sometimes simply a creature to be admired, the species has always had a place in the imagination of the Irish people. In total, it’s not surprising that there is such a rich folklore of seals in Ireland.