Member Profile: Irene Kistler
Irene Kistler is an active language learner and member of our online community for many years. She learns Irish in honor of her great-grandmother, Agnes, who was a polyglot.
Agnes spoke Irish by birth, English by force and Yiddish by necessity. Irene likes to honor Agnes’ bravery by recapturing the joy of Gaeilge and spreading her love of the language. Irene’s goal is to reach Irish language fluency “so that when I meet my great-grandmother once again, we can chat it up as Gaeilge.”
Cé Thusa?
Ainm/Name: Irene Kistler
Áit/Location: Medina, Ohio, USA.
Leibhéal/Level: B1 Intermediate
Ról sa Chomhphobal/Role in the Community: Foghlaimeoir/Learner
Slí Beatha/Occupation: Retired from Education
Fad ag foghlaim Gaeilge/Time learning Irish: 5 years
Caithimh Aimseartha/Hobbies: Yoga, Biking, Hiking, Painting, Reading
Cad is Fearr Leat?
Ceol/Music: Brandi Carlile
Amhrán/Song: ‘You and Me On The Rock’ by Brandi Carlile
Bia/Food: Spaghetti
Deoch/Drink: Water with an occasional decaf coffee thrown in for excitement
Scannán/Film: Róise & Frank
Clár Teilifíse/TV Show: Ros na Rún – Each season, I use the captions less and less!
Podcraoladh/Podcast: The Tarot Diagnosis with Shannon
Leabhar/Book: Series: A Court of Thorn and Roses
Ainmhí/Animal: Great Horned Owl
Laoch/Hero: Agnes Ruane Kenny, my great-grandmother and a native Irish speaker. She crossed the Atlantic as an indentured servant, learning Yiddish in addition to her Irish and English. She married my great-grandfather and was the matriarch of our family. She smelled like peppermint candies. I learn in honor of Agnes.
Áit in Éirinn/Place in Ireland: Dingle – My husband and I were in Dingle in 2019 and fell in love with the Irish seaside there. It’s where I spoke my first Irish. “An bhfuil cupan tae agat, le do thoil?” And I did, indeed, get a cup of tea and many smiles from the shopkeeper.
Frása Gaeilge/Irish phrase: An té a bhíónn siúlach, bíonn scéalach – She who travels has stories to tell!
Miotaseolaíocht/Irish Mythology: The goddess Brigid because she embodies the Divine Feminine.
Mana saoil/Life motto: Not my circus, not my monkey.
Comhairle d’fhoghlaimeoirí nua/Advice for new learners of Irish: Think of Irish like a puzzle. The individual pieces can be confusing, but as the picture builds, beauty emerges. Finding the outline of the puzzle can be the hardest part, but keep going and it will fill in beautifully.
Join the online Irish community for cúrsaí, comhrá & ceardlanna, and follow along on social media @LetsLearnIrish – beidh fáilte romhat!
