Welcome, Fáilte Romhaibh, Cainteoirí Gaeilge Fhilideilfia!

This group is for people who want to learn Irish or improve their Irish using a combination of lessons I create, children's books and traditional textbooks. The lessons will be loosely based on the book and CD set, Colloquial Irish: The Complete Course for Beginners (NY: Routledge, 2008, ISBN-13 978-0-415-38130-7).

However, I'll be customizing some of the themes in the book, to make it pertain to life in the U.S., especially the Delaware Valley, where most of us live. So we'll be learning to say "Tá mé i mo chónaí i bhFilideilfia" or "Tá mé i mo chónaí i bPaoli," instead of saying that you live in Ireland, since it pertains to more of us.

For the children's books, we will start with simple texts, such as Clóicín Dearg [Little Red Riding Hood] and eventually progress to reading Harry Potter and/or Artemis Fowl in Irish, which was one of my original goals for the group. This is not a formal class, but primarily a reading and conversation group; however I will provide as much guidance as possible. Beginners welcome.

Since so many people can't get to the in-person meetings, or aren't in this area at all, the format of the group has changed recently. Lessons will be posted online on our group's "Files" pages. Dues will change from being optional, paid when attending meetings, to being required and collected online. The dues will give you access to the lessons in the file pages, plus the ability to communicate with other Irish speakers and learners in the grúpa. Dues will be $5 a month, payable via PayPal or Amazon Payments. After the lessons are posted, there will be some opportunity for feedback to me and Q & A about the topics covered. I may make the feedback part of future lessons if seems of interest to the group as a whole. For those who can get to the in-person sessions, so much the better--dá mhéad is amhlaidh is fearr é (the more the merrier). Hope to see you "ar líne" (on line) or "sa chaife" (in the cafe). - Róisín