Ulster Irish/Dúlra
I (Jake Dalzell) spent two weeks in the Donegal Gaeltacht in June 2025. Here are some words I heard that refer to the natural world, animals, etc. Note here [è] is a vowel between [ɛ] and [e].
Aice
Poll/eag i gcarraig is maith le gliomaigh agus crúbógaí.
Rann na Feirste [ak´ə], pl. [nə ˈhak´iə̆hə]
Ain-bheathaigh
Ainmhithe contúirteacha na farraige (searcannaí srl)
Rann na Feirste [ˈan´ˌv´ɛhi]
Beathach
Béarla horse
Árainn Mhór [b´èəx], ar a bheathach [ɛr ə ˈv´èəx]
Rann na Feirste [b´ɛəh]
Compare Toraigh [b´aː][1].
Cailleach
1. Préataí beaga fágtha i ndiaidh an fhómhair
Rann na Feirste pl. [kaʟ´ahai]
2. (Cailleach dhubh) Phalacrocorax carbo (Béarla Cormorant)
Cáitheadh na dtonn
Béarla sea spray
Rann na Feirste [kæhu]
This has been merged with caitheadh which is pronounced the same way.
Caora
Rann na Feirste gen. pl. [ɴə gᴇːrəx]
This is the traditional genitive plural, with a different vowel [ᴇː] to the nominative [ɯː].
Clár
Béarla flat plain (of the sea)
Toraigh “Tá an fharraige 'na chlár.”
Cloch bheag doirnín
Rann na Feirste [klɔʰ v´ɘg dɔrɴ´in´]
Cnuasach
Béarla foraging (on the shore)
Rann na Feirste gen. [d´ænu cruːsi] Bheadh na mná ag déanamh cnuasaigh.
Creabhar
Tabanidae (Béarla cleg, horsefly)
Árainn Mhór [k´r´awer], pl. [nə ˈk´r´awer´]
Creimeadh isteach
Béarla Erosion, undercutting (of a cliff)
Rann na Feirste [k´r´ɛm´u]
Crúbóg
Cancer pagurus (Béarla Edible Crab)
Compare portán. This distinction was known to speakers from Árainn Mhór and Rann na Feirste.
Dorg
Líne iascaireachta.
Rann na Feirste [darəg]
Dos
Béarla small tuft of grass
Toraigh [dʌs] “Ní fhásfadh dos ar bith ansin” (of a barren place)
Gaoth chothrom
Béarla even wind
Toraigh [gɯː ˈxɔr̥əm]
Giobach
Béarla choppy, rough (of the sea)
Toraigh [g´ʌbɑ]
Glas binne
Béarla trapped below a cliff
Rann na Feirste: Tá caora faoi ghlas binne [fiː ɰʟɑs b´ɪ̈ɴ´ə] A sheep has gone down a cliff and is now trapped below it.
Iomghaoth
Béarla Sudden strong gust of wind
Toraigh pl. [ʌˈmiaha]
Interesting that the stress is on the second syllable – could be an idiosyncracy or perhaps due to the word having a compound origin (im- + gaoth). The speaker commented that this was a “focal a bhí ag na seandaoiní”.
Leathach
Béarla wrack (seaweed)
Árainn Mhór [L´èəx]
Compare Toraigh [ʟ´aː][1], which is rhymed with trágha [trɑː] in the song Beití Sailí Deain:
Nuair a théimse siar chun na trágha
A chur amach bodóg agus leathach
Mea Ghabhair?
Gallinago gallinago (Béarla Snipe)
an Spidéal [ˌm´æː ˈɣawer´]
I know this isn't an Ulster dialect but I heard it when I was in Donegal so I'm putting it here...
Mórtas farraige
Farraige gharbh
Mushroom
Toraigh [ˈmʌɕrumi ˈgɑːrl´ɔg´] mushroomaí gáirleoige
Portán
Béarla Shore Crab
Árainn Mhór [partan]
Compare crúbóg. This distinction was known to speakers from Árainn Mhór and Rann na Feirste.
Reithe
Rann na Feirste [raiçə]
Ruball
Rann na Feirste gen. [rʌb´l´ə ~ rʌbl´ə]
Saotharcán
Vanellus vanellus (Béarla Lapwing)
Rann na Feirste [sᴇːrkan]
Compare Toraigh saotharcóg [sᴇːrkɔg].[1]
Scaineagán
Clocha beaga thart fá 1.5cm – bíonn an t-iolra ann.
Rann na Feirste [skanagan´]
Sceartán
Béarla tick
Árainn Mhór [ɕk´artan]
Sceith
Béarla spawning (of herring)
Rann na Feirste [ɕk´e]
The vowel here was almost approaching [ɪ].
Stacán
Béarla sea stack
Rann na Feirste [stakan]
Tréataí
Línte in áit a mbeadh uisce ina rith ar chloich, ar éadaigh ⁊rl. Dá mbeadh sé ag cur fearthanna bheadh tréataí ar do chuid éadaigh.
Rann na Feirste [t´r´eːti]
