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Derek Hollingsworth

@derekholly7.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.1K following 594 posts

| Psychology | Reclaiming my language | Co-founder 7 Cathaoirleach Pobal Gaeilge 15 | #GaeilgeGachLá #100DaysofGaeilge Irishlanguagematters.com (blog)

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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Manchán Magan passed a year ago. He was a huge inspiration to many Irish learners & people in the language movement. His greatest legacy may be how he presented Irish as a beautiful, living treasure beyond political or religious associations. Link in comments. #Manchán #ManchánMagan
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Tá an deireadh seachtaine linne! Bíodh deireadh seachtaine maith agaibh uilig! 🙌 Meas ar Pheig Sayers ☘️ ❤️ #gaeilge #irishlanguage
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Don't worry, folks, the weekend is coming!
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Belfast has the most advanced Irish language infrastructure of any urban centre. There's some really exciting things going on culturally too. Have you heard tradtronica group, Huartan? Tír gan teanga tír gan anam ☘️ ❤️ #gaeilge #irishlanguage #decolonisethefocal #Béalfeirste
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The Forgotten Irish-Speaking Kings of Northumbria. Oswald, Oswiu & Aldfrith spent time in Dál Riata. The Venerable Bede recorded that King Oswald translated St. Aidan's sermons in Irish live to his court. My substack article link in comments... Grateful for RTs🙏 ❤️ #Gaeilge ☘️ #spéirghorm
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Luí na gréine - sunset Bhí dul faoi na gréine go hálainn - the sunset was beautiful #gaeilge #irishlanguage
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Pádraic Fogarty @whittledaway.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Place names in Irish show the deep connections our ancestors had with wildlife, from wolves and eagles to wild boar and oak forests. The names are still there but the animals are long gone www.bbc.com/future/artic...
bbc.com
Eagles and wolves: The long-lost animals that live on in Irish place names
Long-standing Irish place names hark back to a world alive with cranes, wolves and eagles. Now these old names are piquing the interest of nature-lovers and ecologists.
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Irish Doctors for the Environment @irishdocsenv.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The decline of our Irish language is intrinsically linked with colonial ecocide. Tá ár dteanga, ár mbithéagsúlacht agus ár gcuid sláinte fite fuaite. Our language, biodiversity and health are intertwined. Labhair Gaeilge, agus bíodh grá agatsa don fhuinseog 's dair www.who.int/europe/publi...
who.int
Role of the arts and culture in addressing the health impacts of climate change: Behavioural and Cultural Insights policy brief series
Publicaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ná bígí buartha. Tá an deireadh seachtaine beagnach linne! Don't worry folks. They weekend is almost with us! ❤️ #Gaeilge #andeireadhseachtaine #spéirghorm
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Neurodivergent: Reflecting on Learning Irish with ADHD. My substack today. "I felt locked out of Irish language culture: the social events, songs, stories, literature, all lying tantalisingly beyond my grasping reach." hollingsworthd.substack.com/p/neurodiver...
hollingsworthd.substack.com
Neurodivergent: Reflections on Learning Irish with ADHD
Reflections on learning a language with a ghost in the room
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Neurodivergent: Reflecting on Learning Irish with ADHD. My substack today. "I felt locked out of Irish language culture: the social events, songs, stories, literature, all lying tantalisingly beyond my grasping reach." hollingsworthd.substack.com/p/neurodiver...
hollingsworthd.substack.com
Neurodivergent: Reflections on Learning Irish with ADHD
Reflections on learning a language with a ghost in the room
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
David Keohan went looking for a stone. He found: 🪨 A lost tradition ☘️ Connection to Irish culture 💔 Loss & shame 📢 Grá for the Irish language ✨️ Reclamation of self Read article on irishlanguagematters ✍️ 📢 Full interview soon on Irish Language Matters: Decolonising The Focal 🎙 🎧 #gaeilge
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Cé thú féin anyways? Siobhain Grogan, Cill Dara le Gaeilge "Tá rud éigin an-speisialta faoi bheith i measc daoine óga ⁊ Gaeilge á labhairt ag gach duine! ... tá pobal láidir inár gceantar anois ⁊ go leor daoine breá sásta Gaeilge a labhairt." ❤️ #Gaeilge irishlanguagematters.com/2026/09/02/c...
irishlanguagematters.com
Cé Thú Féin Anyways? Siobhain Grogan.
Siobhain Grogan, Cill Dara le Gaeilge (ar dheis) le Deirdre Ní Choistín, TG4 Cé thú féin anyways? Is mise Siobhain Grogan, tuismitheoir triúir, cathaoirleach Chill Dara le Gaeilge agus Uisce for Ga…
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Manglicised: Irish Placenames Stradbally was Sráidbhaile Laoise in the 16th C. 'Street town of Laois'. Today, the Irish name is An Sráidbhaile. Sráidbhaile (village) is made up of sráid (street) & baile (town/settlement). 📢 Podcast 'Irish Language Matters: Decolonising the Focal' 🎙 🎧 coming soon!
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
New interview with David Keohan, 'Indiana Stones', on his desire to reconnect with Irish. David is driving the revival of the tradition of stone lifting in Ireland, part of a wider cultural revival. ❤️Gaeilge☘️ irishlanguagematters.com/2026/08/26/d... irishlanguagematters.com/2026/08/26/d...
irishlanguagematters.com
David Keohan, ‘Indiana Stones’, Lifts the Lid on His Grá for Gaeilge
David Keohan, ‘Indiana Stones’, is a Waterford man. He is reviving the old tradition of stone lifting in Ireland and has recently published his book, The Wind Beneath the Stone.
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Interview with David Keohan 'Indiana Stones' on irishlanguagematters.com tomorrow. David is reviving the tradition of stone-lifting in Ireland. David lifts the lid on his grá for Gaeilge. "Why can't I speak my own language. I felt an awful sense of shame." #gaeilge #irishlanguage #learnIrish
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The biggest task will be the restoration of the language. How can we express our most subtle thoughts and finest feelings in a foreign tongue? ...until we have it again on our tongues and in our minds we are not free, and we will produce no important literature.” - Michael Collins #Gaeilge #Ireland
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
English words of Irish language origin: Esker Borrowed from the Irish eiscir, an esker is a long glacial ridge. Recorded in English from 1852☘️ Esker in Lucan, is named for Esker Riada nearby that stretches across Ireland. ❤️ #Gaeilge #LearnIrish #FoghlaimGaeilge #Irish #100daysofGaeilge
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
English words borrowed from Irish: Clan 'Clann', brought into English centuries ago, means family/offspring. From prehistory, Irish society was organised around kinship groups Gaelic surnames often contain Mac, Mhic, Nic, Ó, Uí, Ní, Mag, de ❤️ #Gaeilge #FoghlaimGaeilge #LearnIrish
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
❤️ #Gaeilge #LearnIrish "We must now seize the opportunity to also take responsibility for ensuring that it means something in our own lives. I gcroílár gnóthaí laethúla na hEorpa; i gcroílár an tsaoil sa Bhaile (at the heart of daily business in Europe; at the heart of life at home)."
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
"A people without a language of its own is only half a nation. A nation should guard its language more than its territories—'tis a surer barrier, and a more important frontier, than fortress or river." - Thomas Davis ❤️ #Gaeilge #irishlanguage #Irish
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Comhghairdeas le Gaillimh! Táim tar éis an lá a chaitheamh ann. Congratulations to Galway! I've after spending the day there. #AnGhaeltacht #Galway
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
English words borrowed from Irish: Boreen A boreen is a narrow country lane from the Irish 'bóithrín', a cow track. 'Bóthar' is road, derived from 'bó' for cow. A bóthar was wide enough for 2 cows to pass so a bóithrín is narrower. ❤️ #Gaeilge #FoghlaimGaeilge #LearnIrish #Gaelach
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
When the colonialists weren't stealing Irish land & resources, they were picking words from the Irish language☘️ I know, right? Who could blame them? It's a class language! The English word bog comes from the Gaelic bogach for soft boggy ground☘️ ❤️ #Gaeilge #Irish #LearnIrish #FoghlaimGaeilge #Gaelach
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
English words of Irish language origin: Banshee The Banshee is a foreboding female spirit-often the harbinger of a death in old Gaelic clans. This comes from the Irish, bean sí, & the Old Irish, ben síde 'woman of the fairy mound'.🧟‍♀️ ❤️ #Gaeilge #LearnIrish #FoghlaimGaeilge #Irish
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
English words from Irish. 'Barmbrack' comes from the Irish 'bairín breac' meaning speckled loaf. This was a traditional bread eaten at Halloween (Oíche Shamhna, an Irish festival) when turnips were carved to scare off evil spirits. ❤️ #Gaeilge #LearnIrish #GaeilgeGachLá #Foghlaim
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
English words of Irish language origin: Banshee The Banshee is a foreboding female spirit-often the harbinger of a death in old Gaelic clans. This comes from the Irish, bean sí, & the Old Irish, ben síde 'woman of the fairy mound'.🧟‍♀️ ❤️ #Gaeilge #LearnIrish #FoghlaimGaeilge #Irish
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Irish words in the English language: 'asthore'. Asthore is from the Irish term, 'a stór', meaning 'my treasure', 'my love', 'my darling'. I've never heard anyone use this in English, but it's in the dictionaries! You can say 'a stór' to your partner or children ❤️☘️ ❤️ #Gaeilge
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Comhghairdeas le Maigh Eó! I don't know how they had any supporters in Croker when half the County seemed to be on bridges over the N4 waving flags. #MaighEó #Mayo
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Ghlaoigh páiste de mo chuid orm ón Ghaeltacht. Rinne siad an glao go hiomlán trí Gaeilge. Bhí mé chomh sásta agus chomh bhródúil! ❤️ #Gaeilge #AnGhaeltacht #Gaeltacht
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The sportswashing is finally over. The innocent Gazan kids are the image of the War Cup. Children watching soccer while war mongers & human rights abusers are cheered on by corrupt capitalists. #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #WorldCupFinal #Boycott #Sportswashing
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Tá beirt de na leanaí sa Ghaeltacht. I'm so happy they could go. It's such a privilege. Without the Gaelscoil to teach them, & the Gaeltacht to normalise Irish as not 'just a school language', where would we be? I had no Irish when they were born. ❤️ #Gaeilge #Gaeltacht #Gaelscoil
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
An Chanáil Ríoga/​Royal Canal Baile an Bhaspailigh/Westmanstown Baile Átha Cliath 15/Dublin 15
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Some Gaeilge for the day that's in it: Grianstad an tsamhraidh - Summer solstice 🌞 😎 Lá na nAithreacha sona daoibh freisin. Happy Fathers' Day to you all, too. #Gaeilge
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Frank O'Connor @frankoconnor.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Solidarity is beautiful ❤️ Cork City Ireland now
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Many visitors to Ireland – especially from Latin America – think Ireland was founded by Vikings. Why? Dublin has traditionally been sold as Viking, English architecture, Anglo-Irish literature, site of 1916, vibrant cultural scene, but the Gaelic history is omitted🤔 #Decolonise
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
SCEILG MHICÍL Bunaíodh mainistir ar Sceilg Mhicíl roimh 800 AD. Fuair Naomh Suibne bás ann déanach san ochtú céad. Bhí manaigh a lonnaigh san áit ar feadh timpeall 500 bliain. Tá coilíneacht puifíní ann agus clocháin déanta ag na manaigh. #Gaeilge #Irishlanguage #SceilgMhicíl
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Why Ireland is an inconvenience for the billionaire tech bros. I don't think Blindboy is active in the dark space anymore, but this week's podcast is well worth a listen! Bain taitneamh as!
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Reposted by Derek Hollingsworth
Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Bíonn Ciorcal Comhrá á reáchtáil in Connolly Books, Baile Átha Cliath, gach Aoine óna 1 in. There's an Irish language conversation group every Friday at 1 pm. in Connolly Books, Dublin. #Gaeilge #PopUpGaeltacht #CiorcalComhrá #Irishlanguage
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Baile Átha Cliath- Dublin 🌞 Nuair atá an ghrian ag taitneamh, bíonn Baile Átha Cliath go hálainn 😎 #gaeilge #baileáthacliath #Dublin #spéirghorm
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Bíonn Ciorcal Comhrá á reáchtáil in Connolly Books, Baile Átha Cliath, gach Aoine óna 1 in. There's an Irish language conversation group every Friday at 1 pm. in Connolly Books, Dublin. #Gaeilge #PopUpGaeltacht #CiorcalComhrá #Irishlanguage
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
#CeartaDaonna #HumanRights #WarCup #Boycott
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
'The British Isles' was just one part of the attempted erasure of Irish culture. Names & placenames were part of it: Áine - Anne Ó Domhnaill - O'Donnell Cnoc Fiodh na gCaor (Hill of the wood of the berries) - Vinegar Hill (WTF?) If you can be a colonialist or sound, be sound. #decolonise
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
'The British Isles' is supremacist. Something similar was used in ancient Greek. 2,000 years later, in 1577, it was coined by a sorcerer-part of Elizabeth I's colonialist expansionist court. It never appeared in Irish in 1,500 years of literature. Some want it forced on us. It's anti-democratic.
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Bhain mé taitneamh as Féile na Gealaí. Bhí comhra agam le Albanach-iadsan ag labhairt i nGàidhlig/mise ag labhairt Gaeilge! Enjoyed my first Féile na Gealaí. I spoke with a Gàidhlig speaker while I was speaking Irish- weird but wonderful! #gaeilge #gaidhlig #féilenagealaí
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
"‘In Kenya, English became more than a language: it was the language, and all the others had to bow before it in deference." Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. #foghlaimGaeilge #teanga #decolonise #díchoilínigh
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Many teenagers are heading off to the Gaeltacht in the weeks ahead. The Gaeltacht experience is part of the culture of Ireland. Below is an article with a legend of the Galway Gaeltacht, who runs Coláiste Lurgan, Mícheál Ó Foighil. ❤️ #Gaeilge irishlanguagematters.com/interview-mi...
irishlanguagematters.com
Mícheál Ó Foighil, Gael: Advocating for the Irish language at Coláiste Lurgan
An interview with the one and only Mícheál Ó Foighil of Coláiste Lurgan. Mícheál speaks about the Irish language, Gaeilge; the Gaeltacht, education and the Gaelscoil movement. Micheál’s passi…
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (1938 - 28 May 2025) By the late 1500s, the English had been unable to conquer Ireland. Spencer made 2 suggestions: destruction of the native naming system & supressing the Irish language. The idea was to make the Irish ‘forget who they were’. #Gaeilge #ngugi
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Today is the 1st anniversary of the death of the great Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. He referenced Ireland many times. He outlined the processes by which colonialism alienates people from their own culture & language. Decolonising Ireland means embracing #Gaeilge. irishlanguagematters.com/ngugi-wa-thi...
irishlanguagematters.com
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Language & ‘Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature’
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o ‘Every person, whether in Africa or Europe, has a right to their mother tongue or to the language of their culture’. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (b. 1938) is currently Distingui…
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Derek Hollingsworth @derekholly7.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Caisleán Chill Chainnigh - tá an t-ádh dearg orm bheith anseo arís inniu. Is as Cill Chainnigh í mo Mham. Kilkenny Castle - very lucky to be here again today. My Mam's from Kilkenny. #gaeilge #cillchainnigh #Kilkenny
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