An tAthair Ted is an Tada Fada

Cuid 1
Cuid 2
Cuid 3
Cuid 4

This drama is based on the series of Father Ted.

As you may know, Father Ted, Father Dougal and Father Jack were sent to Craggy Island as punishment. When they get into trouble again, Bishop Brennan sends them to Inish Meán.

Father Ted speaks Irish well, as does Miss Doyle. Father Dougal has problems with the language and keeps misunderstanding what is being said to him. And as for Jack. Nobody ever knows what will come out of his mouth every time he opens it.

The three priests are not long on Inish Meán when trouble arises again.

Relive their adventures, and find out what Dougal made of the lyrics to "Oro'se bheatha bhaile"

DOWNLOAD the stage signs used in the original play (including book cover Irish for Eejits)

Caoimhín Aobhinn

Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is a fluent speaker of Mandarin.  He is thinking of paying a visit to Ireland, and therefore is trying to learn some Irish. He attends classes in Connemara, Kerry and Belfast, where one can learn the Queen's Irish.

Caoimhín Aobhinn, as is the nickname he soon acquires, struggles to come to terms with the concepts of Nic Nichol vs Mac Nichol, whether he is indeed a 'Rudd' because he keeps getting told otherwise, and some more strange and turbulent encounters with Biffo, Séa, Nina, Bó Pib, Olive and Mrs Paisley. He has little luck with an Ghaeilge from Ceathrú Rua, an Ghaolinn from Corca Dhuibhne, or the Gaelic from Beál Feirste, but the dialogues will undoubtedly cause quite a few "Wee mé fliuch" incidents, and the audience is ensured to be further engaged by joining into a rousing audition of 'Beidh Barack amárach i gContae an Chláir'.

Caoimhín: Mise Rudd.
Tomás: Ní hea. Ní rud thú. Is fear thú.
Caoimhín: Is fearr? Tuigim. Is fearr liom. Is fearr liom tae ná caife. Cé acu is fearr leat?
Tomás: Ní hea, sin fearr. Ach is fear thú.

Like Cupán le Van, there is a lot of educational value hidden between silly lines of seemingly nonsense dialogue. For one, it deals with the often confusing naming patterns and the difference in Uí, Ní or Mac, as well as the rules of lenition (séimhiú) for names in the evocative form. Or simply sit back and enjoy this as the good clean wholesome craic that we have grown accustomed to from Bearnaí!

Manuel in Éirinn

This is a masterpiece and it's the missing episode that “Fawlty Towers never produced.

Basil has a brother Cathal who lives in Donegal who also runs a hotel there. His wife Caral is as quarrelsome a woman as we know Sybil from Fawlty Towers to be.

The laughs begin from the moment Manuel arrives in Ireland armed with a copy of Buntús Cainte. Manuel's first encounter is with an official who also presents him with an Irish version of his name “Man-well”: Fartobar. And from there, Fartobar (or Manuel's) journey continues as he struggles to make sense of the local language, let alone making himself understood.

Manuel: Gabh .. mo .. leithscéal, a .. dhuine .. asail.
Oifigeach: Asail? Uasail, a amadáin.
Manuel: Go .. raibh .. maith .. agat. Mé ..tá .. foghlaim .. Gaeilge. Leabhar ..tá .. ag ..mé.
Oifigeach: Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Tá leabhar agam.
Manuel: Tú tá foghlaim Gaeilge agus leabhar tá ag tú freisin?

The guttural sounds of Manuel's Spanish spraying his conversation partners with spittle lets them utter a frequent "Buíochas as an shower."

An t-Athair Dougal agus Cúrsaí Pósta

Daisy Ní Hoorihan comes to visit the priests and asks to be married. However, after a day she has changed her mind.

So Micheál seeks the priests' help.

Dougal has a bright idea which he remembers from watching a dramatic Hollywood love story. After the recital of a wonderfully romantic poem Daisy might well change her mind...?

This stage script has some real characters in it - the householder woman with attitude, Dougal who is a little bit slow, and Jack awakening from a deep alcohol-induced sleep and erupting into often prophetic one-word exclamations.

Ted: Cé atá ann, a bhean uasal Doyle?
An Bhean: Daisy Ní Hoorihan.
Dougal: Ó is breá liom Daisy Ní Hoorihan.
An Bhean: Is breá le gach fear sa pharóiste Daisy Ní Hoorihan.
Jack: [ina sheasamh] Breá! Brassiere! Knickers! [ina shuí arís]
Ted: Taispeáin isteach í, le do thoil. [imíonn sí] Dougal, d’inis mé duit cheana féin. Níl cead ag sagart a bheith ag smaoineamh mar sin ar chailíní.

Feic Hamlet

This play is a version which has been condensed and altered to be suited for the stage, played by Irish language learners. It contains trademark tongue-in-cheek references. Irish or English, Shakespeare has never been so much fun!

Claudius: Agus tá Polonius marbh.
Gertrude: ‘Sea, tá sé marbh.
Claudius: Agus sháigh Hamlet é?
Gertrude: ‘Sea, tríd an arras.

This play was initially put on during Daonscoil 2008 in Bacchus Marsh. The clever use of low-cost props is still remembered by all who had the pleasure to attend on the night. The poison Claudius adds to the drink is an off-the-shelve weedkiller product. Later on in the fighting scene where people get stabbed, long rolls of red ribbons are unfurled from trouser pockets and cause great amusement not only amongst members of the audience but the actors themselves.

Whilst talking of the audience: the cue cards Bú and This (read "This" with the rules of Irish pronunciation applied!) were so readily embraced that at times the play had to pause because of such enthusiastic engagement. 'Bú' and 'This' were also to become a trademark of that particular summer school and utilised through many more nightly events.

Cupán le Van

Turn a fun concert night into the most valuable lesson of your school! 'Cupán le Van' is a stage script riddled with rhyming lines and particularly suited to even beginning learners.

The Cigire (Inspector) who is blind is coming to the school Bunscoil Sliabh Naomh Niamh for an oral exam. Here, the audience plays an active part in the play, being the pupils. The teacher is well aware of the questions that are going to be asked, so he has prepared signs with the correct answers, which the children (the audience) are going to read out when asked.

The assembled students are watching the drama "Cupán le Van" together with the Cigire who frequently interjects to ask questions in order to check the comprehension levels of the children.

Cigire: An mbeidh Mae agus Ray ag ól tae?
Gach duine le chéile: Ní bheidh Mae ag ól tae ach beidh tae ag Ray

The language is easy enough, and with the help of the acting the plot can be worked out. Signs are held up, ensuring that everybody can participate. This is a fun play where even the beginners in the audience are getting a sense of contributing to the fun and will be remembered long after the curtains have gone down.