About this site
Welcome to the on-line Dictionary and Language Library, which is being developed by Foras na Gaeilge in parallel with the New English-Irish Dictionary project. The aim of the site is to provide users of the language with free, easy-to-use access to dictionaries and to grammatical and pronunciation information relating to words in the Irish Language. The site will enable the user to search for dictionary entries, grammatical information and sound files for any individual word.
The older dictionaries: EID and FGB
On this site there are searchable electronic versions of English-Irish Dictionary (de Bhaldraithe, 1959) and Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill, 1977), the two dictionaries which have been the main reference sources for the Irish-language community for over fifty years.
These sections of the site are based on printed versions of the dictionaries which have been converted to electronic form. As part of this process, the printed material was scanned, processed by computer and subsequently proofed and corrected. However, there may still be some typographical or labelling errors in the text, and if you happen to come across instances of these we would be grateful if you could tell us, by sending an e-mail to aiseolas2@forasnagaeilge.ie. All other feedback is also welcome.
Please note that both English-Irish Dictionary (1959) and Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (1977) were published some time ago; to access a contemporary dictionary see New English-Irish Dictionary (2013 onwards).
New databases: grammar and pronunciation
Also on this website are a Grammar Database which gives inflected form of nouns, verbs, adjectives etc, and a Pronunciation Database with sound files in the three major dialects. These are new collections which were created as part of the New English-Irish Dictionary project.
Coming soon
The site is being developed in phases, and as part of the on-going development the search functions in the two dictionaries will be enhanced, and the coverage of grammar and sound files will be increased, on a continual basis. It is also our intention to provide a free downloadable version of the grammar database for those interested in such a facility.
Acknowledgements
Foras na Gaeilge would like to acknowledge and thank the external partners who helped in the development of this site, particularly:
Kevin Scannell (Saint Louis University) who helped set up the electronic version of English-Irish Dictionary and Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla.
Patrick Mulreany (WinGléacht) who helped set up Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla and provided data for the Grammar Database.
The staff of Fiontar in Dublin City University (focal.ie) who provided grammatical data.
Elaine Uí Dhonnchadha (Trinity College) who provided grammatical data.
Macalla Teo, who supplied the sound files.
Michal Boleslav Měchura, who built the site.
