Association of Celtic Students

In the Middle Irish Aislinge Meic Con Glinne (The Vision of Mac Con Glinne), the titular protagonist, a scholar and poet, abandons his books to seek fame and luxury. He journeys all the way from his native Armagh to Cork, for he has heard of the extravagant feasts hosted there by Cathal Mac Finguinne, a king of Munster. Confident in his learning and poetic skill (highly esteemed in medieval Ireland), Mac Con Glinne expects to be welcomed with open arms. Unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he comes to a guesthouse operated by Manchín, the abbot of Cork. The dilapidated structure is empty of all but cold, dirt, and pests, and so Mac Con Glinne sleeps miserably. The next morning, Abbot Manchín sends a student to the guesthouse with a ration of nothing but whey-water and a smouldering sod with which to light a fire. Mac Con Glinne, incensed at receiving such inadequate, tardy, and demeaning treatment, recites a satire against his host, and the student hastily depa...

In July, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in intensive Welsh-language classes in Aberystwyth, thanks in part to funding provided through Gronfa Goffa Bedwyr Lewis Jones (Bangor University), and the WNAA Exchange Scholarship . Here’s a look back at some of my experience. Arrival We arrive in Aberystwyth by bus — a familiar route for me. I live in Abertawe (Swansea) but I’m a PhD student at Bangor University. I take the train to Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) and then the TrawsCymru bus north to Bangor about twice a month. It’s the night before classes start. I’m riding the high of half-conversations in Cymraeg on a recent road trip with a friend from America. We stayed overnight in Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the morning, I gave my order at the cafe in Wenglish (Welsh-English). When we stopped at the wool mill in Trefriw, I spoke at length in faltering (but excited) Welsh to one of the women running the shop. When I’m doubting my ability, I remember the delight blazing in her eyes at ...