Last week Pat MacIsaack and I arranged to meet up and talk about how she first came to be interested in learning Gaelic. Pat keeps a busy schedule, but she was kind enough to give me 20 minutes of her lunch break from her job at The People’s Place Public Library in Antigonish where she works as a librarian.

So, how did you first get to be interested in learning Gaelic?

Well, I spent quite a bit of time in Jr. High looking after my grandmother. Sometimes she would have visitors over and they would only speak in Gaelic. Of course I didn’t know what they said. Except for, 

“cuppa tì”.

When did you first take a Gaelic language class?

In 1982 I was studying at StFX and there were Gaelic classes being offered at the town hall with Hector MacNiel. It was very informal. No body would write anything down and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Then after school I went away for a few years. I didn’t try to take Gaelic again until 1987. I signed up for classes with Katrina Parsons, but then there was a death in my family and so I couldn’t attend her class.

So, for a while my only access to Gaelic was through the Gaelic days at St.FX. I would take my kids there and there would be games and stuff like that. I also enrolled my daughter at the Gaelic college when she was in high school. But I wouldn’t be taking classes myself until just a couple of years ago. Mari Parle had moved to Antigonish, and a friend of mine had a son who was taking Gaelic classes with her. It turned out that Mari was also offering evening classes for the parents of her younger students. I didn’t have a child in her class but I said to myself, “I’m going to go to that!” and I dragged my friend with me too. I’ve been taking classes in Antigonish every since, first with Mari and now with Patrick.

Why has this been something that you want to follow through on?

Because it’s part of my heritage, it’s part of my culture, and its part of who I am. Also, when you learn about the reasons why your parents lost the Gaelic and how it wasn’t through choice--that it was taken away from them, then there’s more of an inclination to reclaim it.

How does that feel? The act of reclaiming it?

I’m having a ball! I find that with everyone taking the classes. When we meet each other we’re all enjoying it. And it’s not just the classes. There are gatherings where you get to hear story telling and songs. It’s good neighborly fun. For me there isn’t a sense of work when I learn Gaelic, it’s more of a 

sense of adventure.

That sense of fun and adventure that you have with Gaelic, what’s the goal of the adventure?

My goal is to become relatively fluent. I’d like to be able to use the words that I’ve learned more 

frequently and to speak with people on the street who also have some Gaelic. I also want to attend as many occasions where people who are Gaelic speakers can come together and reinforce each other.

Why do you think that’s important?

When I grew up you never heard anything but English. It’s lovely now in Antigonish because you hear so many other languages. The French have their culture and it’s wonderful to hear them speak French in the library. The same thing happens at the library with people from other countries and cultures. We are hearing other languages and Gaelic has a place just the same as all the others. It’s part of who we are. This is who we are.   

Any last thoughts?

I think that the people who do have more fluency in Gaelic should use it more in public. With each other and with everyone. If someone hands you a book, then you can say “tapadh leibh”. I think if a fluent speaker used the language more in public that would encourage the beginners and learners to do the same. 

Pat (front left) and the brave souls who made it to the Culloden Cairn on a very windy April 16.