An Cluiche: The Match

Their team wins by seven points. The referee is still the problem.

1. Tá siad ag imirt go maith. (They’re playing well.)
Tá. (They are.)

2. Cúilín! (A point!)
Ní raibh sé sin ceart. (That wasn’t right.)

3. Cad é? (What?)
An réiteoir. Tá sé dall. (The referee. He’s blind.)

4. Ach bhí an réiteoir go dona. (But the referee was desperate.)
Bhí, cinnte. (He was, certainly.)

Phrases worth stealing

• Cúilín: a point A goal is cúl; a point is cúilín, literally “a little goal”.
• An réiteoir: the referee From réitigh, to settle or sort out. Rarely felt to be living up to the name.
• Seacht gcúilín: seven points Numbers eclipse what follows: cúilín becomes gcúilín after seacht.
• Tá sé dall.: He is blind. Heard at every pitch in Ireland, most Sundays.