A CONTEMPORARY IRISH LEXICON

Words and phrases to help you through RIOT and Swan Lake/ Loch na hEala

Children of Lir — An Irish myth in which King Lír’s jealous second wife Aoife turned his four children into swans for 900 years

Craic — News, fun, gossip. When the poet in RIOT asks “What’s the bleedin’ craic?” they mean “What’s up?”

Culchie — pejorative term for a person from a rural background Gaff — slang for home or apartment

The Luas — Dublin’s light rail transit system, seemingly forever under construction

Mná — Irish for women. “Fir” means men. Also useful for pub washrooms

Pantigate — The drag queen Panti Bliss, who stars in RIOT, became a national talking point when she called out several leading Irish journalists and broadcasters for homophobia. During the ensuing brouhaha, she gave a speech on the stage of the Abbey Theatre that went viral, further fuelling a national conversation about sexual diversity and acceptance

Repeal the 8th — The 8th Amendment to the Irish Constitution equates the life of a woman to that of an unborn fetus and is considered one of the most draconian abortion restrictions in the developed world. Repeal the 8th was the successful campaign to have it struck down

Seanchaí — a traditional Irish storyteller. The actor Mikel Murfi takes on the role of Seanchaí in Swan Lake/Loch na hEala

Yer man and yer one — Contemporary slang for “that guy” and “that girl.” The central character of the “Heartbeat” poem in RIOT is called Youngone, meaning young woman