by Aoife, age 8, asks Daidi na Nollag are you the same person as the UK’s Father Christmas?, about the River Liffey, and Ireland’s two official languages
Dear Daidi na Nollag,
My name is Aoife and I am 8 years old. I live in Dublin, Ireland, where my uncle plays the fiddle every Christmas Eve until my grandad falls asleep in his chair, right on schedule.
First, are you the same person as the UK’s Father Christmas?
Second, a geography question: what river runs through Dublin?
Third, a school question about my country: why does Ireland have both English and Irish as official languages?
I left you mince pies and, yes, a small glass of stout, because my uncle insisted.
Love, Aoife, age 8, Dublin, Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
From the Desk of Daidi na Nollag
Dear Aoife, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Are you the same person as the UK’s Father Christmas?
We are close cousins, sharing a great deal of the same story, though I keep my own name and my own place in Irish tradition, distinct from my neighbor across the water.
What river runs through Dublin?
The River Liffey flows right through the center of Dublin, dividing the city into its northside and southside, with the bridges lit up beautifully as I fly in on Christmas Eve.
Why does Ireland have both English and Irish as official languages?
Irish, also called Gaelic, is the country’s oldest language, spoken there for thousands of years, long before English arrived. Over the centuries English became more widely used, but Ireland has worked hard to protect and revive the Irish language, teaching it in schools and giving it official status alongside English, so that this old and important part of Irish culture is never lost.
Nollaig shona duit, Aoife.
Ho ho ho, Daidi na Nollag
