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HE MAY HAVE only weeks left in the role of Ireland’s most senior politician – but Enda Kenny was keen to let viewers in the US know exactly what he does for a living, as he encountered a local TV reporter on duty in Philadelphia.
The Fine Gael leader began his week of US St Patrick’s engagements in the City of Brotherly Love yesterday.
Asked how to pronounce his title by the American reporter, the former primary school teacher replied with a well-rehearsed sounding lesson:
You say it very well – it’s Taoiseach… It’s an old Gaelic word for leader or chieftain.
So if you want to pronounce it in phonetics it will be t-h double-e – so ‘thee’ ‘shoc’. So – ‘theeshoc’.
“Say it again now for the television,” the Taoiseach exhorted, staring down the camera lens.
10 out of 10!
Maryann Vaughn / TwitterThe Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny at the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade. #Taoiseach #Fox29Irish pic.twitter.com/3Q4YgBNpLQ
— Maryann Vaughn (@MaryannVaughn) March 13, 2017
Around 20,000 people from over 200 groups took part in the Philadelphia St Patrick’s parade yesterday.
According to Fox 29, the Irish in the city have been marking the celebration since 1771.
Jeff Cole / TwitterSaint Patrick's Day Parade in Philly. Good day for our city. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/2LrMu0t4sE
— Jeff Cole (@JeffColeFox29) March 12, 2017
TheJournal.ie’s political reporter Christina Finn will be bringing you all the latest updates from Enda Kenny’s visit to Washington this week, including his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.
Stay up-to-date by following @ChristinaFinn8, @TJ_Politics and TheJournal.ie’s Facebook page.
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Not a care in the world.
@Gulliver Foyle:
The Blarney goes down well in Amerikay.
I’d say he’s having great craic over there…..
@windbag: Future pension €135,000.00 per year I’m sure he’s happy out….
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Enda’s taking America by storm.
@Emmet O’Keeffe: proven bare faced liar would have been a more appropriate name to call him
You’re in a good mood today Emmett. Something wrong?
@Emmet O’Keeffe:
More like a light drizzle
@Keelan O’neill:
The joys of spring?
@Ó Connmhaigh:
It’s a blizzard now.
Next question, what’s the Gaelic for lack of leadership?
Easpa ceannasaíochta
Enda teaching someone something? Sure that’s why they elected him in Castlebar to keeping him away from teaching.
Wait until he tells them, “he met a man” stories. Stuff of legend.
@Willie the kid: A man with 2 hands even. Full of pints of course.
Why has he ‘only got weeks in the left in the role’, Let him stick it out, before we let another one get on the pension gravy train FFS.
Well at least he’s good with people and flowerpots.
The Diarmuid Gavin of the political world.
Politicians from irl celebrating Paddy’s day around the world for the week maybe we should have week off also with full pay lol
Because of course anybody who travels for work is having a whale of a time and it never gets old.
That’s why he became a politician,,, he was feck all use as a teacher
The word Taoiseach is pronounced Tee-shock, the tongue behind the teeth not between the teeth as in th, idiot couldn’t even get the pronunciation of his title correctly……..
@Kate Flaherty: Sure he can’t even do the job, we can’t expect him to know how to pronounce the title properly!
@Adrieanne, true, he’s one pompous git!…..
@Kate Flaherty: Enda at last have found his legacy at last, a rubbish Taoiseach but you can teach Americans have to pronounced his job inaccurately. He is not our Thee Shock, he barely came close to winning over Find Gael members.
@Kate Flaherty: That Irish T with the broad vowel does not occur in English. The Th, as pronounced by Irish people and Americans comes closest. The way the English (BBC types) use either their T or their Th wouldn’t do at all, at all.
I’m from Castlebar, and everybody says it as “th” so next time don’t think everybody says everything the same in Irish
@Negan: so u are to blame for all this :-)
Kate – it depends on which dialect you are using. The pronunciation you describe is more common to Leinster Irish. The “tongue between the teeth” pronunciation of Taoiseach is more common in the west of Ireland.
i.e. “TH” as in “oath” and “shuck” rather than “shock”.
In his case it’s pronounced ‘thick $h1t’
Only weeks to go as an Taoiseach says who?!… Sure he did say he’d deal with the issue after St Patrick’s day but he didn’t say which St Patrick’s day! ☘️
You’re saying he only has weeks left but I highly doubt it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was visiting Trump again next year
I want him to stay so we don’t end up paying a second Taoiseach pension to another p&€#%k at the end of this government
Let’s hope Trump gets the pronunciation right….On Thursday…
@JoeyJoeJoeJrShabadoo: Your a dick
How do, Shane?
Cringe
Will Americans understand the “man with two pints in his hand” alternative truth?
If the reporter has said “Thick ” many would have agreed with him ,Dead man walking in Irish politics ,heading for European pay off next, for his betraying the Irish people
He should have stuck to the teaching. He would have made a far greater contribution to society.
It’s I’m a robbing f@@ker that single handed killed a country is what he should be teaching ppl to say
*saved a country. FYP
@A.M: the only thing he saved was himself and his elf :-) oflynn ring a bell same shit different time
Why would he do that ? He is not our taoiseach .So he tell anyone about what they did with McCabe ?
liar and thief, not a care for the normal people of Ireland.
He should be put against a wall and shot for treason
Is it not pronounced as “gob-shite”?
He actually looks terrible. Same pot belly syndrome that Midget D Higgins is getting from the rich lazy lifestyle.
How rude is that Kenny trying to be funny .Irish tax payers money again
The plastic paddies love it.
The conversation probably went something like this “it rhymes with sinkhole……”
Going going gone
We hate him as much as you’s might hate trump. may be more
Leader of ireland me ARSE, not for long there, you can have you Guinness your pipe and shut up and sit on ya little stool
More goobledegook talk
Toadie is far easier to pronounce
Surely Enda could have bought a new coat for the occasion. He looks poured into that one.
may be he needs a few bob.
It’s a birthday early they’re celebrating the day.
Hello, my name is Elizabeth, i was going through an article and found out about a man called Dr Bomoh. i have been suffering from breakup issues with different guys. i had to contact the spell caster. Steve was on the verge of leaving me for another woman. but i stayed positive and believe i could have him back and make him stay. lo and behold Dr Bomoh helped me. Steve and i are getting married soon. Dr Bomoh is such a nice man, he also helped me stop my cardiac arrest problem. Thanks to him and thanks to God for the gift given to him. If you have any problem whatsoever, contact him on this email: godbomohspirit@gmail.com
Contact him for the following and see the great work of Dr Bomoh:
(1)If you want your ex back.
{2}If you want to be very successful
(3)If you are searching for a job
(4)You want to be promoted in your office.
(5)You want women/men to run after you.
(6)If you want a child.
(7)You want to be rich.
(8)you want to get Marriage Spells
(9)Remove Sickness from your body Spells
(10)Business spell
(11)Lottery winning numbers
(12)Bring Back Lost Love
and many more….
have your say