Fianna Fail.. Soilders of destiny?

NorthenQueen

Hi there,

I am trying to settle a discussion with a friend. He says that Fianna Fail actually doesn't mean soilders of destiny, but, instead, soilders of Ireland as, he claims, Fail (Fal) was an old irish word for Ireland.
Any ideas?

Thanks

PHB

A more accurate translation is Soldiers of Ireland

An.fear.bocht

Dictionary says:

Fáil1 see faigh

Faigh vt (verb transitive) get; receive etc...

-Fáil2 = nf3 of fál

fál nm1 hedge; fence etc..

As we can see from the Gaeilge>Béarla dictionary.. the direct translation to english might not make much sense.

As far as i know Soldiers of destiny and Soldiers of Ireland are both accepted translations.

ScottishDanny

Fáil means destiny, Scottish Kings and Queens were crowned sitting on the Lia Fáil or stone of destiny - same as at Tara for the Irish.

Mrs. MacGyver

If you look at the Irish anthem

'sine fianna fail' and its english translation' soilders are we, who pledged our lives for Ireland' It would translate roughly across as soilders of ireland. I'll have to agree with PHB on this one.

Capt'n Midnight

Was the anthem written in English and then translated ?
If so then what did the original say.

nollaig

Was the anthem written in English and then translated ?
If so then what did the original say.

Here

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> http://home.earthlink.net/~laurieyoung/anthem.html

AdrianR

Fáil means destiny, Scottish Kings and Queens were crowned sitting on the Lia Fáil or stone of destiny - same as at Tara for the Irish.

Same stone, It was borrowed from Ireland for a cornation and never given back.

ScottishDanny

I was at Tara on June 21st and saw the Lia Fáil. Is it a replacement then?

giggidtygig2

NorthenQueen wrote:

Hi there,

I am trying to settle a discussion with a friend. He says that Fianna Fail actually doesn't mean soilders of destiny, but, instead, soilders of Ireland as, he claims, Fail (Fal) was an old irish word for Ireland.
Any ideas?

Thanks

If you take out the D in that typo there, you actually have "soilers of ireland", which by some yardsticks is not too far from the truth...

Crip

Fál is an ancient name for Ireland.

Lia Fáil means the 'stone of Ireland', though it became commonly known in English as the 'Stone of Destiny'; thus the misconception entered the English language that 'Fianna Fáil' means 'Soldiers of Destiny' rather than its true translation, 'Soldiers of Ireland'.

Jackie laughlin

The soldier/army/rank/uniform fantasy that lies at the heart of Irish pseudo-republicanism has lead to the deaths of so many Irish people. In short "Fianna" is the problem, not "Fail".

Gael

Yes it does mean "Soldiers of Ireland" not "destiny". "Cinniúint" is the Irish word for "destiny".The "Soldiers/Stone of Destiny" title is an inaccurate and fanciful translation(the basis of which I have never understood, to be honest). And to anyone who doesn't accept it, I'd like you to show me more conclusive proof than the Fianna Fáil party claiming it to be so. I take their authority on the Irish language about as seriously as I take their paltry efforts to revive the said same language.

In Irish literature, the analogy of "Inis Fáil" was frequently used to describe Ireland.

I am looking at Foclóir Uí Dhónaill right now, which is the most comprehensive and authorative Irish dictionary there is in the current day and it lists the meaning of Fál('Fáil' being the genetive form) being:

Foclóir Uí Dh&#243 wrote: »

Fál, m. (gs. Fáil), In names of Ireland(in names of Ireland) Inis, Críocha, Fáil, (the island, territories of) Ireland. Fir Fáil, the men of Ireland. Ná ceil ar fheara Fáil é, don't make a secret of it.

If you consult the words Fianna Fáil in the same dictionary, it simply describes it as:

Foclóir Uí Dh&#243 wrote: »

Fianna Fáil, Fianna Fáil political party