This question was posed by Conchúr Ó Fearghail on Gaeilge-B on 22 Meán Fomhair, 2002

Ní thuigim 'ea', a Chairde,

Is minic go bhfaca mé na focail: "is ea", "ba ea", srl. agus ní thuigim an ghramadach a bhaineann leo. Cathain a úsáidtear 'ea'?

Mar shampla, an bhfuil: "Fear maith ba ea é" mar an gcéanna le: "Bhí fear maith é" ?
Fáilte roimh chabhair ar bith uaibh!

I often see the words: "is ea", "ba ea", etc. and I don't understand the grammar behind "ea.". When is 'ea' used?
For example, is: "Fear maith ba ea é" [Recte: Fear maith ab ea é] the same as: "Bhí fear maith é"? [Recte: bhí sé ina fhear maith]

All help welcomed!

Conchúr Ó Fearghail

Reply from "Eo Feasa"

A Chonchúir,

"ea" is a catch all neuter pronoun which may refer to more than "é" the masculine pronoun or "í" the feminine pronoun would.

I would write "Fear maith ab ea é" = He was a good man.

[On another point altogether: when to use "ba" in a relative clause like this and when to use "ab" is a subtle distinction ignored too often by writers of Irish who should really know better. You could say "Fear maith ba chúis leis" -- "It was a good man who was the cause of it" but "Fear maith ab ea é" -- "He was a good man." So use "ab" before "ea"; before words beginning with a vowel "Cad ab áil leat a dhéanamh" -- "what would you like to do?"; and before words beginning with "fh" and a vowel: "Cad ab fhearr leat?" -- What would you prefer?; use "ba" before consonants. ]

In general: "Is ea!" means "It is so" i.e. "all that you have said is "so" or true".

Regarding your sentence ""Bhí fear maith é" ?" --- if there were twenty million people together speaking nothing but Irish and knowing no other language this sentence would be perfectly understood. No doubt about its meaning. Unfortunately it falls under the famous perennial error known familiarly as "Tá sé fear".

This is wrong. To say "he is a man": say "fear is ea é" or -- if you must use the other verb "to be" say "tá sé ina fhear" -- which really means "he is a man" = "he has become a man in contrast to his former state of childhood" etc. So your suggested sentence should be "Bhí sé ina fhear maith." -- He was a good man.

I think I have said something about this on my original foray on to the internet at http://homepage.eircom.net/~eofeasa

I haven't added to that site in a long time but learners may find some help on the pages that are already there. It is a layperson's description of some aspects of Irish grammar written by a teacher, newly retired, reluctant to give up teaching, and rapidly becoming hooked on this extraordinary new medium.

Hope this is of help.

le dea-mhéin,

Breandán de Róiste