How to say the Names of 5 Mammals Native to Ireland

Lets learn the names in Irish of five different species of mammal native to Ireland!

1. Fox

There are two terms for fox in Irish. Lets start with my favourite:
sionnach /shun-okh/.
The other term for fox is madra rua /mod-ra roo-ah/.
This translates literally as ‘red dog’.
In Connaught the word madra is pronounced /mod-ah/, with emphasis on the first syllable. If you venture northward to Ulster you will hear it pronounced /mod-oo/.

2. Badger

The Irish for badger is broc /bruk/.
In Ulster this is pronounced /brok/.
From the word broc is derived the adjective brocach /bruk-ukh/ .
This adjective brocach means grey/speckled in terms of colour, or smutty in terms of talk!

The word brocach may also be a noun, in which case it means the badger’s (or fox’s, indeed) set or burrow.

3. Rabbit

The Irish for rabbit is coinín /kwin-een/.

4. Hedgehog

The Irish term for hedgehog is gráinneog /graw-nyowg/.

This actually translates as ‘ugly little thing’, though I’ve always found them pretty cute!

5. Pine Marten

A lesser-known mammal, but one whose numbers in Ireland have bounced back in recent times, thankfully.
The Irish for pine marten is cat crainn /koth kreen/.
This means ‘tree cat’ though the pine marten, of course, is not feline.

In the epic from Irish mythology Táin Bó Cúailnge the character Queen Medb has a pet pine marten that she carries around her shoulders. It is slain by the warrior Cúchulainn with a slingshot. Remember friends, never wear your pet as an accessory when going into battle!