A comment on today's IrelandXO email article on Irish pronunciation!

Today's IrelandXO email has a short piece on some of the difficulties visitors (even from other parts of Ireland sometimes!) have with pronouncing Irish place names.  Reading that, I had to chuckle at one of the most embarrasing moments I had on my ancestor finding trip to County Clare.  Prior to my trip, I had been in touch with a very helpful IrelandXO person who had facilitated a number of big finds on the subject of my Breen ancestor, Mathias, who emigrated from Co. Clare in 1851, and on his family who stayed and their descendants.  While I was in Ireland visiting some of the sites where my ancestors lived, I was in communication with this IrelandXO Rep. by email.  One day, she emailed me and said that, if I was interested, she could arrange a brief radio interview on Co. Clare daytime radio.  She said that might just stimulate someone to come forward with some more knowledge of the Breens of Kilofin and Kilmihil parishes.  So I of course readily agreed!  A day later she emailed me again and said that I should go to Clare Radio, in Ennis, at a certain day and time, and ask for a young lady named Niamh, who would take care of everything and arrange to get me briefly interviewed on the air.  So on the appointed day, I presented myself in front of the receptionist at Clare Radio and asked politely for "NIME"!!  The lady at first gave me a very blank look!  Then, after a silent pause by both of us, she smiled and said, "Oh my!  I think you want to speak to "NEEVE"!!  Even though I was 70 years old, I blushed to the roots of my white hair and apologized profusely for being such a dolt!!