Sir, - May I be permitted to suggest a small correction to the title proposed by your esteemed columnist Kevin Myers for a certain De Lorean project (An Irishman's Diary, April 25th)?
You see, in correct Irish you cannot have two nouns preceded by the definite article. This is a common civil service error, which used to cause no end of upset to my late professor of Irish in Trinity - e.g., An Roinn Oideachais should of course be Roinn an Oideachais. A proper noun (Bertie) preceded by a common noun (Babhaill) becomes lenited. And of course babhla is much more common than babhaill.
So, to avoid another civil service abomination in our national tongue, I suggest the following alternatives: Babhla Bhertie or Babhla Bheartai. Then again, An Babhaill Bertie might just be appropriate. - Yours, etc.,
Tarlach De Blacan, Inis Meain, Arainn, Co na Gaillimhe.