A Stubborn Donkey: M’asal Beag Dubh

Try out the Listen Up Irish method yourself with this very short extract from the classic short story M'asal Beag Dubh.

M'asal Beag Dubh | My Little Black Donkey

This hilarious short story was written by Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928), one of the most important writers of modern Irish.

Pádraic was born in Galway and is best known for his short stories, which often combine realism with humour and sharp observation of people. M'asal Beag Dubh is perhaps the best known of all his short stories as it's been part of the Irish school curriculum for donkey's years (pardon the pun, I simply couldn't resist!). It's also a hilarious story, told with simplicity and charm.

How the Listen Up Method works

🎧 First, Listen to the Story
Listen to the short audio clip of M’asal Beag Dubh above, without reading the text on the screen. Just see what you catch — names, phrases, emotions, the general rhythm. If you don’t know the words, pay attention instead to the sounds, the intonation, and the rhythm of the language.

📖 Second, Read the Bilingual Text
Now read through the bilingual text below (Irish with English alongside). Don’t rush — take time to notice how the Irish matches the English. This will help you connect meaning with sound, and you may be surprised at how many words you already recognise.

I gCinn Mhara a bhí mé nuair a chuir mé aithne ar m'asal beag dubh i dtosach. Lá aonaigh a bhí ann agus bhí sé ina sheasamh ansin cois claí, agus a thóin le gaoth, gan aird aige ar an saol ná ag an saol air.

It is in Kinvara I was when I first got to know my little black donkey. It was a fair day and he was standing there by the fence, with his backside to the wind, paying no attention to the world, nor the world paying any attention to him.

(In the course itself all texts are parallel texts; with the English and Irish versions side by side for easy comparison).

👀 Third, Listen Again While Reading the Irish
Play the audio once more, but this time keep your eyes only on the Irish text on the screen. Let the sound guide you while the written words reinforce what you hear. This step is powerful for linking spoken Irish with written Irish in your brain. (You can slow down the audio recording by clicking on the cog wheel on the control bar at the bottom of the video).

🎬 Fourth, Explore the Extra Resources
The clip is only a very extract from the course, but within the course itself you’ll find extra resources in the form of short videos: stór focal (vocabulary) and achoimre (summary). These help reinforce the material, giving you extra support with tricky words and a clear outline of the story.

✨ And Remember...
This is just a short excerpt from M’asal Beag Dubh. Imagine the sense of achievement you’ll feel when you work through the whole story, step by step, from start to finish — building your listening, reading, and vocabulary skills as you go.

Along with M'asal Beag Dubh The Learn Irish Through Literature course also includes extracts from the hilarious novel An Béal Bocht and the contemporary page turner Madame Lazare.

Read more about Learn Irish Through Literature here.

You can read more about Pádraic Ó Conaire and listen to another short extract from M'asal Beag Dubh on these blogposts on the All About Irish site:

Pádraic Ó Conaire | his life and works

A donkey with notions!