Celtic Harp Inquiry (Clairseach)

[bi...@persci.uucp]

In article <1...@steinmetz.UUCP> conn...@steinmetz.UUCP (C.Ian Connolly) writes:
> ,
>Clairseach in Irish means "harp", and is pronounced something like
>"claw-ir-shack". That stroke over the "a" (called a fadha, I think) turns
>it into an "aw" sound. Speakers of German should note that the "ch" is the
>same sound. Not terribly relevant, but given the popularity of Irish folk
>music, I thought people might like to know...
>--
>C. Ian Connolly, WA2IFI - USENET: ...edison!steinmetz!connolly
> , , ARPANET: connolly@ge-crd
>An rud a bhionn, bionn.

I have always heard "Clairseach" (or whatever its myriad different spellings)
pronounced "klar-sock". Is the difference perhaps the difference between Irish
and Scottish Gaelic pronounciation? (I think this was the way Alison Kinnaird
pronounced it at her recent Seattle concert.) I have nearly always heard it in
reference to the Scottish Highland harp, but as in so many things to do with
Scottish ethnicity here in the USA, there is an awful lot of misinformation
and b**** floating around.

I had been hoping to take some courses in Scottish Gaelic here, but it seems
that the fellow who used to teach has met some fair young lass from the old
country, and no longer has time...

P.S. I think this belongs in net.nlang.celts, so I have re-directed follow-ups
there. I hope somebody can answer my question..
--
William Swan {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill