As the Potato Famine sent a million or so Irish to America, the flood of 2008 sent the local Irish Gaelic class from Cedar Rapids to Marion. That might be a wee bit of exaggeration, but it's basically true.

"We first met at the [Knights of Columbus] Hall, but they started closing on Monday nights," said class teacher Wayne Shannon of Vinton.

"Then we started meeting at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, but then it got flooded," said Coe Molumby of Cedar Rapids. "We migrated to the Marion Library, but it's very busy and you can't always make a reservation. So Bill's [Drinking Establishment] on the Square is our backup."

Plus, another advantage of Bill's is that it serves Guinness, something the library doesn't.

The class first got together in May of 2006, and for the last two-and-a-half years they've met each Monday night from Labor Day to Memorial Day, and then twice a month during the summer.

"Not everybody makes every session," said Kimberly Moore of Cedar Rapids who is a Johnson Avenue HyVee customer service representative, "but it helps if you show up as often as you can to keep brushing up on the language. I learned in a history class that Irish Gaelic almost died out during the Potato Famine."

"But now," Molumby said, "it's a requirement in today's Ireland."

"I started speaking it in a cab in Ireland," Moore said, "and the cabbie said I spoke it better than he did because he said he hadn't spoken it since he was a kid."

Terri Thayer of Marion has Irish roots and has long been interested in genealogy. She is a nurse with the Iowa Health System in computer software support in downtown Cedar Rapids.

"A friend's daughter was studying in Dublin," she said. "We put our own trip together and we three gals went. I heard about this class and thought I'll be ready the next time I go and see if I understand what they're saying. It's cool to read the signs. I took photos of restroom signs in Dingle for show and tell.

"If I won the lottery I'd buy a little thatch cottage in the old country," she continued. "We loved it. And the Irish breakfasts are all what they tell you. The countryside was breathtaking and I can see why so many Irish settled in Iowa in places like Decorah. We saw sheep crossing the road. I just love everything about it."

Wayne Shannon is their leader. By day he's a housing inspector for HUD, traveling the state. His wife, Danise, is a fifth grade teacher at Shellsburg and they both love Ireland and the language and the camaraderie with other interested folks.

"When I was a kid, I asked my grandmother where the family came from," Shannon said. "My dad said 'You're an Irishman' and I've been interested ever since. I did not realize there was an Irish language until I went to Ireland in 1984, and that really got me started."

Although several members of the class are SaPaDaPaSo (Saint Patrick's Day Parade Society) members, they think Irish all year round.

"We think the parade is a great gift to Cedar Rapids," said Thayer. "We enjoy our heritage," Shannon said.

"It brings us closer to those who came before," Moore said. "It's our roots."

The group uses a book, "Progress in Irish," as its text. The members go over sentences and have conversations in Irish. They'll read stories, often fairy tale books. Study tenses. Use flash cards.

"The class is self-paced. You learn from everybody," Thayer said. "Wayne has done a great job with lessons and he's directed us to websites."

"I try to associate words in everyday context," said Malumby. She's a City of Cedar  Rapids employee in the code enforcement division. "People always ask, how are you? I answer, 'Go Hiontach,' which means wonderful. I post a thought of the week in Irish, and people stop and ask 'What's that?'"

Above all, they have fun with the language and they welcome anyone else who is interested.

This Saturday afternoon, March 13, at 1 p.m., they'll get together at the Marion Public Library to watch a film, "The Secret of Roan Inish (Seal Island)." It takes place on the Donegal  coast. 

And of course, they'll be either in, helping or watching the SaPaDaPaSo parade on St. Patrick's Day.

For more information you can visit their website:     http://sites.google.com/site/gaeltachtiowa/Home