Friday, May 29

Introducing Caoilfhionn

I've been invited to my first proper school roleplay day; lucky me! Sure I've done many school scenes, either one-to-one with a Headmaster or Housemaster or a class with one other girl, but I've never done a full day of school with separate lessons, multiple teachers and several girls. So I'm tremendously excited about my first day at Lowewood Academy (if you're interested in school stories and fantastic writing check out the blog here).

In advance of my introduction to Lowewood, I had to create my schoolgirl persona and I gave much thought to her development. I didn't want to be a particularly naughty girl, but rather a well-meaning one, who's exuberance naturally led her into trouble. And as an Irish girl myself, I wanted her to be distinctly Irish.

So let me introduce Caoilfhionn Ni BrĂ¡daigh. Her character description is below. Do let me know what you think of her and how you think I can best play her :) And I'll be sure to report back how she gets on at Lowewood!

From a large Irish family in the west of Ireland, Caoilfhionn is the youngest of six children and the only girl. Used to fighting her corner from a young age she’s fiercely competitive and very argumentative.

No stranger to corporal punishment she currently attends St. Mary’s Convent School for girls, infamous throughout Ireland for its strict discipline routine. However, now that all her older siblings are working or at college, her parents are looking for a quiet life in their retirement years and have decided to ship her off to boarding school. Lowewood Academy was chosen both for its strict discipline ethos and the fact pupils cannot go home at weekends.

Although a clever girl academically, she has no artistic or musical talent whatsoever and is very frustrated by her shortcomings in this area. She has bundles of energy and enthusiasm and can be exhausting to be around. She is easily bored and although always well meaning, she lacks discipline and self control and often ends up in very unfortunate situations.

To ensure that her Catholic education does not suffer, her parents have arranged for Fr. Murphy to visit her weekly at Lowewood and for her to attend his weekly services in the local village.

She's a keen sports woman and has been heavily involved in all sports from a young age; the more aggressive the better, with Gaelic Football and Rugby being her particular favourites. An easily adaptable girl she has no qualms about being sent to Lowewood and sees it all as a big adventure.

17 comments:

ruaidh said...

Obviously cant comment too much given that i dont know you that well but... judging from your blog, you're certainly playing to type, I suspect theres a lot in caoilfhionn in you (that being the point I'd imagine). Either way, sitting down afterwards might be gentle reminder of the ahem "education" recieved.

Caroline Grey said...

Oh, I love this. But you already knew that.

I have a feeling that Natalie and Caoilfhionn are going to be very best friends.

Ahem.

I'll have to post Natalie tomorrow.

Graham said...

!!! So exciting! If Cassady ever figures out how to pronounce "Caoilfhionn," I'm sure they'll be friends too : )

About Spanking said...

Found your blog thanks to Bonnie at MBS. Looks lovely. We've done school role-plays, but the biggest was only 6 total people... and 3 of them were spankers (lol, it was a *very* strict school!). Would love to do something like you're doing. Think you've done a great job too. A schoolgirl that means well... yet manages to find trouble from time to time while trying to do good. Perfect!

:)
~Todd and Suzy
americanspankingsociety.com

Kami Robertson said...

Hmpf! Does the fact I have no idea how to pronounce name, not to mention the surname counts as feedback? :P

Brambleberry Blush said...

Can't imagine where a name like that came from, but she's obviously heading for lots of trouble at school. I'll enjoy reading about her exploits.

cheers!
Carly

Master Retep said...

To Queeleen Nee Vrawdey (note the seabhu on the B)

Is this a rebel's revenge using a name like that? Do you get off punishment if the teacher leaves off the fada on your note to the head?

Maith an cailin!

Eliane said...

Ooo... now I was told it was Kee-lin... But M.R. is saying Queeleen. What, my dear Emma Jane, is the answer?!
(And btw, you should so be spanked for coming up with that name!!)

EmmaJane said...

LOL, looks like the name will certainly generate the fuss I want; great!

@Ruaidh, yes she is probably an extension of me, certainly on the competitive side, but I'm a good girl obviously ;)

@Carly, I chose Caoilfhionn because it's an Irish name, so looks complicated and impossible to pronounce but is very easy really. I plan on refusing to answer those who can't say it properly ;)

@Eliane, you can actually pronounce it both ways, it's just a softer or hard sound, so we're both right. Kee-lin is most common though.

@Kami, that's the whole idea ;)

And Ni BrĂ¡daigh is also Irish and means 'spirited'. I'm looking forward to the Lowewood teachers struggling with it!!

@Caroline, well we're in the same house but such opposites I reckon they may struggle to get on at first, especially if you don't pull your weight on the netball court!

@Graham, so looking forward to meeting you!

@Todd and Suzy thanks for stopping by! If you're ever in Ireland look me up :)

Indy said...

I can just imagine the snobbish disdain of Rev J and Mr S as they lower themselves to pronouncing such a Celtic surname in some offensively incorrect English form.

I do hope they can manage it with a straight face. It doesn't do for the teachers to giggle too early in the day. One might suspect they'd been at the sherry over breakfast. Oh, right, that's just Dr Higgins, and I think it's something stronger than sherry in his case.

Master Retep said...

I would accept that Keelin is the anglicised version of Caoilfhionn, just as many other Irish names have an English equivalent. I am no Gaeilgor, but I don't think Caoilfhionn would be pronounced with a hard C unless we are going to get stuck into that debate about Donegal Irish compared to Munster etc. Perhaps Caroline would like to offer a Connemara Gaeltacht viewpoint?.

Master Retep said...

Whilst having no desire to introduce watersports, try asking Abel or some similar headmaster role player "An Bhfuil Cead Agam Dul Amnach" and see what reaction you get

Master Retep said...

Yes, I know that n shouldn't be there, bad typing rather than my already bad Irish.

Caroline Grey said...

Connemara Gaeltacht viewpoint...ha! HAHAHAHAHAAA

If Des Bishop hadn't already done the "Foreigner seeks Irish fluency" bit I might have been motivated to try, but as it is I have the vocabulary of a delayed 2 year-old.

Also, I maintain that Irish sounds like Klingon.

Rebecca said...

Aww am sure you will be up to all sorts of trouble...sadly will not be joining you as shall be at a garden party and dinner that day :*(

EmmaJane said...

@Indy, ha if I do make them laugh I'll consider it more of a victory than just getting a spanking ;)

@MR, we could debate Irish pronounciation til the cows come home, but with 3 different dialects, I think we should agree to disagree. Although I actually learned Connemara Irish and spent many summers in the Gaeltacht there and we always used the soft'c' sound.

And no I won't be speaking any Irish to the teachers, nor Spanish, German or French; not really condusive to good role play if no-one can understand you ;)

@Rebecca, such a shame you won't be there :(

MecIrlandais said...

"Des Bishop hadn't already done the "Foreigner seeks Irish fluency" bit"

What's this Caro? Sounds funny, anywhere I can check this out?