Sir, - Instead of categorising the Irish word gala as a translation, it should be recognised as an assimilated loan-word, i.e. a foreign word whose phonemes have been replaced by native ones, in this instance English gale to Irish gala. Indeed the English language is replete - a borrowing from Latin - with examples - a borrowing from Old French! (Gala (gaoithe) is by now a natural item within the Irish lexicon, hence, Ta se ina ghala `a gale is blowing'. The Blasket islander Tomas O Criomhthain, a writer of polished and beautiful prose, uses the word in his autobiography An tOileanach; "Lean an gala de sheideadh thar foir i rith na hoiche ..".
A further example of an assimilated loan-word in Irish is dug (a): its plural form would be dugai or duganna, meaning "docks". The meaningless group of letters docanna, which has been noted by one of your letter-writers, reflects in all probability the crass ignorance of those responsible for signage such as this. - Yours, etc.,
Ceide Windsor, Baile na Manach, Co. Bhaile Atha Cliath.