Irish language
Stories about the Irish language
From dereliction to Airbnb, the Gaeltacht is being destroyed by the housing crisis
Young families make communities – and if they have no place to live, the community dies
Adventures as Gaeilge: The bestselling Irish-language author who captivated young readers
English-born Cathal Ó Sándair wrote 160 books in Irish, many featuring the suave sleuth Réics Carló
The push towards childhood language learning: ‘For primary-aged pupils, it opens minds’
Combination of skilled teachers and a Department of Education programme at the forefront of a new approach to languages in Irish schools
Awarding bonus points in exams for maths just doesn’t add up
Many third-level courses have no requirement for proficiency in maths or Irish
‘Denaming’ of Herzog Park was not possible as placenames rules had not been issued
Clash between local Government and Irish language legislation has resulted in name change impasse
Aperitíf on TG4: This First Dates as Gaeilge show is cheap, cheerful and quietly disarming
Television: Must-see viewing this isn’t, but as a no-frills Irish language nightcap, it just about hits the spot
Galway City Council’s efforts to rebrand backfire
Council has spent €28,000 refreshing image with a new logo but some want the old ‘G’ back
There’s been a large generational shift in attitude to the Irish language
A new positivity and pride make it possible for even the calcified cranks like me to revisit their relationship with our native tongue
Under new citizenship proposals, my 4.5 years in Ireland are being erased
I have completed a master’s degree, built a career and paid Irish taxes throughout
Heather Humphreys, sectarianism and the Irish language
Deeply disheartening to see that some of the old attitudes prevail
‘It makes them more resilient’: Life in Ireland’s only Irish-language primary boarding school
It’s a screen-free year for them – no television, no iPads, no internet – and no access to mobile phones
Evanne Ní Chuilinn: ‘Dad is at my brother’s grave most days and keeps the candle on it lit’
I’m grateful social media didn’t exist in my early career – I don’t know if I would have had the fortitude to deal with the criticism
June O’Connell obituary: Inspirational lawyer and businesswoman who set up Kerry distillery
Cahersiveen native with ‘magnetic personality’ worked for legal firms in Dublin and South Africa before founding business in her hometown
‘If you want to get a job immediately in Brussels, speak Irish and do a law degree’
Wild Geese: Jim Maher, based in Brussels, is one of two deputy spokespersons for the European Parliament
Shapechangers: Essays from Irish women quietly challenging how literary history is written
The anthology is a radical account of how Irish literature, and Ireland itself, was changed
Dart announcements are not intrusive. They are necessary and beneficial
Regular real‑time audio updates are essential for passengers with additional needs
The musician who is refusing to let a landmark derelict building ‘die’ on Inis Meáin
Award-winning harper Úna Ní Fhlannagáin did not know she would buy an abandoned hotel when she moved to the island in 2020
Translation technology is altering the status quo of language education
We must be pragmatic and move with the times
We travelled to Antarctica with one main goal: to bring the Irish language there
Is our gathering on an icy ridge the world’s most southerly ciorcal comhrá?
Why do people in Ireland speak so few languages?
Worldview: Language competence is now just as much part of Ireland’s competitive infrastructure deficit as poor planning
A Gaeilgeoir in Paris: ‘I have spoken more Irish this year than I have since my Leaving Cert’
Living in the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris, Rachael Ní Leannáin has ‘never felt more connected to Ireland’
What’s the scéal with Gaelmaxxing?
A guide gearr to the Irish language and cultural trend: what it is and how to do it (to the maxx, ar ndóigh)
Irish language commissioner highlights ‘concerning pattern’ of missed deadlines
Government failures to implement language rights protections highlighted in An Coimisinéir Teanga’s annual report
Kneecap to headline charity gig in Belfast as part of Féile an Phobail
Uppa Falls gig to take place on August 6th with profits going to two Irish language projects
An Erasmus for Irish?
Spending six months in a Gaeltacht would greatly improve students’ Irish language skills
DCU students named finalists of global UN policy competition with Irish-language project
The team were selected from over 1,500 applicants across 55 countries and will represent Ireland in Beijing next month
Learning Irish: We could all take a leaf out or Ruby’s leabhar
We expect that we should automatically be better speaking it without practice
Awarding extra CAO points for Irish is not the answer
Other subjects would suffer while mediocrity in Irish was promoted
I’m learning Irish. I need to get comfortable with not being any good for a long time
I can see echoes of Catalan education in my new Irish lessons conducted over a few pints
Irish and exemptions
If Irish attracted bonus CAO points as higher-level maths does, it might incentivise students to take the subject more seriously
Irish language teaching should focus on speaking first
Letter writers argue that conversation and immersion are the key to learning Irish
Irish should be taught as a language not a subject
How is it that students at Leaving Certificate level cannot string together a simple conversation as Gaeilge?
Amano De Londra Miura: Being Japanese-Irish is possibly the least interesting thing about me
Amano De Londra Miura, who has roots in Kerry and Japan, blends sean-nós with contemporary music and spoken word
A new approach to Irish-language exemptions
Why not acknowledge that many exemptions are being granted to students newly arrived in Ireland, and provide an alternative qualification?
Meet the Irish college class of summer 2026: ‘Students don’t really miss the phone’
Students in the Gaeltacht discuss pros and cons of attending Irish college
A simple answer to students’ Irish problem
Irish exam is far more demanding and arduous on the student
Leaving Cert Irish paper two contained more challenging unseen elements than in previous years
Prose and poetry questions were approachable but some of the reading comprehensions may have been challenging
Leaving Cert Irish paper one: Students glad to see predicted topics
Ordinary-level Leaving Cert Irish paper considered fair, manageable and accessible for students
Cycling club helps Spaniard saddle up for Irish citizenship – and pick up his cúpla focal
David Meana says Castleknock group shows the power of a strong community and close social bonds
Majority of people support Irish language, all-island survey finds
Irish Language Attitudes research is the longest running of its kind on attitudes towards the language
Moving to French-speaking Montreal brought me back to the Irish language
I no longer experience the shame of not being able to back up my claim to Irishness with a cúpla focal
Parents who want Irish-language education for their children ‘are being failed by State’
Alan Esslemont, the author and former TG4 ard-stiúrthóir (director general), on agreeability, childhood memory and death being ‘an awfully big adventure’
Compulsory Irish in a united Ireland? Unionists won’t like that
Calls to strengthen the language to correct the wrongs of colonialism may seem like a parody to them
Was Peig Sayers a true fatalist?
A reader argues that the Blasket storyteller’s life shows resilience rather than helplessness
The 1926 census returns in Irish: A rare window into language and identity
A look back at the 1926 census reveals a nation caught between two scripts
Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap speaks of mother’s death by suicide: ‘We have to alleviate that extra burden of shame’
Activist Aoife Ní Riain died in 2020 and son Naoise Ó Cairealláin has dedicated new song to her
Kneecap ar pholaitíocht, brú agus sícideileacha: “Ar ndóigh, teastaíonn teiripe uainn ... ar feadh na mblianta fada”
Agallamh le Kneecap: Anuraidh, bhí an ceol, an chonspóid agus an chraic fite fuaite i saol an ghrúpa agus i mbliana tá albam nua uathu ar na bacáin
Religion and Irish in schools
No Irish language organisation teaches that non-Irish speakers will go to hell
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices