Not to Learn Irish is to miss the opportunity of understanding what life in this country has meant and could mean in a better future. It is to cut oneself off from ways of being at home.
Seamus Heaney
Learning Irish (Gaeilge) is more than just learning a new language; it's a way of connecting with Ireland's rich history, vibrant culture, and enduring identity. English dominates daily life, but Irish remains the nation's first official language. It carried centuries of tradition, literature, and song. From unique grammar patterns to regional dialects and standard greetings, here's our guide to getting started with Irish in a way that makes the process practical, rewarding, and meaningful. If you're a school student, look for Irish grinds junior cert to help with exam preparation.
Key Takeaways
- Irish is more than a language. It’s a gateway to Ireland’s culture, history, and national identity.
- Daily use is rare but growing. While nearly 40% claim some knowledge, only about 1.7% of the population speaks Irish daily.
- Expect unique grammar. Irish uses a verb–subject–object structure, has special counting systems, and exhibits considerable dialectal variation.
- Immersion matters. Gaeltacht regions and cultural resources (radio, music, festivals) give learners authentic practice opportunities.
- Practice is essential. Consistent speaking, listening, and guided lessons help overcome tricky pronunciation and grammar rules.
Why Learn Irish Today?
Irish is a language of many uses. You can use it to connect with the Irish culture and heritage. As a verb-subject-object language, it is quite unique, and mastering Irish sentence structures gives a sense of accomplishment. Irish originated as a language widely spoken around Ireland. However, as the plantations emerged, the language began to die out. This started in the 16th century, when people from England and Scotland were encouraged to immigrate to Ireland. Therefore, as more British people came to Ireland, English became more widespread.
Irish is classified by UNESCO as a “vulnerable language,” meaning it risks further decline unless new generations adopt and preserve it. Every learner contributes to keeping the language alive, whether that’s through everyday greetings, online communities, or formal classes. By choosing to study Irish, you’re part of a wider cultural revival that ensures it remains a living language, not just a subject in schools.
To add to this impact, because Ireland was under the rule of Britain, fewer people spoke Irish, and it began to die. Undoubtedly, learning the language will strengthen its position, and the more people learn Irish, the more others will be encouraged to do the same.
This is very helpful because the study of foreign languages is not as popular in Ireland as it is in other EU countries. Eurostat revealed that in the majority of EU member states, more than three-fifths (60%) of all upper secondary education pupils were learning two or more foreign languages in 2018, which contrasted with only 12.5% in Ireland.
of upper secondary education pupils in Ireland is learning two foreign languages.
This significant difference highlights the importance of promoting the learning of Irish and foreign languages in Ireland. Nonetheless, if you want to start learning Irish, this article will serve as your guide. Many beginners often wonder how to learn Irish effectively, and the key is to combine structured lessons with regular practice. Luckily, Irish is not expensive to learn, and you can check the varying costs to learn the language to help you decide where you will learn Irish.
If we regard self-understanding, mutual understanding, imaginative enhancement, cultural diversity and a tolerant political atmosphereas a desirable attainments, we should remember that a knowledge of the Irish language is an essential element in their realisation.
Seamus Heaney
How Popular is Irish Today?
According to the April 2016 census, 39.8% of the population reported being able to speak Irish. Surprisingly, among the 1,761,420 people in this category, 418,420 never spoke it, which is 23.8%. Clearly, they would have forgotten a lot of Irish.
558,608 indicated that they only spoke Irish within the education system, which means they most likely only speak it in school during the few hours of Irish class or when necessary, accounting for 31.7%. 33.3% (586,535 people) speak it less often than weekly, and 73,803 persons spoke Irish daily, which is only 4.2% of everyone who claimed to be able to speak Irish.
of the population is able to speak Irish.
Overall, only about 1.7% of the population in Ireland speaks Irish daily, despite 39.8% claiming they can speak the language. These statistics indicate that Irish is spoken to some extent across Ireland. However, it is barely spoken on a daily or even weekly basis. It is most popular in Galway, Cork, Mayo and Clare. Many Irish speakers also reside in various parts of Dublin.
The areas where Irish is spoken daily are known as the Gaeltacht regions, primarily located along Ireland’s west coast. In counties like Galway and Donegal, you’ll find schools, shops, and households where Irish is the primary language of communication. Visiting these areas not only boosts your learning but also immerses you in authentic Irish culture through music, festivals, and community life.
Key Facts to Know Before You Learn Irish
Before you begin learning Irish, there are certain things that you might want to know. Firstly, the word for Irish in Irish is Gaeilge. Secondly, that Irish is a verb-subject-object language, as previously mentioned, which means that instead of the subject-verb-object English approach, the Irish sentence structure would be different. For example, in English, I would say ‘I collected the money’ and in this case, I would be the subject that is being discussed, collected is the action verb, and the money is the object that the action is being done to.
On the other hand, in Irish, it would be ‘Bhailigh mé an t-airgead.’ Bhailigh is the verb, which means 'collected', mé is the subject, meaning 'I', and finally, an t-airgead is the object, meaning 'the money'. Funnily enough, that sentence in Irish would be translated directly into English as ‘Hit me the money.’
Irish and English Sentence Structure Compared
Irish
- Verb → Subject → Object
- “Bhailigh mé an t-airgead”
- Collected → I → the money
English
- Subject → Verb → Object
- “I collected the money”
- I → collected → the money
Irish is the official language of Ireland, although English is more widely spoken and popular. Irish is noted as the official language of Ireland in the Irish Constitution and other official documents. I should also highlight the fact that Irish is also spoken outside of Ireland, which should give you some motivation to learn it, as you know it will be more useful if you are travelling to places where Irish is also spoken, such as in some parts of Canada.
I remember being shocked by the fact that in Irish, you use one set of words for general counting, which are a haon, a dó, a trí, a ceathair, a cúig, a sé… meaning one, two, three, four, five, six, and so on. In addition to this, there is a separate set of words that are used when counting people in Irish, which are duine, beirt, triúr, ceathrar, cúigear, seisear, seachtar… which means one person, two people, three people, four people, five people, six people, seven people, and so on. Unfortunately, this means that we had to learn different sets of numbers and the rules associated with them in primary school.
Moreover, Irish has distinct dialects specific to the various provinces, including Ulster, Munster, and Connacht. Some dialects are even more specific to a county. When learning Irish on paper, you might not notice any differences between dialects. However, when hearing people of different dialects speaking Irish, you will hear a massive difference in the grammar and pronunciation of words, and even the vocabulary differs, with some dialects using different words to mean the same thing. As I was taught Irish through the Munster dialect, I still struggle to understand the Donegal dialect.
Also, if you see a fada on top of a word like cád, where you see the fada on top of the a, the fada gives it a longer sound, and even the word fada translates into the word long. Furthermore, there are rules for how words can change depending on the word that comes before it, whether it is feminine or masculine, whether you are quantifying the word, and many other conditions that determine the spelling of the word. For example, teach is the word for house, but if you were saying the woman of the house, it would change to tí so that it would be bean an tí. With the help of the right Irish teacher, you will be able to master these rules. You can read the article and search on Superprof for an Irish teacher.
Today, you don’t have to rely solely on classroom lessons to learn Irish. Apps like Duolingo and Clozemaster, as well as radio stations like Raidió na Gaeltachta, and online video lessons make learning flexible and accessible. Pairing digital tools with in-person guidance from a tutor can help you stay motivated and give structure to your progress.
Greetings and Basic Phrases When Learning Irish
A typical Irish conversation would begin with ‘Dia duit’, meaning hello, which is responded to with ‘Dia is Muire duit.’ It literally means 'God and Mary be with you,' but it also responds to 'hello' in Irish. The following statement you would likely hear after is ‘conas atá tú?’ which means how are you? This is responded with ‘tá mé ___.’ You can insert an Irish word in the blank space to describe how you are, like go maith (good/fine), go hiontach (great), or go brón (sad). These are basically the general greetings in Irish, which is how conversations usually start.
More common phrases in Irish are go raibh maith agat, which means thank you; tá fáilte romhat, which means you are welcome; tá brón orm, which means I am sorry; slán, meaning bye; le do thoil, which means please; and gabh mo leithscéal, meaning excuse me. One of the first phrases we learn in primary schools in Ireland is ‘do I have permission to go out to the toilet, please?’ which is translated into ‘an bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas, más é do thoil é?’
Oddly enough, Irish does not have a word for yes or no in response to questions, so instead, you would respond with the verb that was used to ask the question. For example, if you were asked in English if you broke a cup, you could say yes or no, but in Irish, you would have to respond to the verb. So, you would have been asked ‘an mbriseann tú an cupán?’ and your response would be ‘brisim/ní bhrisim an cupán’ depending on whether you broke the cup. Tá or sea means yes, but technically, it means it is, which is why you could not use it to respond to the above question. Conversely, níl and ní hea mean it is not.
Go through some basic Irish phrases with Matthew.
The Best Ways for Beginners on How to Learn Irish
There is a high chance that you have heard the phrase ‘Practice makes perfect’, and this is no exception when it comes to learning Irish. You have to keep practising so that you can get the hang of it and so that you will not forget the words. In fact, you should read the article on how to practice your Irish between lessons, which will highlight some fun and engaging ways to practice your Irish to show you that learning a language or anything else does not always have to be tedious. It does not always have to involve you sitting in front of a book all day!
The pronunciations may take some time to get used to, which is why it is essential to practice. For example, a non-Irish speaker seeing the word ‘bhfuil’ might not have a clue how to pronounce it at first glance, but it is simply a case of learning rules for pronunciation and then practising the pronunciation of the words. By the way, ‘bhf’ is pronounced with a ‘w’ sound, so that would be pronounced ‘will.’ Read the other articles that will help aid your knowledge of the Irish language, and before you know it, you will have started your journey of learning Irish. Finally, good luck as you immerse yourself in Irish heritage through learning the Irish language, Gaeilge.
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