Learn Irish the way you want to: 3 of the best Gaeilge Tiktokers

RTÉ News​

3 days ago

Learning Irish on Tiktok has proven itself to be more than just a viral moment and has evolved and grown into a national and international pastime. Its growth has allowed for more niche content within the learning Irish sphere to blossom too.
If you're learning Irish for the first time, your journey to fluency may not be the same as a person who has been learning Irish in the education system. Similarly, a person who has attended a Gaelscoil is not looking for the same content as a person who wants to know what the latest Kneecap lyrics mean.
Thankfully, Tiktok is awash with creators who know who their audience are and what they want from their content. We spoke to some of our favourite creators about why they have started sharing their Irish and who they think their audiences are.
Máire Ní Churraoin (@máire_na_gréine)
Máire is from the Meath Gaeltacht of Rath Cháirn (if you don't know, get to know) and embodies the Gaeltacht in much of what she shares from sean nós singing with her sister Etáin in the group An Chéad Ghlúin Eile to sharing some of her favourite words in Irish and how the language shapes her world. Deir Máire go bhfuil sí i mbun na hoibre seo le 'bród a mhúscailt i ndaoine as an nGaeilge chun cainte nó chun foghlama'. You never know what you'll get with Máire's account from makeup tutorials to tattoo recommendations and of course, ceol álainn. Máire's personality and joie de vivre is infectious.
James Donegal Irish (@james.donegal.irish)
James Gillespie does a wonderful job at sharing words/ phrases and idioms in Donegal Irish which you may not know if you've learned a standardised version of the language, like many of us did in the classroom. James says his audience is varied, from those who are returning to the language and those who are learning for the first time. James' content illustrates the vast differences there are in Irish spoken in different parts of the country. He's a great follow if you're interested in dialects.
"D'fhoghlaim mé mórán focla ó mo mhuintir fhéin agus thug mé fá dear nach raibh cuid dena focla sin in áiteacha eile, seo an Ghaeilge a d'fhoghlaim mé ó m'athair. Bheadh focla difriúla againn i gcomparáid lena gaeltachtaí eile i nDún na nGall mar shampla. Bhí mé ag iarraidh na focla seo a thaispeáin do dhaoine, blas a thabhairt daofa ar an Ghaeilge atá againn. Focla b'fhéidir nach mbeadh ar fáil san Fhoclóir."
Scaoil Amach an Pocaide (@scaoil.amach.an pocaide)
Shane has guided us through phonetics and introduced us to new idioms and words lots of us weren't aware of. Shane is undertaking a PhD on the Irish spoken ar na hoileáin Árann, ag díriú ar an bhfoghraíocht agus ar an gcanúint sin. Roinneann sé an saibhreas sin go fial lena chuid leantóirí. Ag caint linn faoina chuid oibre ar líne, dúirt sé go raibh sé den tuairim go raibh daoine á leanúint ar mhaithe le spraoi chomh maith le foghlaim.
"Tá mé ag ceapadh go bhfuil go leor daoine do mo leanúint ar mhaithe le frása nó leagan cainte beag a fhoghlaim is a úsáid, agus b'fhéidir le rud eicínt spraíúil a rá freisin, tá craic agus spraoi ag baint leis an teanga i ngan fhios do go leor daoine agus nuair a chloiseann siad rud eicínt barrúil cuireann sé fonn orthu an teanga a labhairt sílim. Is mór an feall i ndáiríre nach bhfuil an ghné sin den teanga á cur cinn sna scoileanna, ach b'fhéidir go n-athródh sé sin fós"