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Get insights into Irish Gaelic’s positive future in Ireland and in Irish society. Broadcaster Conn Ó Muíneacháin grew up with a passion for the Irish language.
He came to the conclusion that he had to create content in the Irish language through blogs and podcasts to strengthen his ties to the language.
What you’ll hear:
Click the audio player above, and you’ll get to hear:
- As a learner of Irish Gaelic outside of Ireland, your experience isn’t that different to speakers within Ireland.
- “We’re all in the same boat”, as Conn said. You see, living in Ireland, you don’t necessarily get a chance to use the Irish language any more than someone living outside of Ireland. The reason being that the community around you
- How immigration into Ireland in the past couple of decades has normalized the fact that people can speak different languages within Ireland (and not just English)
- How the Internet came about just in time to perhaps save the Irish language, and other such languages
Mentioned in the show
- @conn on Twitter
- Your chance to follow Conn’s interests, with a mix of Irish and English language.
- Blacknight.com
- Where you can register a new .IRISH domain name.
- tuairisc.ie
- High-quality news in the Irish language. If you’re just learning the language, see if you can pick out a couple of words. Don’t be put off that you don’t understand the text.
- NÓS
- Irish language magazine, with content online
- Raidió na Gaeltachta podcasts
- Massive amount of Irish language radio programming available on-demand in podcast format.
- That means you can subscribe to a show there that you like, and get updates automatically in your podcast player.
- TG4 television station
- Look for the “TG4 Player”, where you can watch shows on-demand.
- TG4 was established in 1996 in Ireland. It’s based in the Connemara Gaeltacht.
- Since it was launched, we firmly believe it gave a new energy to the Irish language. It showed to people in Ireland that there were people living and laughing through the Irish language.
- Willie Clancy Summer School
- The link is to our photos from there. It’s held in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland.
- Musicians travel to from world-wide to learn from the best traditional Irish music players. It has a long-standing tradition.
- Conn describes in this podcast episode that Raidió na Gaeltachta has extensive programming from there for the entire week. They interview a large mix of people during that week. They’ve noticed over the years that it’s easier now to find people on the street who are happy to be interviewed in the Irish language, without being ashamed or too afraid of doing it.
- Try Bitesize Irish Gaelic for free
- You get three weeks’ access to our online learning program. It’s your chance to make a real, deeper connection with your Irish heritage.
- Learn to speak the Irish language, in Bitesize portions.
- You’ll start with covering phrases for your first conversation in Irish Gaelic.
- Imagine your next trip to Ireland: using some Irish Gaelic with the barman, you’ll put a smile on the locals’ faces.
Get the next episode as soon as it’s up
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Eoin

Gaeilge Gach Lá
7 thoughts on “Irish Will Live with Conn Ó Muíneacháin (Ep. 48)”
It’s now ‘cool’ to speak the beautiful Gaeilge in a new diverse multicultural Ireland. A positive view for the future. I find the concept that it’s part of your identity very interesting and as you travel in your learning journey it gets more enjoyable, as you have a new confidence and an optimistic outlook towards the future. Pádraig
Fascinating episode. Wouldn’t it be great if Irish will end up being saved by the new reality of immigration and multiculturalism?
Hi Almog,
We are glad to hear that you have enjoyed the podcast.
One thing is sure and that is the rising interest in the Irish language and culture.
Le meas,
Ana.
Yes the cards were stacked against the Irish language regarding modern media broadcasting since the founding of the Irish Free State. Who was responsible for it? RTE and the Irish government.They catered for the majority of English speakers and turned their backs on the minority Irish speakers.As far as I know they never tried to put a bit of balance in their output,and that’s not justice. I think the truth should be brought into the open. Anyway the Gaeilgeoirí can stand on their own feet. We don’t need them. Pádraig
Conn’s comment about the impact of immigration into Ireland leading to better multicultural acceptance is fascinating. In 1996 my first trip to the Island, to the Republic and NI, it had me amazed that the Republic was a monoculture but NI felt just like any city in USA. Now when I l came back to the Republic in 2013 to work for a few months in Cork I could not help but notice the change, Asian and Polish, German were heard all around.
Here in USA, in California at lease, we have gone from 1960s style pressure to conform to broad support of multiple languages (Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, Farsi). English definitely isn’t under any threat, its the primary language of business world wide. CA gov’t as a system is much more accommodating to a larger set of languages spoken by richer life to have all cultures/languages available and that has only helped our economy grow, encourage trade and so forth.
Great, but what language to learn as a native English speaker when everyone else have their own languages?
I’m teaching my kids their cutural heritage…Tiggum gaelige anish.
Dia duit!
Great episode. I’m one of those Americans in a small town with no outlet but the internet to learn Irish. It’s kind of depressing to hear about the cards being stacked against the Irish language but it’s a reality we shouldn’t ignore.
Keep up the great work and I’ll keep hammering away at the little Irish I know now.
It’s true – it’s a reality we can’t ignore. But when you know where you are, you know where to go from there 🙂
Thanks for listening.