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We all have reasons as to why we’re called towards a certain journey. If you’re interested in learning to speak the Irish language, it’s interesting to ask:
Why did this journey choose me? Should I try to ignore its calls, or accept that it’s part of me?
Learn about Eoin’s Irish language journey and maybe share your own by using the comments section below.
Episode 77 Show notes
- Eoin’s Irish Language Journey
- Upbringing – speaking Irish at home
- Irish language primary school and secondary school (high-school)
- Meanwhile, I seemed to be interested in what I could do with computers early on.
- December 1995 – started “Eoin’s Homepage”
- It was saying hello to the world
- For whatever reason, I added the paragraph about me in the Irish language too
- Neighbour found the site, scanned images I made from paper cut outs, to be the headings on the site
- Added one or two .wav voice recordings in the Irish language
- Teased at school!
- Started getting emails from people interested in their Irish heritage, the Irish language. People wanted to connect, and finally they had this new chance with the web.
- Irish Keypals
- Around 1999 – started an “Irish Keypals” site – a database of people looking to be contacted
- IrishGaelicTranslator.com
- Meanwhile – had a forum for people asking for Irish language translations
- I must have been getting enough emails to make me think this was worth it
- Changed domains a couple of times, settled on IrishGaelicTranslator.com to maximise search traffic
- LearnIrishGaelic.com
- I was selling software for Celtic languages. Seller in Germany.
- “Bitesize Irish”
- Started idea in Slovenia, when working at a marketing agency
- First idea: emails for a month. But I soon realised that people would want to hear audio.
- Built the product. Launched with about 30 lessons written by Sasa.
- Advertised it on IrishGaelicTranslator.com, which I then sold for its advertising revenues.
- Slowly became a team, with 2018 being a turning point in a “team” being established. We weren’t speaking regularly before then. We have big plans for new ways for our members to learn to speak the Irish language, and to CONNECT with each-other to coordinate and support.
- To this day
- I’m still surprised and humbled by the number of people outside of Ireland learning the language.
- Have met a few Bitesizers along the way
- What’s YOUR Irish language journey?
- Please share with us, share your story below.
8 thoughts on “What’s Your Irish Language Journey? (Ep. 77)”
Hi Eoin! Nice story!
Thanks Eoin! Your story is trully very interesting! 🙂
Eoin – I listen to your podcasts at work. Makes my time SO MUCH BETTER!!! I’ve been having trouble with my mind. Thinking is becoming harder, short term memories are fading too quickly, and I am way too young to succumb to this. So, as your podcast on “rewiring the brain” touched on, I am working to save mine by creating new neural pathways with languages and other mental excersizes. I originally started with German. As it was the language I spent the first three years of my life with it seemed natural. As things happened I came across the group Gaelic Storm and fell in love with their music. Some of which is in Gaelic and thus I was won over! So now I get to drive my husband crazy with the new words and phrases I’m learning. 🙂 I figure it’s better than driving him crazy by forgetting everything! Definately more fun.
Rath na raithní oraibh a Bitesize!
Great Episode. How did your tuismitheoirí feel about the language any stories going back in time?
Also would be great to see a biography page for the people who work at Bitesize.
Slán agus Beannachtaí.
Thanks Michael. On the bio, we have a Bitesize team meetup coming up, so I suspect we’ll be able to share more about our team in the coming months 🙂
Funny story. I sound far away in this episode, because I was speaking into the back of the microphone by mistake!
Eoin– Thanks for sharing your journey. My journey is very different because I was not born in Eire, but in the US. The second language taught to me by second generation Irish- Anerican was French. French and Latiin in secondary school. Followed by Bachelors Degree in Russian accompanied by French and German courses and accompanied by the completion of US Star Department course in Serbo-Croatian. Picked Spanish and Arabic as an adult. Finally as a result of hearing an unknown language on a local radio program, I discovered Irish. The fact that I could not identify my ancestral language was devastating to me. I cried. I started 18 months ago to study Irish with local lessons. My proficiency increases everyday and I welcome Bite Size Irish emails. Thank you for your excellent work on behalf of the Irish language.
Hi Maureen, thanks for being so open about your journey. That’s crazy how it was just a random song (I take it?) on the radio that go you interested in the Irish language.