Featured resources
This page features links to some of the most useful resources on the Web for learners of Irish.
Foclóirí (Dictionaries)
Go to teanglann.ie to access Web versions of the standard Irish dictionaries published by An Gum, including
- Ó Dónall’s Foclóir Gaelige-Béarla (Irish-English dictionary)
- De Bhaldraithe’s English-Irish dictionary
- A Foclóir Beag (The Little Dictionary)
- Grammar: containing declensions and conjugations of nouns, verbs and prepositional pronouns
- Pronunciation: with recordings of selected words by speakers of the three main dialects
Go to focloir.ie to access Foras na Gaeilge‘s New Irish-English Dictionary.
It includes a free app to download for Apple and Android devices.
Teilifís (Television)
Go to tg4.ie to watch Irish television programs in the Irish language.
Teilifíis ng Gaelige (channel) 4 or TG4 – known as “TG Ceathair” – broadcasts Irish language program on Irish television, and its available to stream online.
Leabhair (Books)
Go to: siopagaeilge.ie to find the largest online shop for books, music and gifts featuring the Irish language.
An Siopa Gaeilge is run by Oideas Gael, a cultural organisation based in Donegal that has been running Irish language and cultural courses for over 40 years.
Now You're Talking
Now You’re Talking was a BBC TV series produced in the 1990s to accompany the text book, Now You’re Talking, (also published as Irish On Your Own). It focuses on the Ulster dialect, as it is spoken in Northern Ireland. The textbook is out of print now, but you can still access the series through the old Wesite of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League). (The site does not look like it has been updated for several years, but the pages are still available).
YouTube
YouTube is full of useful (and not so useful) channels featuring the Irish language. Here are a few recommended for learners at various levels:
Now You’re Talking is also available on YouTube. This link takes you to a playlist containing 28 of the 30 episodes of the series.
Bitesize Irish is a Weblog with a YouTube channel that posts hundreds of tiny videos that aim to teach learners of Irish some extra vocabulary in a fun way.
Buntús cainte was a TV series broadcast during the 1960s to accompany the popular book series. Some episodes have been uploaded to YouTube.
Gaeilge i mo Chroí is a unique YouTube channel in many ways. Channel creator, Molly Nic Céile, is an inspration for any learner. Molly teaches us all to just speak the language. Don’t worry about mistakes – just do it! Her posts are informative, funny, topical, personal, intriguing and – above all…. as Gaeilge!
Dane at Learn Irish has a simple, practical approach to learning the Irish language. His channel emphasises spoken Irish and direct input: listening to a conversation with simple illustrations to add context and aid understanding without translations. There’s the odd post to explain a few finer points of grammar when needed.
While not (just) about Irish, through his channel, LanguageJones, Dr Taylor Jones spills the beans on all the most effective techniques for learning a second language well. His engaging style ornaments a treasure trove of tips and recommendations backed by experience and solid linguistics research.
Mango languages
Mango languages is a popular and effective online language learning website in Michigan, USA. It employs organic language acquisition and emphasizes learning grammatical principles through realistic conversations. It offers courses in 71 languages with features including interactive lessons, spaced repetition, reinforcement exercises, color-coded translations and video content. Among the language courses, there a free courses available in 10 indigenous or endangered languages, including Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
Free Irish language course
Mango languages has a free basic Irish language course consisting of 10 units and 72 lessons – as well as a supplemenatary course in basic Irish conversation, especially for St Patrick’s Day. It is a course in Standard Irish, with examples from the Connacht dialect.
Memrise community courses (flashcards)
Memrise community courses is a repository of Memrise stacks (sets of flashcards) used to help language learners with memorising vocabulary. These stacks have been created mainly by amateurs (and a few professionals), so the quality ranges from poor to excellent. Some contain just text – without context, while others include illustrations, sentences and recordings. There are stacks that contain the vocabulary (and some include recordings) from Irish language courses including:
- Gaeilge Gan Stró
- Learning Irish
- Now You’re Talking
- Buntús Cainte
- Teach Yourself Irish (1961)