It frustrates many people in Ireland that they spend 12 years at school learning Irish yet still can’t speak it properly.
Maybe they could get a few tips from American and Canadian students who visited Carraroe in the Galway Gaeltacht to brush up on their already impressive language skills.
The students learnt to speak Irish by taking courses in their hometowns in Canada and the United States, Most of them were interested because they wanted to connect with their Irish heritage. Some also wanted the challenge of learning another language.
All were enthusiastic about Irish culture and heritage.
In this video they show off their language skills and give a few insights into what Ireland means to them.
The student programme was supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Fulbright Commission in the United States, and the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
It’s hoped the success of these students will inspire more people in Canada and the United States to rediscover their Irish heritage and even start to learn the language.