Is Gen Z building the new ‘Gaeltacht’?

When an international person lands in Ireland, one thing they notice is the Irish language on every sign. And as an international myself, I remember seeing an ad including the phrase ‘Mo ghrá’ which translates to ‘My love’ in Gaeilge. While I thought it was a cute phrase of endearment, my Irish friends who kindly translated it for me, did not seem so excited. They proceeded to tell me of this infamous (only that it is associated with the leaving cert) poem Mo Ghrá-sa by the contemporary Irish poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill. 

So, has the Leaving Cert tainted the Irish language forever? Well, it seems to be something you grow out of. Like waking up and suddenly realising how important vegetables are and that your parents weren’t crazy after all. Maybe, after becoming an adult and facing the identity crisis of your 20’s, you realise how much the Irish language feeds your soul. 

So can the Irish language fit into contemporary Ireland? 

When asked if they think Ireland will ever speak Irish again fluently, most people said no - that with English being the universal language there is no ‘need’ for it. However, we see Gaeilge begin to creep into our everyday language, specifically among the younger community. Despite Udaras na Gaeltachta finding “that two in three people (66%) express regret over not having better spoken Irish, with this feeling being particularly prominent among those aged 55 and older (70%)”, Irish people are finding modern ways to keep the language alive. Further, these contemporary methods are arguably more effective and enjoyable for the Irish youth. 

If you are wondering what has become the new ‘google’ for Gen Z, it is seemingly TikTok. Where most conversations start and end with ‘I found it on Tiktok…’ or ‘I saw this Tikok…’ using the platform to search for information or research that comes from human videos rather than a google search. Wanting to look for recommendations for a certain holiday? Gen Z will most likely look to Tikok before a google search. So it is no surprise that if we want to grab the attention of the Irish youth, it is most effective through modern social media platforms. 

If you live in Ireland, your ‘for you page’ is geographically influenced. So it is very likely you’ve come across many Irish influencers, the first coming to mind is @maire_na_greine who is ‘your Irish-speaking bestie’. Upon going onto her Tiktok account, two out of the three pinned videos are titled “POV: You’re watching a Native Irish Speaker sing to a Future Native Irish Speaker” where Máire is singing Irish songs to her niece as a baby. These videos are a response to additional captions in her videos quoting people’s assumptions like, “isn’t Irish (Gaelic) a dead language?”. Her first pinned videos, which presumably highlight what her content is about, shows a generational continuation of the Irish language and to ensure not just the survival of the language but the flourishment of Gaeilge

Maire grew up speaking Irish in her household, an unfortunately unique experience in Ireland. For most Irish families, adults don’t speak the language fluently enough to make it their primary language in the house, let alone teach it to their children. 

But what makes her videos so effective towards Gen Z? 

As much as parents have told their children that phones are the cause of all their problems, this is one of the very very few cases where phones are the solution. Irish speaking influencers are arguably the most effective way to access the Irish language in Irish homes. It is a way for Irish young adults to learn the language in a way that is not in a classroom limited to the pace of a teacher. For the 142.9K other people who agree with Maire, many of the comments are young Irish adults who express their regret of not learning it from a young age or not caring enough in secondary school. 

Maire does not sit in front of the camera and teach Irish in a formal way through direct translation and memorisation of Irish. She instead shows videos of her incorporating the Irish language in a relaxed, casual, and everyday environment. Most of her videos are along the lines of spending time with her niece and doing everyday things, such as singing, rocking her, or saying phrases of endearment. Showing Irish in a non-academic environment gives life to the language that Irish people realise all too late. 

Another one of her videos being “A Native Irish Speaker loving her niece in a ‘dead’ language”, where she is actively showing the contrary, making young Irish people realise the vitality and impact of a single Irish speaker. 

And while we all love to look at a cute baby keeping a language alive, Maire also posts videos that are geared towards pop culture. Videos of her getting ready and putting on makeup all in Irish to videos following the trends like ‘passing the phone to…’. Maire brings the Irish language enjoyable and accessible to Irish pop culture. Putting a non-academic twist on learning the language, people can see the language be used in everyday conversation, not just a repetitive phrase to pass an exam. 

If you are feeling inspired to incorporate some Irish into your everyday conversations, @eimearthornbury is another Irish speaker who gave her viewers some simple Irish phrases to use! Under her playlist titled ‘Gaeilge’ you’ll find various videos about the Irish language. So if you’re ‘dubh dóite’ (take a look at eimear’s account to learn more phrases like these!) about not speaking Irish, make sure to follow these Irish speaking influencers and normalise Gaeilge in pop culture.

Source: 

https://udaras.ie/en/news/new-research-shows-strong-position-of-irish-language-in-irelands-identity/

Written by: Sophia Arceo @sophiearceo

Edited by: Alex Kelleher @alex_kelleher_