TG4 presenter urges students to be i ngrá le cúpla focal
That was the advice given to Cork students yesterday from one of the country's most glamorous native speakers.
Aoife Ní Thuairisg, the presenter of TG4's Paisean Faisean, told transition year students of St Aloysius secondary school in Carrigtwohill to have a grá for their native language.
"Use what you can," she told them. "People are using the cúpla focal more often. When I'm in a taxi, the drivers will sometimes recognise me and they'll often use phrases like 'slán' or 'go raibh maith agat'. I'm delighted to hear the odd cúpla focal.
"People will always say the few words they have. It's there in all our subconscious."
But the 28-year-old from Indreabhán in Connemara, who also writes a column in the RTÉ Guide, said there should be more focus on how Irish is taught.
"We see students coming out after the Leaving Cert with maybe a pass in pass Gaeilge a subject they've been studying for maybe 15 years," she said.
"If it was happening in maths or in the science subjects there would be an outcry. We must try to establish how the system is failing them."
Aoife was invited to address students at the school as part of a transition year project.
She has been credited, along with other young TG4 presenters like Hector Ó hEochagáin, with revitalising interest amongst young people in the Irish language.
She said it was a team effort by all at TG4 which celebrates 10 years on air next October.
And the tennis fan who used words like éacht (ace), dias (deuce) and tram línte (tram lines) during last year's Wimbledon coverage on TG4 said she hopes to cover the championships again this summer.
