Irish now: Gaeilge revival is at odds with what’s happening in secondary schools 

From Kneecap and CMAT ag canadh as gaeilge, to 'An Cailín Ciúin' at the Oscars, and people spontaneously using the language every day, Irish has erupted — our education system is scrambling to catch up 

Kneecap's Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap performing at Electric 2025. 'Whatever is behind its burgeoning cultural capital, it’s now cool to speak Irish in a way it simply wasn’t just five short years ago.' Picture: Larry Cummins

“Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí”: Young people are at the heart of the current revival of the Irish language.

Much has been written by academics musing about whether it’s down to the “Kneecap effect”, social media, or Ireland’s recent impact on Hollywood.