Éire’s New Era

It has to be said, for a “dying language”, Gaeilge is looking and sounding pretty alive and well. On social media, in fashion, through music, Gaeilge is everywhere nowadays. For a group of people who swore they’d never speak it after they left school, there is a growing generation in Ireland who are changing the Irish language, and what it means to them.

After centuries of hardship, Gaeilge had a new lease of life in the early 20th century during the Gaelic Revival. However, for many, the language became nothing more than academic trauma. So what’s this new thing about Irish being ‘cool’?

In 2025 it is impossible to have a change in the world that hasn’t been impacted by social media. Luckily for the Irish language, platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have been a positive pillar in the change of attitude towards the Irish language. Every few videos on my FYP are either Gaeilge GRWMs or something to do with the claddagh cultural revival thats been happening online.

When I asked a few Fiche followers about their rediscovery of the Irish language, many of them said that they simply saw so many people on social media speaking Irish and they were inspired. And whilst it is strange to think of our 2500-year-old national language as a social media trend, it makes sense that the most modern way of life is playing such a huge part in modernising the way the language is seen and spoken.

The main point modern-day Gaeilgors are making is that speaking Irish doesn’t have to be serious. This is the exact message Louise Cantillon, Síomha Ní Ruairc and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin are sending on ‘How To Gael’. Transforming traditional Irish learning from your sráith pic stress to chats with your cairde, this bilingual podcast will be your best friend. After so much success, the girls have brought the show ar an mbóthar, both in Ireland and abroad. I was lucky enough to catch them in the ‘Oh Yeah’ Music Centre in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter in February. I must admit it was lovely to hear people around me using Gaeilge so casually, something that is unfortunately so rare in most areas of the island. But it was enough evidence for me to be reassured that Gaeilge is certainly alive and well, even beyond the walls of the ‘Oh Yeah’ Music Centre that Saturday night.

I think it would be next to impossible for me to sit here and write about the resurgance of the Irish language without mentioning the name ‘Kneecap’. They need no introduction, whether you haven’t left a Gaeltacht your whole life or you can’t even introduce yourself as Gaeilge, you know who Kneecap are, and exactly what they stand for. Their journey from West Belfast to the world stage has been an extraordinary watch, so much so it became an IFTA and BAFTA award-winning production.

They have almost single-handedly led this Irish language resurgence, changed the Irish language music scene, played themselves in a film that was watched and appreciated all around the world and have played at some of the biggest music festivals worldwide. And yet, when I met Naoise (better known as Mogalí Bap), in Castlecourt shopping centre in Belfast, he was more than happy to stop for a chat, as if we were good friends. But that’s Kneecap, three very normal lads from Belfast who are just really really good at what they do.

Drugs, alcohol and violence are not topics you would normally be learning vocabulary for as Gaeilge, but they’re realities, and Kneecap have no problem introducing a few new words to the Irish language to address them. This drags Irish even further away from being seen as just a school subject, and proves it as a real, modern & functional language.  But more so than anything, Kneecap showcase how the Irish language and Irish identity really do go hand in hand. The shame of speaking Irish is certainly long gone and never coming back, and Kneecap can be credited for this.

Fashion may be a non-verbal language, but even our style is speaking as Gaeilge these days. From Claddagh and Aran Jumpers to Gaeilge-themed pieces, the Irish language is creating its own space in the fashion industry. This issue is evidence of that. Grace Ní Mhealláin, Aisling Duffy, Laoise Carey, the list is growing, just like the talent base in the Ireland’s fashion scene. It’s all part of Éire’s new era.