Irish Lessons on Canadian TV: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Teaching Irish is no problem for Clíodhna Ní Chorráin, a fluent speaker who has passed on a cúpla focal (a few words) to students from around the world.

But performing live on television for Canada’s national broadcaster just before St Patrick’s Day? That felt like a “pinch me” moment for the County Armagh woman.

“Teaching Irish in Canada is quite different from teaching it on national television for the whole country to see—it’s a distinct achievement,” she said to FarovintNews NI.

This occurred following a CTV producer noticing her Irish language content on TikTok, which then assisted in bringing Clíodhna’s work into the spotlight nationally.

Clíodhna’s television appearance ignited a surge in curiosity about the Irish language, prompting her to receive numerous viewer inquiries requesting lessons from her.

She serves as an Irish language teacher at the University of Ottawa, and her course has a waiting list each year.

This reflects an increasing fascination with the Irish language in Canada, where lies the sole officially recognized Gaeltacht (an Irish-speaking region) beyond Ireland’s borders.

With almost 15% of Canadians claiming Irish heritage, many are keen to reconnect with their roots.

“Irish is for everybody,” she stated.

Once you’re in North America, there are no political connections to the language; everyone adores it because it’s considered cool and distinctive.

Clíodhna developed an interest in Irish during her time in secondary school, quickly becoming enamored with the language.

I couldn’t believe we possessed something I had never come across before.

Following her studies in Irish and Spanish at Queen’s University Belfast, she secured scholarships to teach Irish overseas, initially in the United States followed by Canada.

In Ottawa, she has instructed over 230 undergraduates within a span of two years.

Her students come from diverse backgrounds.

I count among my students those from China, Arabia, India, and Australia.

It’s quite a varied collection.

Clíodhna says she loves to teach students in Canada the language as “they grab it with both hands and own it”.

One of those students is Gabriella Moro, 23, whose great-great-grandparents have roots in Dublin and Antrim.

“My favourite thing about learning Irish has to be how warm, friendly, and open the community are and the pride they have in the language,” she said.

Clíodhna believes the reason for the high interest in learning Irish overseas is twofold.

“There is a huge Irish diaspora in Canada, but many have lost the language along the way,” she said.

“It’s like a lost thread but learning the language can weave it back into their Irish identity.”

Clíodhna also believes it is part of a wider global movement to reclaim indigenous and minority languages, a point that is echoed by another one of her students, Elizabeth Jerome, 23, who has both Indigenous Canadian and Irish roots.

“Canada is very much a melting pot of backgrounds and nationalities and reclaiming old languages is a big thing right now,” Elizabeth told FarovintNews NI.

It’s astonishing to witness growing enthusiasm for the Irish language, and whenever I mention this, people respond with: ‘Really? Can I learn as well?’

In addition to her university courses, Clíodhna oversees a weekly gathering at an Irish pub, attracting participants who include college graduates as well as individuals in their 70s.

The popularity of Clíodhna’s classes continues to rise and does not show any signs of slowing down.

She mentioned, ‘There’s absolutely no chance I can instruct everyone who has requested my teaching.’

All we require is additional individuals to step in and instruct Irish.