How to Use Irish in the Workplace

More people than ever want to learn and use Irish in their daily lives – even in the workplace.

President Catherine Connolly has made it clear that she wants Irish to be the main working language in Áras an Uachtaráin. She believes that it is not enough to use Irish symbolically, but that it should be a living, everyday language in communication, meetings and official documents.

The President’s vision aligns closely with the latest research findings from Gaelchultúr, Amárach Research and Údarás na Gaeltachta – a vision that reflects a nation more eager than ever to use Irish naturally in everyday life and in the workplace. The 2024 research offers valuable insights into public attitudes towards the Irish language and underscores its vital role in Ireland’s national identity. Among the most striking findings revealed in this research, two in three people (66%) regret not having better spoken Irish, and 74% of respondents say they wish their spoken Irish were stronger.

If you regularly interact with the public through Irish as part of your job, and if you need to practice your Irish, Gaelchultúr has a number of Professional Training Courses for you!

In collaboration with Foras na Gaeilge, we have designed the Phone Skills and Customer Service course specifically for telephone and customer care staff in local authorities and the public sector. This half-day course aims to give participants the confidence and language skills needed to communicate through Irish with the public in a work context.

How about public speaking? In the intensive half-day online course Giving Speeches in Irish, you will learn Irish phrases that will improve your public speaking and presentation skills. This course is aimed at politicians, senior officials, communications officers and civil service spokespersons who attend events and visit venues where Irish is used.

We also offer a QQI-accredited course, the Certificate in Professional Irish , available at Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). This three-month, fully online programme is designed for public sector employees who must provide services through Irish in accordance with the Official Languages Acts 2003 and 2021. It is also ideal for professionals seeking to use Irish more effectively in their daily communications. This course provides a practical and structured pathway to developing Irish language skills, enabling learners to deliver services through Irish while earning a recognised qualification.

Whether you’re making phone calls, writing emails or chatting with colleagues, a few words of Irish can make a real difference.

To support this, Gaelchultúr has created a practical guide, “Irish Phrases for the Workplace”, designed to help you gain confidence and integrate Irish seamlessly into your working day. A preview of the guide is available below, and you can download the full version here.

Glaonna gutháin

Phone calls

An féidir liom cabhrú leat?

Can I help you?

Cad is ainm duit, le do thoil?

What’s your name, please?

Go raibh maith agat as a bheith chomh foighneach sin.

Thank you for being so patient.

Ag plé le comhghleacaithe

Communicating with colleagues

An féidir liom cabhrú leat?

Can I help you?

Cuirfidh mé glao ort timpeall a trí.

I’ll call you around three.

Caithfimid an cruinniú a chur ar ceal.

We have to cancel the meeting.

Ríomhphoist

Emails

A Shéamuis, a chara,

Dear Séamus,

Go raibh maith agat as do ríomhphost.

Thank you for your email.

Le gach dea-mhéin,

Best wishes,