'An essential part of our identity' - Irish language 'alive' at Dundalk's pop-up Gaeltacht

The Irish language is "well and truly alive" in Dundalk following almost a year of pop-up Gaeltacht meetings in the town. 

Tristan Graves is a 25-year-old primary school teacher who had heard about the idea of pop-up Gaeltachts through social media and decided to set one up himself last March. 

He started a WhatsApp group with eight people and asked them to invite some friends to the pub where they were holding their first session.

15 people showed up, and more joined as they were passing by and heard Irish being spoken.

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At the end of the night, there were over 20 people involved.

"We had people there who had Gaeilge líofa, and then there were people there who just wanted to give it a go. They had a couple of words, but not a whole lot. We played a few board games, we played a bit of Connect Four, a few card games as well, and it was a great night. We had a great craic doing it," Tristan said.

After that night, the WhatsApp group that started with eight people had 23.

It has "snowballed" since, and there are now 145 people in it, with Tristan explaining how there is a "massive demand for opportunities to speak our national language in Dundalk."

"We're trying to break down that kind of idea that the Irish language is something to be scared of, something to be intimidated by. It's something that we can all take part in, whether it's through using something as simple as sea or níl. It's our role to try and create this welcoming environment where anybody can come, whether you have fantastic Irish, whether you're an absolute tosaitheoir (beginner), you come along, you use your Irish," he said.

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Since that first night in March last year, around 15 pop-up Gaeltachts have been held in different pubs across Dundalk. 

"Everybody who comes to them seems to have the same experience. They say they've had a great time and want to come back. We have them on all different nights during the week and in different locations to try and raise awareness that the Irish language is well and truly alive in the town, and to pick up more and more people who might just be passing by, who might not have heard of what we're doing, who might have been looking for an opportunity, whether consciously or subconsciously, to reignite that love of Irish that they might have had," Tristan explained.

He says some of the people who were at that very first one are regular attenders, and he has seen a huge improvement in how they speak Irish. 

"Whether it be the confidence that they have in their own Irish or whether it be the Irish that they picked up, or their actual vocabulary has improved, we've seen that they've come on leaps and bounds, because you're not studying for it like you would an exam. You're using it in a natural way. You're using it in the way that realistically a language should be used," he said. 

The way many of us learned Irish in school is a big part of the reason that there are so few fluent speakers, and until recently, there was a concern that the language would dissipate. 

"We have this vision of the Irish language that you learn essays, you learn your sraith pictúirs, you pray for a certain topic to come up for your essay on your Leaving Cert, and once you leave school, you don't have to worry about it again," Tristan said.

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"There was that time period when I was in school where people were thinking, 'Geez, this language might die,' and it would have been an absolute shame. It would have been a heartbreaking thing for the Irish identity for it to go because it is an essential part of our national identity," he added. 

Tristan believes podcasts, media, social media, and music, Kneecap particularly, have had a huge part to play in the "revitalised sense of national pride." 

He commended young people and highlighted that they have been the "driving force" behind a huge part of it.

"They're seeing it, not just as a subject, they're seeing it as part of who they are," he said. 

Although the young people may be the main drivers behind the new love for our language, Tristan highlighted that everyone can make a difference. 

"Everybody's coming together with the shared intention. It's loads of different cogs working together, which has caused this absolute explosion in interest, which is something that I'm so proud to see, especially in Dundalk," Tristan said. 

The most recent pop-up was in mid-January, with 52 people showing up; a turnout much higher than expected following the Christmas period. 

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"We're trying to create the space for those people to come and to develop their Irish in their own way, in a fun way, an inclusive way, and in really the way a language should be learned," Tristan said.

It's hoped that the next pop-up Gaeltacht in the town will be held to coincide with either St Brigid's Day or Valentine's Day.

If you would like to attend, you can find out the details through Instagram @dundalkpopupgaeltacht, on Facebook, or by joining the WhatsApp group through a link on either social media channel. 

"As long as you come and you're willing to take part and willing to have a bit of craic, every single person is welcome from all backgrounds, all ages, all walks of life," Tristan concluded.