Everything You Need To Learn Irish

Everything You Need To Learn Irish

Irish (Gaeilge) is a Celtic Language spoken by more than 1.5 million people in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It’s is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, and is closely related to Manx and Scottish Gaelic.

Irish is one of the oldest written languages in Europe, with the first written words appearing as far back as the 4th or 5th century.


Irish Verb Conjugation Practice [PDF Download]

Irish Verb Conjugation Practice [PDF Download]

£3.20

Printable IRISH Flashcards [PDF Download]

Printable IRISH Flashcards [PDF Download]

£3.20


Despite the fact that Irish predates English by several centuries, the majority of Irish people today speak English only, and don’t know much Irish. As a result, there are few opportunities to hear spoken Irish when in Eire.

The good news is, native Irish speakers are proud of their language, and are pushing for more people to learn it. As such, more and more learning materials are being made available for learners from all backgrounds. We’ve put together those we think are most useful.

Irish Language Learning Books

An affordable way for beginners to learn Irish is with Irish course/study books. By using one of these books, you’ll learn basic Irish vocabulary and grammar, as well as how to apply it in conversational settings. There are usually practice exercises included, which can help to solidify what you’ve learned.

A concise English-Irish dictionary is essential for any Irish language learner. You’ll be encountering many new Irish words on your journey to fluency, and having a good dictionary that not only gives you meanings but shows you the different contexts in which to use those words, is crucial.

Do you have trouble remembering Irish words? If so, consider getting yourself an Irish word search puzzle book. Not only are these fun to do, you’ll learn a bunch of new vocabulary, and you’re more likely to remember the words.

Colloquial Irish: The Complete Course for Beginners
Amazon.com
$67.88
Colloquial Irish: The Complete Course for Beginners
Irish for Beginners Usborne Language Guide
Amazon.com
$16.55
PRIMEPRIME
Irish for Beginners Usborne Language Guide
Learn Irish Gaelic with Word Search Puzzles
Amazon.com
$9.99
PRIMEPRIME
Learn Irish Gaelic with Word Search Puzzles
-35%
Focloiropedia: A Journey Through the Irish Language from Aran to Zu
Amazon.com
$29.03 $45.00
Focloiropedia: A Journey Through the Irish Language from Aran to Zu
-19%
Irish Grammar You Really Need to Know: A Practical Course
Amazon.com
$13.62 $16.99
Irish Grammar You Really Need to Know: A Practical Course
Basic Irish: A Grammar and Workbook
Amazon.com
$32.57
Basic Irish: A Grammar and Workbook
Complete Irish Beginner to Intermediate Course
Amazon.com
$44.99
PRIMEPRIME
Complete Irish Beginner to Intermediate Course
Step-by-Step Irish: An Irish Language Workbook for Beginners
Amazon.com
$9.00
PRIMEPRIME
Step-by-Step Irish: An Irish Language Workbook for Beginners
Irish-English Dictionary
Amazon.com
$10.00
PRIMEPRIME
Irish-English Dictionary
-25%
Sengoidelc: Old Irish For Beginners
Amazon.com
$33.57 $45.00
PRIMEPRIME
Sengoidelc: Old Irish For Beginners
Speak Irish Now
Amazon.com
$30.00
PRIMEPRIME
Speak Irish Now
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Irish Children’s Books

A great introduction to easy-to-read Irish material comes in the form of Irish books written for children. These are ideal for beginners, as this type of material is usually written using simple vocabulary and short, easy to parse sentences.

By reading Irish kids’ books, you’ll improve your reading comprehension, and it’ll be easier for you to build your own, basic sentences.

Am I small? An bhfuil mé beag?: Children's Picture Book English-Irish Gaelic
Amazon.com
$12.99
PRIMEPRIME
Am I small? An bhfuil mé beag?: Children's Picture Book English-Irish Gaelic
Alice in Wonderland: English-Irish Gaelic Children's Book
Amazon.com
$6.99
PRIMEPRIME
Alice in Wonderland: English-Irish Gaelic Children's Book
-28%
Tomhais Méid Mo Ghrá Duit: Guess How Much I Love You in Irish
Amazon.com
$7.10 $9.99
Tomhais Méid Mo Ghrá Duit: Guess How Much I Love You in Irish
Eva the Adventurer (Is eachtraíochta í Eva): Bilingual English-Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic) Book
Amazon.com
$9.95
PRIMEPRIME
Eva the Adventurer (Is eachtraíochta í Eva): Bilingual English-Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic) Book
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Irish Fiction

When you’re ready to progress from children’s books, you might want to try reading Irish books written for older, more experienced. These will provide you with a greater challenge, will boost your vocabulary considerably, and you’ll experience the language as it’s used in a broader range of contexts.

-6%
An Hobad, nó Anonn Agus ar Ais Arís: The Hobbit in Irish
Amazon.com
$26.95 $28.95
PRIMEPRIME
An Hobad, nó Anonn Agus ar Ais Arís: The Hobbit in Irish
-32%
Harry Potter Agus An Orchloch (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Irish)
Amazon.com
$16.93 $25.00
Harry Potter Agus An Orchloch (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Irish)
Eachtraí Eilíse i dTír na nIontas: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in Irish
Amazon.com
$15.95
PRIMEPRIME
Eachtraí Eilíse i dTír na nIontas: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in Irish
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Irish Movies & TV Shows

If you only study Irish using books, you won’t have the benefit of hearing Irish being spoken. To help you master the sound of Irish, you should try watching movies or TV shows in the language.

Movies with Irish dubbing are great for practicing your listening comprehension skills, plus you’ll learn how to pronounce the language like a native. Irish movies and TV shows are also great for picking up Irish slang, idioms and common turns of phrase.

The Breadwinner (English + Irish language version) [DVD] [2018]

$9.54
in stock
Amazon.com
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Irish Digital Courses

Not interested in learning Irish with book courses? Well, an Irish e-course might be right up your alley. These are digital courses that use either audio or video or a combination of both to teach the language.

The major benefit of an Irish audio/video course is that you’ll actually learn how to communicate in the language, plus you’ll hear correct pronunciation. Irish digital courses also great for building your listening comprehension skills.

Luckily, you do get your pick of courses. Udemy’s Irish course is video-based, affordable, and gives you lifetime access to future updates.

Both the Michel Thomas Method and Pimsleur offer audio-only digital Irish courses that you can use on almost any device. You’ll get hours of instruction from skilled Irish language teachers, and learn the grammar of the language in an organic way.

IRISH UDEMY COURSES

Irish Udemy

IRISH AUDIO COURSES

Foundation Irish Revised Edition (Learn Irish with the Michel Thomas Method): Beginner Irish Audio Course

$79.99
PRIMEPRIME
in stock
Amazon.com
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Pimsleur Irish Quick & Simple Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-8 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Irish (Gaelic)

$19.95
PRIMEPRIME
in stock
Amazon.com
Amazon price updated: January 14, 2025 4:40 pm

Free Irish Gaelic Worksheets

Irish worksheets are hard to come by, yet they’re extremely important for learners looking to practice their newfound skills.

Our Irish word search puzzles are free, downloadable PDFs that you can print from home and have fun completing while also learning new Irish words.