Everything you need to know about Seachtain na Gaeilge 2025

Seachtain na Gaeilge, the biggest Irish language festival in Ireland and the world, is upon us!

Established in 1902, Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrates the Irish language both in Ireland and abroad every year from March 1 - March 17.

The theme for Seachtain na Gaeilge this year is "Funny Focail," which invites people to engage with the Irish language through humor and creativity.

Fittingly, three Irish comedians - Julie Jay, Shane Daniel Byrne, and Michael Fry - have been named as ambassadors for this year's Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia.

What is Seachtain na Gaeilge?

Seachtain na Gaeilge is the biggest Irish language festival in the world, reaching over 1 million people on five continents each year.

The festival supports and promotes Irish language and culture through live events, music, workshops, and more, all across the world.

Organised by Conradh na Gaeilge, the festival was initially established as a week-long event, but due to the demand, has now become a 17-day affair, running from 1-17 March every year, culminating on Ireland's national day, St Patrick’s Day.

What happens during Seachtain na Gaeilge? How to celebrate during the festival

Seachtain na Gaeilge is a community festival, with hundreds of events across Ireland, and indeed, around the world each year.

Voluntary and community groups, local councils, schools, literary and musical groups, and sports, art, and cultural organisations all organise events across the 17-day festival.

From céilithe (Irish dance events) to ciorcal comhrá (conversation circles), sports days to poetry nights, and oícheanta ceoil (music nights) in the local pub to historical tours trí Ghaeilge (through Irish), there are events to suit all ages and interests.

You can find all registered Seachtain na Gaeilge events in Ireland listed on PEIG.ie, while those wishing to engage with the festival from abroad should start with their local branch of Conradh na Gaeilge (international branches are listed at the bottom of the page).

Conradh na Gaeilge also welcome and encourage everyone to organise their own events, and have helpful guidance on common types of events and how to register on the Seachtain na Gaeilge website.

How do I pronounce Seachtain na Gaeilge?

Why not start your Irish learning journey by practicing saying Irish week as Gaeilge (in Irish)?

Follow this phonetic spelling of Seachtain na Gaeilge to help you pronounce it correctly: Shock-tin nuh Gway-liguh

Here are some fast facts about Irish as we head into Seachtain na Gaeilge:

What type of language is Irish?

Irish is a Celtic language which comes from Old Irish. The Celtic languages are believed to have come from Common Celtic, which came from Indo-European itself.

When did Irish come to Ireland?

It's uncertain when Irish first came to Ireland, but many scholars believe that it arrived over 2,500 years ago.

There were other languages spoken in Ireland before Irish but, by 500AD, Irish was spoken all over Ireland and was spreading through Scotland, the west coast of Britain, and the Isle of Man.

When did the writing of Irish start?

The oldest remains of written Irish that we have are inscriptions on Ogham stones from the 5th and 6th centuries.

Irish was first written in the Roman alphabet before the beginning of the 7th century which makes Irish the oldest written vernacular language north of the Alps.

Did other languages influence Irish?

Between 900 and 1200AD, some loanwords came from the Scandinavian language, such as ‘pingin’ (penny), and ‘margadh’ (market).

Later, more came from the French of the Normans, such as ‘cúirt’ (court), and ‘garsún’ (boy).

Gradually, the Anglo-Normans began to speak Irish and by the start of the 16th century, most of the people of Ireland were Irish speakers again.

When did the decline of Irish start?

Although the majority of the people between 1200 and 1600AD had Irish, it was never an administrative language and English was necessary for administrative and legal affairs.

Irish received several blows during the 16th and 17th century with plantations, the Williamite War, and the enacting of the penal laws.

The status of Irish as a major language was lost even though Irish continued as the language of the greater part of the rural population; and a lot of people started to take up English, especially during and after the Great Famine.

When did the Irish revival movement start?

Among other developments, The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language was established in 1876 which gained recognition for Irish in the education system.

In 1893 Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) was set up, from which a mass movement of support for the spoken language grew.

H/T: Ireland.ie, SnaG.ie.