LOCATION:Gael Linn’s Gaeltacht courses for adults are held in Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal, which is one of the largest Irish-speaking areas in the country. The classes take place in
Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge (F92 V2AW is the Eircode or 'Ionad na hOllscoile' according to Google Maps).
The area is one of outstanding natural beauty, surrounded by the Derryveagh Mountains, the most majestic of which is Errigal. Some of the finest beaches in Ireland are to be found in Gaoth Dobhair.COURSE:One of the aims of the course is to show that the Irish language is vibrant and relevant to all aspects of modern life.
The courses run Sunday to Saturday and classes start at 10.00 and end at 15.30. You will have free time each evening to get dinner and you'll see we have different events planned each night. These events are optional but we highly recommend attending them. We break for lunch from 13.00-14.00 each day, usually people bring and eat their own food as we have a canteen in the Acadamh but just for tea and coffee. You might not have the time within that hour to go to a local café so I would recommend bringing lunch with you. There is a local supermarket called Gallagher's Foodstore for all your food bits. You do not need to buy any book for the course but we do recommend that you bring a folder and a notebook with you so that you can gradually build a learning folder throughout the week. You can find the schedule for a typical week on one of our courses HERE.
Past-participant Recommendations:
“Bhain mé sult as na ranganna - ní raibh siad rófhoirmiúil (is saoire atá ann) agus bhí neart deiseanna againn le bheith ag plé agus giota beag craic a bheith againn. D'fhoghlaim mé cupla rud an-úsaideach chomh maith. Bhí imeachtaí den scoth eagraithe, go háirithe an turas treoraithe agus an turas go Gabhla. Beidh me ar ais an bhliain seo chugainn.”
“The course was amazing from start to finish. There was such variety, camaradarie and exposure to the Irish language and culture. We had an exceptional teacher who taught us so much, provided such variety and made it fun and engaging the whole way through. Such a gifted teacher. The organisation and support from everyone involved in the course was truly exceptional. I had high expectations going but they were actually exceeded so good was the course.”
LEVELS:
There are 7 levels to choose from and our courses follow the TEG Levels, and you can find more information about them
here. If you are unsure about which level to chose you can try TEG's online assessment
HERE. Read through the below statements for each level which will hopefully give you a better idea of our classes and if the statement resonates with you then that should be the correct level for you.
1. Complete Beginners (A0) - "I am a complete beginner, I know one phrase but nothing else"
2. Beyond Beginners (A1) - "I'm beyond beginner, I've studied Irish before and understand the basics, but still fairly basic level"
3. Improvers (A2) - "Tuigim go leor as Gaeilge, I'm a bit rusty and I want to solidify the basics and focus on more conversation and some grammar"
4. Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1) - "Tuigim an-chuid, ach ba mhaith liom snas a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge"
5. Intermediate (B1) - "Táim ag iarraidh barr feabhais a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge idir labhairt agus scríobh"
6. Pre-Advanced (B2) - "Táim nach mór líofa ach ba mhaith liom barr feabhais a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge"
7. Advanced (C1) - "Tá ardchaighdeán Gaeilge sa chomhrá agam, ba mhaith liom díriú ar chúrsaí aistriúcháin agus ar phíosaí gramadaí níos dúshlánaí"
ACCOMMODATION:Course participants make their own accommodation arrangements during the course and there are many different options. You can our accommodation list and extra information
HERE.
DATES 2025: Cúrsa A: 22/06/2025 - 28/06/2025
Cúrsa B: 10/08/2025 - 10/08/2025
FEE: €250
TO REGISTER: Registration is not open for 2025 courses just yet. Please
CLICK HERE so that we can notifiy you when the registration is open. Please note we have a
maximum places of 120 people on each course. NOTE: There is a
10% discount available for anyone with a valid student card, for anyone receiving a pension, and for job seekers. Please get in touch with
ian@gael-linn.ie to avail of this discount.
SCG & OCG Recognition:
Gael Linn’s Donegal courses are recognised by the Department of Education and Science and they satisfy the requirement that primary teachers trained outside the State must attend a recognised course in the Gaeltacht. There will be a number of lectures/workshops specifically for teachers in addition to the programme already described. When applying please quote SCG.
MORE INFO:
For more information contact us on 01 675 1200 or email
ian@gael-linn.ie, or visit our office at 35 Dame Street, Dublin 2.