Discover Irish Gaelic: the ancient language still alive today
When you arrive in Ireland for your internship, you will probably notice something unusual on the roads, in train stations and around towns and cities. Many signs have two names.
One is English. The other is Irish.
You might look at a sign saying Dublin / Baile Átha Cliath and wonder if you have accidentally arrived somewhere else.
Don't worry. You are still in Ireland!
The Irish language, known as Gaeilge (Gwayl-guh), is one of the oldest living languages in Europe. It has been spoken in Ireland for well over a thousand years and, although English is now the main language used across the country, Irish is still very much alive.
A language with a long history
Irish is part of the Celtic family of languages and has played an important role in Irish culture and identity for centuries.
Today, Irish is particularly strong in areas known as the Gaeltacht (Gwayl-tuckt), where people use Irish as part of everyday life. These areas can be found in different parts of Ireland, including Galway, Donegal, Kerry and Mayo.
You may also hear Irish on television and radio, see it on public signs and come across it at cultural events.
So while you probably won't need Irish to survive your internship, you will definitely encounter it during your time here.
Irish names can be a surprise
One of the first things international visitors often notice is Irish names.
You might meet someone called Niamh, Aoife, Saoirse or Siobhán and immediately think, "How on earth do I pronounce that?"
Don't worry. Irish people are used to explaining their names!
You may also discover that many Irish towns and places have names that look very different in Irish.
Galway becomes Gaillimh.
Cork becomes Corcaigh.
Dublin becomes Baile Átha Cliath.
After a while, you may even start recognising some of them.
A little Irish goes a long way
You don't need to learn Irish before coming to Ireland, and nobody expects you to become fluent during your internship.
But learning a couple of words can be fun.
You may already know Sláinte, which means "health" and is often used when making a toast.
You might also hear craic, a very popular Irish word used when talking about fun, entertainment or what is happening.
Someone asking, "What's the craic?" is not talking about a mysterious Irish food.
They simply want to know what's going on!
Discover it while you're here
One of the best things about spending time in Ireland is discovering these little parts of Irish culture for yourself.
Look at the Irish names on road signs. Listen for the language when travelling. Ask your Irish colleagues about words or place names that you find interesting.
You don't have to speak Gaeilge to appreciate it.
After all, your internship is about experiencing Ireland, meeting people and discovering a culture that is much older than most of the buildings, businesses and coffee shops you will visit.
And if you leave Ireland knowing what "What's the craic?" means, you're already doing pretty well!
Céad míle fáilte to Ireland! - Welcome to Ireland!
