Irish teaching is not a problem for fluent speaker Clíodhna NíChorráin, who has passed the cúpla focus (a few words) to students around the world.
But before St. Patrick’s Day, live on TV for Canada’s National Broadcasting Corporation? For the county Armagh women, it was a real “pinch me” moment.
She told BBC News NI: “It’s one thing to teach the Irish in Canada, but to teach the whole country on national television – that’s another thing.”
This comes after the CTV producer discovered her Irish language content on Tiktok and helped gain national attention from Clíodhna.
Clíodhna teaches CTV morning live anchor, Rosey Ugo Edeh, some Irish phrases [Clíodhna Ní Chorráin]
Clíodhna’s television appearance sparked interest in learning Irish and she received messages from viewers asking if she could teach them.
She is an Irish Language Lecturer at the University of Ottawa and has her waiting list for her class every year.
This is part of an increasing interest in Canadian languages, home to the only official Galtaut (Irish language area) outside Ireland.
Almost 15% of Canadians claim Irish heritage, and many are eager to reconnect with their roots.
Some students from the University of Ottawa attended Clydener classes [Clíodhna Ní Chorráin]
“The Irish belongs to everyone,” she said.
“When you’re in North America, there’s no political connection to language – everyone loves it because it’s both cool and unique.”
Clíodhna’s interest in Ireland began in middle school and she fell in love with it immediately.
“I can’t believe we have something I’ve never heard of.”
After studying Irish and Spaniards at Queens University in Belfast, she received a scholarship to teach Irish abroad, first in the United States and then in Canada.
In Ottawa, she taught more than 230 undergraduate students in two years.
Clíodhna NíChorráin teaches Irish live on CTV morning before St. Patrick’s Day [Clíodhna Ní Chorráin]
Her students come from different backgrounds.
“I have Chinese, Arab, Indian and Australian students.
“It’s a very mixed bag.”
Clíodhna said she likes to teach Canadian students because “they grab it with their hands and have it.”
One of the students is Gabriella Moro, 23, whose great-grandparents are from Dublin and Antrim.
“What I love most about learning Irish is how warm, friendly and open the community is, and how pride they are in their language,” she said.
During her Irish language course, Gabriella of the University of Galway [Gabriella Moro]
Clíodhna believes that the reasons for the high interest in learning Irish overseas are twofold.
“There is a huge Irish diaspora in Canada, but many people lost their language along the way,” she said.
“It’s like a lost thread, but learning a language can weave it back to their Irish identity.”
Elizabeth is a history student at the University of Ottawa [Elizabeth Jerome]
Clíodhna also believes that recycling indigenous and minority languages is part of a wider global campaign, echoing her other student, Elizabeth Jerome, 23, who is now 23, has both Canadian and Irish roots.
“Canada is a melting pot of background and nationality, and now, recycling old language is a big deal,” Elizabeth told BBC News NI.
“It was amazing to see the interest in Irish language transmission, and everyone I told said, ‘Wait, can I learn too?’
In addition to college courses, Clydener also holds weekly meetings at Irish bars, ranging from college graduates to people in their 70s.
There is no sign of demand for Clíodhna courses.
She added: “I can’t teach everyone who asks me.”
“We just need more people to teach the Irish.”
