The Irish Language at Third Level
Conradh na Gaeilge is made up of more than 200 branches (craobhacha) in Ireland and abroad, working as part of a national movement for the Irish language. Branches are made up of people, usually working voluntarily, to achieve goals and objectives. Some of the branches are focused on specific geographical areas (e.g. Craobh Luimnigh, Craobh Londain), and some are focused on specific niches (e.g. Craobh Na Gaeil Oga, Craobh Raidió Rí-Rá).
Included here are university branches, usually taking the name 'Cumann Gaelach' or 'Cuallacht'. These branches work in the country's colleges and universities to promote the Irish language and build and strengthen Irish communities on their various campuses.
On this page you can find information about the Irish language at the College, including university courses that are available through Irish, the role of the Cumann Gaelach and the Students' Union Irish Language Officer and the Gníomhaí Gaeilge mentorship programme.
There are also resources and supportive material to help you promote Irish in your college.
3rd Level Courses with Irish
Irish is highly valued as a degree or postgraduate subject. There are plenty of Irish language courses available for those interested in language and grammar, journalism, academics, business, the media and many others. It is a worthwhile subject in itself, or as an additional and different skill for those whose primary degree is in a different discipline
Cumann Gaelach
A Cumann Gaelach or Cuallacht is a group or Irish society in a college or university. The group acts as a social space for the Irish speakers of that college, and organizes events and campaigns to promote the Irish language and to build and strengthen Irish speaking communities on their campuses.
Conradh na Gaeilge organizes certain events aimed at supporting students, more information can be found below.
In each Cumann there is a committee made up of elected people to carry out different aspects of the Cumann's work. Here, the common roles are described, and the typical work they do is explained.
This is only a guide to some of the aspects of the jobs, and it is worth remembering that different duties fall under the responsibility of different officers from time to time, depending on the year, the college and so on. This list is not exhaustive, and varies from college to college.
Senior Officers
Chairperson: This officer is also often called President or Reachtaire. The Chairperson is responsible for the work of the committee. They direct the work that the committee is doing, and they are the spokesperson for the branch in public.
The Deputy Chairperson: The Deputy Chairperson assists the Chairperson in their work, and takes over the duties of the Chairperson when the Chairperson cannot perform them.
The Secretary: The Secretary is responsible for the correspondence of the branch. It is their responsibility to keep minutes at the meetings, prepare reports, fill in forms etc.
The Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for the branch's financial affairs, managing expenditure and dealing with requests for money, grants, membership fees and more. Money decisions will normally be made with the Chairperson, and with input from the committee broadly.
Junior Officers
The Public Relations Officer / The Technology Officer: These Officers work to keep members and the public informed of what is going on. They manage the social media pages and send out the weekly emails unless that falls under the responsibility of the Secretary. They design graphics for posters and general advertising for the association.
The Entertainment Officer: The Entertainment Officer is responsible for organizing events. Included here is responsibility for organizing music, arranging locations and more.
The Debating Officer: The Debating Officer organizes internal competitions, and they prepare teams to send to national competitions
Other Common Officers:
Sponsorship Officer
Drama Officer
Campaign Officer
Media Officer
Opposition Officer
2/3/4 Year Officer
Publications Officer
Social Officer
Deputy Entertainment Officer / Public Relations / etc.
Ordinary Committee Member
Conradh na Gaeilge is always happy to help Irish Associations, between helping to establish a new association, giving advice, planning, discussing ideas and more. We employ a full-time Third Level Coordinator to provide that assistance to our branches. Conradh na Gaeilge offers workshops for Cumainn, freebies for Freshers' Week, training days, and tickets for events at student prices. Caoimhe Ní Mhaolaí is the current Coordinator, and she can be contacted at
Additionally, if you are currently on a Cumann, or would like to start one, weekly office hours with the Third Level team are available every Wednesday from 12-2 are available at this link.
The Union of Students in Ireland (AMLÉ or USI) represents students in most of the third level colleges and universities, and they have a Vice-President for Irish on their staff to represent the people of the Irish language at third level. Amongst their work, they support Irish Associations in the colleges they are associated with, so they are a good source of help for you. The Vice-President for Irish can be contacted at
It is usual for 3rd Level Irish Associations to have a constitution, settings out their aims, rules, roles and other important things clearly. Societies often need to have a constitution to get official recognition in the college, and we also recommend as good practice that all our 3rd Level branches have a constitution. The constitution is a tool that ensures the activities of the association in the short and long term, as well as being a guide in the work of the association. It ensures that newly elected officials know what they have to do in their jobs, as well as what rules they have to follow and what goals they should have. The constitution also serves as a useful guide in case of disagreement among committee members or in relation to the college's legislation.
Constitutions for Irish Societies
Below are some constitutions from our current branches. We cannot guarantee that these are accurate or up to date, and changes may have occurred since this list was compiled. This list is intended to guide new societies in setting up their own cumann and writing their own constitution.
Cumann Gaelach TCD - BunreachtTCD.pdf
Cuallacht na Gaeilge, Má Nuad -BunreachtMáNuad.pdf
Cumann Gaelach UCD -Bunreacht
An Chuallacht, UCC - Bunreacht_Chuallacht_UCC.pdf

Can be found here

Membership
By joining your Cumann Gaelach at college, you also become a member of Conradh na Gaeilge, the oldest Irish language organisation in the country, and you have a say in the future of the language. As an additional bonus, from 2024 on, third level branch members can also be members of a branch outside of the education system. Find your local branch here.
Irish Language Officer

The Irish Language Officer plays an extremely important role in the Student Union. They are usually responsible for the Union's approach to the Irish language, and because the Union represents thousands of students, they were the Irish Language Officer responsible for ensuring Irish language rights on campus for thousands of people, as well as standing up for Irish in the college.
This section has been written with input from Irish Language Officers, with the hopes of acting as a guide for newly-elected officers.
You have been elected as an Irish Language Officer, fair play! First of all let's look at what is involved in the role.
Not every college or university has an Irish Language Officer as a Union officer. Currently, dedicated students in various colleges are fighting to achieve that, so that Irish people have a voice in Student Unions, and have access to a source of authority to achieve their wishes. Therefore, if you are already an Irish Language Officer, you have a particular advantage in that people who have gone before you have already achieved that power.
If the Union has a constitution, chances are it is mentioned in who you are in name and to be responsible for it. There is also every chance that legislation related to the Irish language has been passed by the Council of the Union or a similar system in your college. If the Union has a policy book, look at the number of amendments that have been adopted in terms of the Irish language over the years. Depending on the college, this could be neatly organized in one place and easily accessible. It could also be scattered between different documents from different years without order or arrangement. You will have to do this research anyway, and it will shape what the members have put forward over the years.
You will be working throughout the year with all the other officers on the Union, so it is worth having a good relationship with them. This will be helpful when you need to pressure them or ask them for things in the future. Get to know them, be friendly and inform them of their duties in terms of the Irish language while they are in the Union.
If there is a Cumann Gaelach in the college, you will work closely with them as well. Get to know the chairperson and the other officers early in the year, offer them your help and do your best to build as good a relationship as possible with them during the year. There will be better access to people with Irish who are outside the circles of the Union, and it will be possible for them to run social events and so on more efficiently than the Union in many cases. If you have a good relationship, this will help you when you want to achieve things in your own role
You only have a certain amount of time to go throughout the year, and you will have to think about how you are going to use that time. You will have lectures, study, exams and other academic work, you will have a social life, you could have a part-time job and there will be much more. Think about how much time you can devote to your work as an officer each week.
In that time, you mainly want to work for the Irish language community in college. Then if there is time left, it is possible to think about the things that can be done to promote the Irish language in another way, such as discussing with learners and learning the Irish language. Finally, there will be other things going on in the Union that people will be looking for help with, and it is worth supporting them at times, but make sure that your own priorities are in order.
If there isn't an Irish Language Officer in your college yet - seek one!
Speak to current officers on your Students' Union about the possibilities of establishing this new role. Depending on your college, you may have to put this as a motion before council, and achieve a majority vote. In other colleges, you might have to collect a certain number of signatures. This information should be on your Union's website, or through contacting current Officers.
Make sure to explain the advantages of establishing this new role, as well as explaining the obligations on your college under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 in the south or the Language and Identity Act 2022 in the six counties. If your college is a member of USI, your union's obligations for the Irish language can be seen here.
You can contact
As long as you are in your role as Irish Language Officer, you will always have support available to achieve your aims and goals. Conradh na Gaeilge is always happy to help, and we have employed a full-time Third Level Coordinator to provide you with that help. Caoimhe Ní Mhaolaí is the current Coordinator, and she can be contacted at
Additionally, if you are a current Oifigeach na Gaeilge, or would like to discuss the development of such a role in your college, weekly office hours with the Third Level team are available every Wednesday from 12-2 are available at this link.
The Union of Students in Ireland (AMLÉ or USI) represents students in most of the third level colleges and universities, and they have a Vice-President for Irish on their staff to represent the people of the Irish language at third level. Amongst their work, they place particular emphasis on helping the Irish Language Officers in the Student Unions, so they are a good source of help for you. The current Vice President is Bláthín Nic a t'Síthigh, and she can be contacted at
There is much more to the role of the Irish Language Officer than just translations.
At the 2023 USI Comhdháil, a motion was passed stating that "the role of the Irish Language Officer should not be focused on translation, but be focused on the promotion of the language and the protection of language rights in the university."
If your college or union requires translation services, you are advised to contact the Contract's translation services, by sending an email to
Events for Students
Conradh na Gaeilge organise some events specifically for students. As well as that, students are welcome to attend any event ran by Conradh na Gaeilge. You can find upcoming events in youráirithe ag an gConradh do mhic léinn ach go háirithe. Ach chomh maith le sin tá fáilte roimh mhic léinn freastal ar imeacht ar bith de chuid Conradh na Gaeilge. Is féidir teacht ar imeachtaí atá ag teacht anuas anseo i do cheantar anseo, agus is féidir imeacht ar bith atá á reachtáil agat a chuir leis.
Cumann Gaelach & Irish Language Officer Training
4-6 October 2024
Every year Conradh na Gaeilge run a training weekend for the committees of Cuman Gaelachs and for the Irish Language Officers from Students' Unions across the country. There's workshops, social events, and discussion panels. Food, refreshments etc will be provided and accomodation will be provided for colleges not based in Dublin. To attend the weekend contact
Oireachtas na Samhna
1-3 November 2024
Oireachtas na Samhna is an annual gaelic festival. Conradh na Gaeilge organsie a weekend package for students which includes accomodation, tickets, food on Friday night. You can buy a ticket from the Cumann Gaelach in your college, but if one doesnt exist yet, contact
Gaeilge24
12 November 2024
Gaeilge24 is a wonderful opportunity for college groups. The aim of this Gaeilge24 challenge is to encourage students to speak only in Irish for 24 hours: at college, in accommodation, with shops and businesses, around town, at the sports club & with friends. All students will be asked to raise €10 / £9 for the charity. All fundraising students will receive the package below. More information and a registration link can be found here.
Dúshlán
28-31 January 2025
The aim of the #Dúshlán competition is to give students the opportunity to use Irish in a fun, natural way, outside of the lecture theatre.
There are three people on each team. There are 30 challenges (tasks) to complete inside of 50 hours. #Dúshlán2024 will be full of every kind of challenge - to be completed on campus and at home.
There will be a prize for the best university team.
Ard-Fheis Chonradh na Gaeilge
21-23 February 2025
Every member of Conradh na Gaeilge can attend the Ardfheis. Your Cumann can register as a branch here, or by contacting
Gníomhaí Gaeilge
Gníomhaí Gaeilge is a mentorship scheme for people who are active with the Irish Language at third level.
This scheme is run by Conradh na Gaeilge, the Union of Students of Ireland and supported by the Higher Education Authority. The Higher Education Authority is supporting Gníomhaí Gaeilge by providing €150,000 in funding over a period of three years.
If your question is not answered on the right, you can see here for more information.


Gníomhaí Gaeilge is a mentorship scheme for people who are active with the Irish language at third level.
Anyone who is attending a third level course can register for Gníomhaí Gaeilge.
There are three different awards: Individual, Cumann Gaelach and other groups, and Students' Unions.
You can register for more than one award, for example if you were Chairperson of the Cumann Gaelach, you could register for both the Individual Award and the Cumann Gaelach Award.
A description of the different awards is below.
Individual
For this award you will seek to achieve personal goals in terms of the Irish language. These can be related to the work of the Cumann or the Union as well.
Cumann Gaelach and Other Groups
This award recognises Cumann Gaelachs and other groups. Normally the Chairperson is the representative of the Cumann. However, you can still apply for this award if the chairperson is not taking part, and the committee agree that you can be the reperesentative for the Cumann.
Students' Union
This award recognises Students' Unions. Usually, the Irish Language Officer or Union President is the representative of the Union. However, you can still apply for this award if the ILO and President are not taking part, and it is agreed with the Union that you can act as representative.
Students will be chosen to take part in the scheme in June and a mentor will be assigned to them. Work will start in August/ September.
A registration/register interest form will open for the next academic year in Spring.
Those taking part in Gníomhaí Gaeilge are expected to attend training and skills days, meet with their mentors, work on behalf of the language to achieve previously agreed goals throughout the year.
A mentor will be assigned to each student with experience and skills who will help the student act on behalf of the Irish language. The mentor may have attended the same college, been in the same role in previous years, have experience from their work that matches the student's goals or have some other value that will contribute to the student's work .
The mentor will be available to the student when they need advice or help. They will have meetings throughout the year to discuss plans and report progress.
Employment Opportunities:

The Irish language sector is booming! Hundreds of job opportunities are announced every year, which offer competitive salaries. You can find more information about current opportunities with Irish at peig.ie/gairmeacha. The latest availabilities are announced at peig.ie/foluntais.
Supports
Conradh na Gaeilge wants to support students and new graduates to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities in the Irish language sector. Below are a few support services available to students and recent graduates.
Employment Workshops
Fill out this form to host an employment workshop in your college.
CV Clinics
It can be difficult to apply for a job in the Irish Language Sector for the first time. If you would like help with your CV, fill out this form and a CV Clinic will be arranged with you.
Mock Interview
The 3rd Level Team of Conradh na Gaeilge run a Mock Interview session once a month. If you would like to attend the next one, and do a mock interview fill out this form and all information about the next session will be sent to you.
Because Irish is an official language in the European Union, there are opportunities for people with Irish. There are various jobs available in the EU: translator, interpreter, legal linguist, proofreader, assistant, and administrator. Translators deal with the written word, while interpreters listen to live speech and translate it into another language. All information regarding jobs through Irish with the EU can be found here.
The Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 has set a requirement that 20% of recruits to the public sector will be competent in Irish and English from the end of 2030. Depending on the role, there would be a high standard of spoken and/or written Irish Needed to work through the medium of Irish. Because of that, Irish will be a significant advantage when someone is going for any role in the civil service or in the public sector. There is a wide range of jobs available with the state, from clerk to engineer to doctor to senior civil servant and many others. This variety gives people who want to work through the medium of Irish the opportunity to do something of their choice. More information on jobs in the civil service can be found here.
Opportunities are constantly coming up with organizations such as Raidío na Gaeltachta, Macalla teo, Fíbín Media, Cúla4 and others. Keep an eye on https://peig.ie/foluntais/ to see current opportunities.
Internship with RnaG/TG4
RTÉ Ráidío Na Gaeltachta and TG4 announce internships every year. Keep an eye on this link to see vacancies.
BLOCK TG4
If you want a casual or informal experience, consider creating content for BLOC TG4. BLOC is a platform for Irish speakers between 18-35 who want to provide innovative, funny (and daring) content to the Irish community. We are always looking for new ideas from people and you are very welcome to contact
If you have to take a year of work experience as part of your degree - consider applying for a job in the Irish language sector
Apprenticeship with hÚdarás na Gaeltachta:
There are apprenticeships offered by Údarás na Gaeltachta in different sectors, eg: carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, hairdressing, laboratory technician, insurance practitioner, auctioneer etc.
There are 15 different sectors coming under the scheme and 60 apprenticeship places, all recognized by SOLAS and open to the Gaeltacht community with fluency in Irish
Internship with RnaG/TG4
RTÉ Raidío Na Gaeltachta and TG4 announce internships every year. Keep an eye on this link to see current availabilities.
Traineeships with the EU
The European Union offers traineeships through Irish. Keep an eye out on this page for current opportunities.
You can find more out about careers in the Irish language at cnag.ie/gairmeacha. Current information about positions currently hiring is available at peig.ie/foluntais.
Archive
Irish Language Societies at University have been around for many years now, with some branches now over 100 years old. Since the early years of Conradh na Gaeilge, there was a good relationship between the organization and students.
The time that students spend at university is short, and society committees are usually for a shorter time. This section aims to preserve a record of the achievements of various Cumann Gaelachs. If you would like to add any material please contact us.
Tuathal, Iris an Chumainn Gaelaighch, Trinity College Dublin
Iris Breac, Iris na Cuallachta, University College Cork
Winners of the Silver Award 2023
An Cumann Gaelach, UCD
Students' Union, IADT Dún Laoghaire
IrishSoc RCSI
Students' Union, UCD
Students' Union, South East Technological University, Waterford.
Students' Union, Dublin City University
Students' Union, Carlow College
Students' Union, Ulster University
Students' Union, Queens' University Belfast
Winners of the Gold Award 2023
Students' Union, University College Cork
The Drama Society, University College Cork
An Cumann Gaelach, University of Galway
Students' Union,, University of Galway
Cuallacht Cholmcille, Maynooth University
Students' Union, Maynooth University
An Cumann Gaelach, University of Limerick
Students' Union, Mary Immaculate College
Students' Union, Trinity College Dublin
An Cumann Gaelach, Trinity College Dublin
2022 | Kevin Kelly | Kings' Inns |
2021 | Seán Ó Gallchobhair & Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin, Cumann Gaelach OÉG | Blackhall Team |
2020 | Caoimhe Cummins, Róisín Madden agus Cian Bolger Hayes, David Nesbitt |
School of Law, DCU |
2020 | Darragh Ó Caoimh agus Carthach Ó Faoláin | School of Law, UCC |
2023 | An Chuallacht, UCC |
2022 | An Chuallacht, UCC |
2021 | Cumann Gaelach, TCD |
2020 | Cumann Gaelach OÉG |
2019 | Cumann Gaelach TCD |
2018 | Cumann Gaelach TCD |
2017 | Cumann Gaelach TCD |
2023 | Cill Airne | Aaron Ó Conaill & Gráinne Ní Ailín | Cumann Gaelach TCD |
2022 | Cill Airne | Seán Ó Gallchobhair & Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin | Cumann Gaelach OG |
2021 |
Óstán Camden Court |
Siobhán Ní Chróinín & Oisín Ó Síocháin | An Chuallacht UCC |
2020 | Ar Líne | Kate Gaughan agus Molly Parmeter | Cumann Gaelach OÉG |
2019 | Citywest | Ciara Ní Dhonnacha agus Barry Ó Siochrú, Cumann Gaelach OÉG | An Chuallacht UCC |
2018 | Cill Airne | Darragh Mac Giolla Phádraig agus Eoghan Ó Finn | Cumann Gaelach OÉG |
2017 | Cill Airne | Colm Ó Néill agus James Kirwan | Cumann Gaelach Choláiste na Tríonóide |
2016 | Cill Airne | Áine Ní hAilíosa agus Cárthach Ó Faoláin | An Chuallacht, UCC |
2015 | Citywest | Dónal Ó Catháin agus Séamus Ó Ceannainn | Cumann Gaelach UCD |
2014 | Aindriú Ó hEachteirn agus Dónal Ó Catháin | Cumann Gaelach UCD | |
2013 | Deirdre Ní Dhonnchadha, Lára Ní Dhálaigh | An Chualacht, UCC | |
2012 | Cormac Breathnach agus Eoin Ó Murchú | Cumann Gaelach UCD | |
2011 | Eoin Ó Murchú agus Aindriú Ó Faoláin | Cumann Gaelach, UCD |
Contact Us

If you need support, or have any questions, contact Dónall Ó hÉigeartaigh, the 3rd Level Coordinator with Conradh na Gaeilge at

If you have a question relating to Gníomhaí Gaeilge, contact Órlaith Ní Thuathaigh, Gníomhaí Gaeilge Coordinator at

If your college is a member of the Union of Students of Ireland, the Vice-President for Irish, Bláithín Nic a t-Síthigh, is more than happy to offer supports. You can contact her at