A FUNDING pot of nearly €2m has been allocated to support the teaching of Irish at universities in Europe and the UK.
Ireland’s Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary confirmed today he has approved up to €681,146 per academic year for the period 2025-26 to 2027-28, which amounts to €1.979m in total.
The funds will support the teaching of Irish in universities in continental Europe and the United Kingdom under the An Ciste Tríú Leibhéal Thar Lear, 2025-2028 inititative.
Minister Dara Calleary made the announcement today‘‘I am very proud that my department is able to announce three years of funding today for the teaching of Irish in European universities under An Ciste Tríú Leibhéal Thar Lear, 2025-28,” Minister Calleary said.
“Over the next three academic years, this scheme will continue to celebrate and encourage the use of the Irish language in universities in the UK and continental Europe,” he added.
“It is very pleasing that my department has already received 23 applications for this scheme and I hope that more universities will apply for support under the scheme in the future.”
The aims of the fund are to “foster and promote goodwill towards the Irish language outside the State and to provide a platform for the accessibility and promotion of the Irish language as an international language”, Mr Calleary’s department explained.
The fund is open to applications from overseas third level institutions wishing to provide Irish language courses as part of their academic programme.
More than 20 universities received funding in the period 2022-23 to 2024-25 with universities in Scotland, Wales, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, England, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Sweden participating in the scheme.
That period comes to an end this year and 23 applications have already been received for the next period, from 2025-26 to 2027-28.
The grants will cover the salary and administrative costs of the courses as well as 80 per cent of the cost to students of attending summer courses in the Gaeltacht.
Each university/student is responsible for the remainder of this cost.
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