'Kneecap effect' boosts Irish language popularity but teaching methods are outdated

Eva Osborne

The 'Kneecap effect' has been credited with boosting Irish language popularity, with 68 per cent of sixth-year students reporting a love and appreciation for the language in a new survey.

However, the survey of 1,300 students from online study tool Studyclix also revealed that 81 per cent of them believe the way the language is taught is outdated.

Studyclix credits the rising enthusiasm for the Irish language among young people to various recent cultural phenomenons including social media, music, and movies but the study experts say its survey shows students think Irish language teaching methods are "ineffective".

Recent wins for the Irish language include the success of Belfast hip-hop group Kneecap and the work of an increasing number of Irish language infuencers on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, who promote the language "with fun and accessible ways to learn it".

However, the Studyclix survey results indicate that traditional teaching methods are failing to capitalise on the cultural revival - while 56 oer cent said that Irish should be retained as a mandatory Leaving Cert subject, some 81 per cent said that teaching methods are outdated.

38 per cent said they had no confidence in their ability to conduct basic conversations in Irish in real-life situations.

29 per cent said that they love the Irish language, and 39 per cent said they appreciated its value.

Known for mixing English and Irish in their lyrics, the Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap have developed a cult following since the release of their debut album in 2018. However, the group has earned mainstream fame through the release of the movie Kneecap in 2024.

The production earned six BAFTA film nominations and 17 IFTA nominations this year and had been hotly tipped to land an Oscar nomination. When it did not do so, the band posted a short statement on its own ‘X’ account that said "F**k the Oscars".

Commenting on the findings, Anna O'Sullivan, Studyclix Schools Manager and a former Irish and teacher, said: “The likes of Kneecap and certain social influencers are keeping students interested in the Irish language and helping them to value it as a cultural touchstone.

"The survey reveals a deep well of positive feeling for the subject among sixth-year students – this despite their daily exposure to teaching methods which, the survey results also reveal, have been ineffective.

“The way in which we teach the language is in need of dramatic reform. The feedback from our respondents indicates that there’s an appetite out there for more conversational Irish. People just want to speak the language and are less interested in poetry or literature, so perhaps that should be our focus going forward.”