Here's the thing, I'm not going to convince you you should be speaking more Irish, cúpla focal anseo agus ansiúd. The word 'should' denotes some element of responsibility, burden or something languishing at the bottom of your to- do list until, well, until you die. 

I'm Siún Ní Dhuinn, and I curate the content you see on rte.ie/Gaeilge as well as co-hosting the podcast, Beo ar Éigean. I wasn't brought up in a Gaeltacht area, I didn't go to a posh school and I live my life half in English, half in Irish. 

You could be blissfully unaware of the Irish language for the majority of the year, many people are. Now that we spend so much time at home, we're not even hearing the passing announcements on buses and trains, "Tá rogha leathan shnackanna" or indeed " Seachain an bhearna" or seeing roadsigns and mouthing the original place names of our land, "Muiceanach Idir Dhá Sháile" or "Cúl an tSúdaire", two beauties.

I'm not here to explain to you how wonderfully enriching the language has been for my life (but it has) but I am happy to tell you if you've been considering returning to the language or indeed learning it for the first time, you are in for a treat. You'll be unlocking a door into the soul of this country, revealing a place often hidden from view.

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Off the beaten track is where the magic is, we know this to be true. Stumbling upon a secluded village with its own delicacies is way more exciting than visiting the places everyone else goes to on holidays. Finding yourself at a secret rave at 4am instead of front and centre at the main stage at a festival is where the buzz is to be found. Similarly, being in Irish speaker in Ireland is a mysterious thing, it gives you the access all areas pass to parts of Irish culture and heritage which had previously been out of bounds. 

Coming up as part of the Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia, you'll be hearing and seeing a lot more Gaeilge on all of our platforms, here are just a few highlights:

  • A new four part series of Mo Thréibh (My Tribe) begins on RTÉ One on Monday the 8th of March at 19.30. With narration by Peter Coonan, the series goes behind the newspaper headlines to discover the real Hip Hop crews, Indie kids, Ravers and Metallers, exploring the passion, dedication and sense of belonging that their tribe gives them. 

  • To celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra is collaborating with renowned singer/songwriter John Spillane - the gorgeous ballad 'All the Ways you Wander' will be translated into Irish by poet Simon Ó Faoláin and sung by Sligo singer Niamh Farrell. 

  • On RTÉ.ie, well-known names will reveal their favourite sayings in Irish and, each day, the Today show will hop on board as Maura and Dáithí add their favourites. Make sure to check out RTE.ie/Gaeilge for the latest news and events from Seachtain na Gaeilge, as well as special RTÉ and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta content, while RTÉ Player will showcase a range of Irish-language content from RTÉ and TG4.

Cuimhnigh, nothing worth doing is easy, anois away leat!