(Seo alt ónár bhfoireann Gaeltachta. Is féidir an bunleagan as Gaeilge a léamh anseo)

 THE IRISH LANGUAGE used in television and other media advertisements is too difficult for the public to understand and there is a need for a more playful copy  with a more flexible policy on translations, a marketing expert has suggested following the publication of new research.

This is the result of research carried out by Amárach Research and the policy recommendation has been made by Aoife Porter, founder of Bua Marketing, a company that seeks to advise State agencies and government departments that are required to produce a proportion of their public advertising in Irish.

The pilot research study published this month by Súil Feasa, the name of the new service, refers to the 1.4% of the population who speak Irish daily, according to the latest census figures, and less than 10% who say they speak Irish well.

“Understanding the language is the most significant barrier to advertising through Irish,” said Porter.

“That ability to understand has a significant impact on campaign performance.”

However, it is clear that there are new strategic opportunities for advertisers who can use a creative approach.

“If you focus on everyday, fun use while avoiding complex technical language, you can reach those with a lower level of proficiency, which is the majority of the country.”

According to language legislation, public bodies must do 20% of their advertising in Irish and 5% in Irish-language media. In 2024, according to research conducted by the Office of the Language Commissioner, public bodies did €19m worth of advertising in Irish.

This research has revealed that over 50% of the public pay more attention to advertisements in Irish and that three out of four are in favour of a legal requirement for advertisements to be in Irish.

The research also states that women and people aged 18-24 are the first to say that they are fluent in Irish and the impact of the Kneecap band is being felt cite as an author of this. It is also said that men are more likely than women to share content in Irish and that the majority of people who are fluent in or live in the Gaeltacht share advertising content in Irish.

According to the in-depth analysis of a handful of advertisements with Irish and English versions, it was found that the English versions were more effective in reaching the public and being understood – but the English advertisements were not too far ahead of the Irish versions.

It is said that the difficulty of comprehension is the most significant obstacle and if this could be overcome, advertisements would be almost as effective in both languages.

The Súil Feasa report argues that the requirement according to regulations that there be a full and accurate Irish translation of the English advertisement is a barrier to understanding and that this detracts from the effectiveness of the advertisement.

“A more flexible policy regarding translation would greatly enhance the power of advertisements in Irish in the future,” the research suggests among its conclusions.

The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme