After the news last week that a barman left his job after he was banned from speaking Irish, Aodhán Ó Deá says he has also experienced negative reactions when he has spoken as Gaeilge.

The poetry, prose and history of the Irish language should be taken out of the current course and put into a separate, optional subject for advanced students – while “Irish Language” should be taught to every student as a core subject, writes Aodhán Ó Deá.