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(This article is produced by our Gaeltacht team. You can read an Irish version of this piece here)
THE STATUS OF Irish as a global language has been boosted by international publishing house Simon & Schuster, which has just published a book about Gaeilge authored by an Irish woman who describes herself as ‘Barbie na Gaeilge’ on her globally accessed Tik Tok account.
Laura Pakenham, a teacher, broadcaster, social media content creator and, now, author, has written the book titled Irish – History and Culture Through Language, the latest title in the publisher’s Speak The World series and which is now on sale internationally.
The book is being published at a time when there is a surge in the number of people creating online content aimed at teaching Irish to learners who are taking an interest in the language in Ireland and around the world.
“I’ve been posting really on TikTok for the past two and a half years or so and it has grown and flourished tremendously since I started,” she said.
“You know, you’ll see different people every day live posting in and about Irish.”
Laura is from Longford and received her entire education through the medium of English. She explained that there weren’t many Irish-medium education opportunities in the midlands but that it didn’t stop her pursuing her interest in the language.
“I liked Irish as a subject. I didn’t know the Irish language or the history of the Irish language but I was good at the subject and I decided to go and do a primary teaching degree through the medium of Irish.”
She was among the first class to do that course at Marino Institute of Education and while she was on that course between 2019 and 2023, she spent three months on teaching practice on Leitir Móir in the Galway Gaeltacht.
“That’s probably where my taste comes from, there was a wonderful bean a’ tí who was emphasizing the Irish I was speaking and she was trying to get rid of the rotten Irish with me – I think she succeeded well.”
Although she had done her primary teaching degree, she was always interested in doing something in the media and by chance she met a journalist with Nuacht TG4 who informed her about an internship that was being advertised at the station. She entered the competition and was appointed to work on social media with the broadcaster.
She also spent a year working with TG4 Foghlaim/Learn and then was appointed as a journalist with Nuacht Cúla 4, during which time was working on a book. She is an example of the old saying – the busy person is the best person to take extra care of because that person is the one who will put that cow across the river for you.
She now works as a freelancer and creates content on social media. On TikTok she often posts content teaching the correct use of Irish in a fun and cheerful way and, since she calls herself ‘Barbie na Gaeilge’, she talks a lot about being present and her busy professional life.
Life has changed a lot since she started college in 2019. Back then when she was explaining to people that she was doing a degree through Irish, people used to insist that Irish was of no use and that she would be better off sticking to another international language like Mandarin or French or German.
“That was frustrating to me at the time – why did people think they were entitled to have such a negative response to me telling them what I was choosing to do.
“Now it’s a different story, when I tell them I’m working through Irish, they say that’s ‘so cool’ and I would love to be able to do something like that, to speak Irish better.”
She hasn’t felt that same frustration now in a long time, she says. She has almost 40,000 followers on Tik Tok and she’s busy and earning her livelihood through the medium of Irish.
“I have my day job and I have my own job with social media and promoting the Irish language.”
In addition to the opportunities, she’s also careful about her online image. As she says:
I’ve turned down various jobs because I want to protect my image and protect my image in terms of the Irish language.
“I’m sure I could probably earn more money doing other things but I’m not interested in that.
“Because I also have a professional career in the media but they come alongside opportunities have come my way.”
And that brings us back to the book. Irish, History and Culture Through Language is now available in stores. Laura Pakenham can also be found on TikTok.
The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
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