If you grew up in the 1990s or 2000s, you may have heard the term ‘dead language’ used when talking about Irish.

While Irish speakers have always existed, they became harder to find in the 20th century as the language seemed increasingly more irrelevant in the modern world.

If Irish wasn’t fully dead, it was certainly on life support.

But in recent years Irish is enjoying a boom in both the north and south of Ireland, particularly among young people.

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While some in the DUP try to paint Irish as threatening or a weapon in a culture war, for many young people learning the language has become liberating.

The younger generation’s respect for Irish was exemplified when, last week, Queen’s University Students’ Union voted overwhelmingly to reinstate bilingual signage.

The result backed up a recent survey on behalf of Údarás na Gaeltachta, which showed that interest in learning Irish is highest among adults aged under 35, with women particularly enthusiastic.

I myself am a testament to these findings, having first felt the urge to learn Irish two years ago when I was living away from home in Toronto.

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