After Graduation
Recent graduates of TCD Irish Department have gone on to work in areas as diverse as secondary and university teaching, translation and interpreting, television and radio and journalism. Increasing numbers of graduates go on to take further postgraduate courses in areas such as media, business and education. The combination of an arts degree and a more vocational or professional programme of studies has proved to be highly attractive to prospective employers.
Career Information
The Careers Advisory Service offers a range of services and resources to assist students in preparing for, making and implementing informed decisions about their future careers. Both the Careers Advisory Service website (www.tcd.ie/Careers) and the Careers Library provide information on all stages of the career planning process, in addition to information on employment vacancies, postgraduate study and working abroad.
After Graduation
Recent graduates of TCD Irish Department have gone on to work in areas as diverse as primary, secondary and university teaching; translation and interpreting; and television, radio and journalism. Increasing numbers of our graduates go on to take postgraduate courses in areas such as media, business and education. The combination of an arts degree and a more vocational or professional programme of studies has proved to be highly attractive to prospective employers.
Here are just a few of our graduates:
- Aisling Nic Ruairí (2003-07), translator in the European Parliament.
- Tommy Ó Conghaile (2001-05), TV presenter and editor of Irish Language magazine, Nós.
- Niamh Ní Chonchubhair (2001-05), Programme Manager at the Axis Arts Centre
- Sharon Ní Bheoláin (1988-1992), TV presenter
- Declan Kiberd (1969-73), scholar
- Bernadette Comerford, presenter with RTÉ Radio 1
- Micheál Ó Siadhail (1964-1968), poet, scholar
- Robert Gunning (1997-2001), translator with the European Commission
Career Support
The Careers Advisory Service offers a range of services and resources to assist students in preparing for, making and implementing informed decisions about their future careers. Both the Careers Advisory Service website (www.tcd.ie/Careers) and the Careers Library provide information on all stages of the career planning process, in addition to information on employment vacancies, postgraduate study and working abroad. The Careers Advisory Service is available for all students during their studies here and for two years after graduation.
Graduate Profiles
Please read the profiles below to discover what some of our graduates have gained from studying Irish in Trinity, and what they have achieved since graduation.
Christina Cleary
Graduated with a Single Honor Degree in Early and Modern Irish, November 2009
Being part of Roinn na Gaeilge in Trinity provided me with some of the most valued years of my life. When I first embarked upon my path towards third level education I found the whole task quite daunting, yet within a few weeks of lectures I was completely enveloped. The staff itself boasts some of the most learned academics in the field who are prepared to support and help each individual student to progress to their full potential.
First year in Early and Modern Irish (EMI) introduces the student to the vast opportunities available and encompasses topics such as the origin of the language and Old Irish literature. These, and many others, are then studied in more detail in the following years. Second year, then, provided me with the opportunity to sit the Trinity Foundation Scholarship Examinations. Having obtained the appropriate grade, the scholar is awarded financial support for the next five years which includes postgraduate studies, accommodation, your daily meal and much more.
Third year was one of the most socially and academically exciting years for me as I was given the opportunity to study in Aberystwyth, Wales for a semester. While there, the student of EMI is taught Welsh, Early Irish and Modern Irish from a totally new perspective. Then, during the second semester, I was given the option of studying Scottish Gaelic in the Isle of Skye for a week. A little known fact about the Irish Department in Trinity is that you are introduced to all these wonderful languages as well as Irish itself.
My choices of where to apply for postgraduate studies were broad and varied, having majored in Early Irish in my final year. For instance, I considered applying to Cambridge, Paris, Bonn and Marburg. I finally chose Phillips-Universität in Marburg for my Master’s programme, so that I could learn the German language and broaden my academic horizons in a foreign country.
Among the many boons of being part of Roinn na Gaeilge is that the student is presented with multi-dimensional facilities, networks and access to the major works housed in Trinity's Manuscript Department, in the Royal Irish Academy and in the National Library. I also became acquainted with the scholars and academics of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies through Trinity’s Roinn na Gaeilge and was thus able to avail of their facilities. I have made a deep connection with the subjects I have studied, Trinity College and the Irish Department that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Máire Ní Bhraonáin
Graduated with a Two-Subject Moderatorship Degree in Modern Irish and Drama Studies, November 2010
Is mise Marie. Is as Gaillimh mé. Tháinig mé go Coláiste na Tríonóide ceithre bliana ó shin chun staidéar a dhéanamh ar na nGaeilge agus ar an Drámaíocht. Tá an-chuid staire ag baint le Coláiste na Tríonóide, an coláiste is sine in Éirinn, agus bhí suim agam i gcónaí teacht anseo tar éis na hArdteiste. Labhraím Gaeilge le mo mhuintir féin agus i ndáiríre, is Gaeltacht bheag atá lonnaithe anseo i Roinn na Gaeilge. Bheartaigh mé freastal ar Choláiste na Tríonóide i mBaile Átha Cliath toisc go raibh mé ag iarraidh saol na cathrach a bhlaiseadh agus iarracht a dhéanamh maireachtáil go neamhspleách.
Chomh maith leis sin, thuig mé go raibh pobal na Gaeilge an-láidir i gColáiste na Tríonóide agus dúradh liom go raibh réimse leathan ábhar ag baint leis an gcúrsa Gaeilge anseo. Níl aon amhras ach go bhfreastalaíonn an cúrsa seo ar an nGaeilge mar ábhar ach níos tábhachtaí ná sin, mar theanga chomh maith. Cuirtear léachtaí ar fáil (trí Ghaeilge ar ndóigh) ar nós: Pobal agus Teanga, Sean- agus Nua-fhilíocht, Béaloideas, Prós na Gaeilge agus Gáidhlig na hAlban. Bíonn roghanna difriúla ann chuile bhliain.
Anuas ar sin, tá Cumann Gaelach thar a bheith bríomhar i gColáiste na Tríonóide agus i mo bhliain dheireanach d’éirigh leo ballraíocht os cionn 900 duine a fháil. Cuireann imeachtaí sóisialta agus cultúrtha go mór leis an gcúrsa Gaeilge agus tugtar deis an teanga a úsáid taobh amuigh den seomra ranga.
Ba mhór an t-athrú a bhí ann imeacht ó mo chlann agus na seanchairde ach bhí mé ag iarraidh triail a bhaint as Baile Átha Claith. Táim thar a bheith sásta gur éirigh liom cúrsa Gaeilge a dhéanamh anseo. Ní fhéadfainn smaoineamh ar fhoireann teagaisc níos diograisí nó níos deise ná Foireann Roinn na Gaeilge. Cothaíonn said grá ionainn go léir don Ghaeilge agus tugtar spreagadh dúinn chun seoid ár n-oidhreachta a chaomhnú agus a fhorbairt chuile lá.
Mícheál Hoyne
Graduated with a Two-Subject Moderatorship Degree in Modern Irish and History, November 2010.
Ní déarfainn gur thaitin an Ghaeilge liom mar ábhar Ardteiste. Shíl mé go raibh an scrúdú féin ábhar leadránach agus ní raibh meas madra agam ar an bhfilíocht a bhí ar an gcuraclam. Níorbh amhlaidh a bhí mé agus Stair na Gaeilge á déanamh againn, áfach. Luadh scéalta a mhair na céadta, filí iomráiteacha, cineálacha filíochta a bhí gonta agus gréasach, maorga agus magúil. Dar fia, chuir sé isteach orm nach raibh tathag san eolas a tugadh dúinn mar gheall ar na hábhair seo agus ghriog sin mé chun Gaeilge agus Stair a chur ar an bhfoirm CAO.
Tugadh breith mo bhéil dom ón gcéad lá i leith: saoithiúlacht dhosháraithe fhilíocht na scol, laoithe suaithinseacha Fiannaíochta, cuntas Thaidhg Uí Chianáin ar Theitheadh na nIarlaí 1607, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn le Céitinn, amhráin álainne le filí Seacaibíteacha Albanacha... Agus cé go bhfuil an iomarca litríochta ann sa Ghaeilge le gach aon ghné den traidisiún a phlé sa rang, tá cead spaisteoireachta ag gach aon mhac léinn sa Leabharlann, áit a bhfuil dalladh leabhar de gach aon saghas.
Is geal liomsa an Ghaeilge atá againn, idir litríocht agus chanúintí, a scrúdú mar chomharba shaibhreas na nglún a d’imigh romhainn, agus tugann cúrsaí faoi ghnéithe éagsúla den litríocht, faoi chanúintí an lae inniu, faoi Ghaeilge na hAlban, tuiscint níos fearr dom ar phréamhacha agus ar thriall na Gaeilge atá againne. Is mór an rud é a bheith in ann é seo a dhéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge féin i gcoláiste go bhfuil oidhreacht ársa léinn aige: bunaíodh ollamhnacht na Gaeilge anseo sa bhliain 1840, oileadh de hÍde anseo, agus chaith mórscoláirí ar nós Eleanor Knott, E.G. Quin, David Green agus mórán nárbh iad a saol ag soilsiú shaíocht na sean do mhic léinn agus don saol mór sa choláiste seo.
Fara le spreagadh intinne, ní beag an rud é go mbíonn mic léinn na Gaeilge mór le chéile i gcónaí agus go mbímid an-chairdiúil go deo leis na léachtóirí agus leis an bhfoireann i Roinn na Gaeilge. Is laochas liom gur mionGhaeltacht i lár na cathrach sinn agus go dtugann an cúrsa seo deis domsa saol aoibhinn an scoláire a chaitheamh ag plé leis an gcultúr dúchais i bpríomhchathair na tíre trí mheán na Gaeilge i dteannta carad as ceithre hard na hÉireann.