Early and Modern Irish

B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ Level 8)
4 Years Full-Time
15 Places
CAO Points 368 (2023)
CAO Code TR022

Overview

Why study Early Irish?

Early Irish is the language in use in Ireland from the earliest period for which there are records up to the year 1200. The course covers the language and literature from the emergence of writing at the arrival of Christianity in Ireland to the production of the great saga manuscripts of the twelfth century.

Early Irish: The course for you?

If you are interested in acquiring a reading knowledge of Medieval Irish, in which the great saga literature of our manuscripts was written, and if you want to understand where today’s Irish language comes from, then this is the course for you.

Early Irish at Trinity

The Irish department staff at Trinity are recognised as experts in their respective fields and many former students are now teaching in universities at home and abroad. You will enjoy small class sizes and a friendly atmosphere.

Pathways

The pathways available are Single Honours, Major with Minor and Joint Honours. There may also be an opportunity to take this subject up as a New Minor Subject from second year.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

Some students of Early Irish pursue independent research in the subject with a view to teaching at third-level. Most follow a career in teaching or journalism, especially Irish-language related media. Library archiving, the public service, marketing, business, interpreting and translation all figure in the profiles of past students.

Your degree and what you’ll study

The Early Irish course, which is taught through the medium of English, covers the history of the Irish language from its first appearance on the Ogam inscriptions at the dawn of the Christian era in the fifth century, to the highly polished language of the sagas and law texts preserved in the medieval manuscript collections held in the libraries of Trinity, the Royal Irish Academy and the National Library

First and second years

In the first two years you will study the basics of Old Irish. At this stage you will read most literature in translation but you will be introduced to the original texts gradually and you will see how the language emerged and developed through the early Christian period.

Third and fourth years

In third and fourth year the horizons are expanded; your study of the history of the language will take you back to its Celtic origins and forward to the dawn of Modern Irish. At this stage you will be reading prose and poetry as well as law and history in the original language, and a special course in palaeography will teach you how to read the manuscripts themselves. Third year students may opt to spend a term in Aberystwyth, Wales learning Medieval and Modern Welsh.

At all levels, you will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods: essays, project work, presentations, book reviews and dossiers, podcast creation. Language modules are assessed by written examination.

There are QQI/FET routes available for this course. Please see www.cao.ie for details.

Click here for further information on modules/subject.

An Nua-Ghaeilge

Cad is brí le ‘Nua-Ghaeilge’?

Tugtar ‘Nua-Ghaeilge’ ar an teanga ón mbliain 1200 go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. Sa chúrsa seo léitear litríocht ó gach cuid den tréimhse agus déantar staidéar ar fhorás na teanga lena linn. Déantar staidéar speisialta freisin ar Ghaeilge an lae inniu agus ar Ghaeilge na hAlban.

Cén fáth a roghnófá an NuaGhaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide?

Tá cáil ar fhoireann Roinn na Gaeilge sna goirt ina bhfuil siad ag obair mar scoláirí agus iad ag foilsiú leo go rialta. Chomh maith leis sin, tá an-cháil ar an Roinn as a bheith cairdiúil, rud a thaitníonn go mór lenár gcuid mac léinn. Bíonn líon na mac léinn beag go leor le go mbíonn sé éasca do na mic léinn aithne a chur ar a chéile. Tá Cumann Gaelach na mac léinn an-ghníomhach ar fad; tá scéim chónaithe lánGhaeilge a bhfuil an-tóir uirthi sa Choláiste. San iomlán, is geall le mionGhaeltacht i lár na príomhchathrach sinn.

Postanna

Tá réimse an-leathan gairmeacha ag daoine a rinne Nua-Ghaeilge anseo. Ina measc tá cuid mhaith múinteoirí, iriseoirí (sna meáin Ghaeilge go háirithe) agus daoine le postanna eile sna meáin: teilifís, ceol, beochan, raidió agus an t-idirlíon. Tá borradh tagtha ar líon na ndaoine a fhaigheann postanna mar ateangairí agus aistritheoirí, in Éirinn agus san Eoraip. Tá léachtóirí ollscoile agus leabharlannaithe againn chomh maith, agus iarmhic léinn eile ag obair sa tseirbhís phoiblí, le gnó agus le margaíocht.

Cad a bheidh á fhoghlaim agat?

Is trí mheán na Gaeilge a mhúinfear do chúrsa. Foghlaimeoidh tú faoi gach gné den NuaGhaeilge: ón bhFiannaíocht sa 13ú haois go Máirtín Ó Cadhain agus Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill agus litríocht an lae inniu. Cuirfidh tú go mór le do chumas i labhairt agus scríobh na Gaeilge, agus déanfaidh tú staidéar foirmiúil ar cheartúsáid na teanga. Beidh deis agat freastal ar léachtaí faoi: scéalaíocht na seanré, stair shóisialta na teanga, an béaloideas, filíocht na scol, an Fhiannaíocht agus an nualitríocht ar fad, i.e. gearrscéalta, drámaíocht, úrscéalta, dírbheathaisnéisí agus filíocht. Caithfidh tú dhá mhí sa Ghaeltacht in Éirinn mar chuid de do chúrsa. Sainghné speisialta de chúrsa na Nua-Ghaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide ná gur anseo amháin a bheidh seans agat trí bliana a chaitheamh le Gaeilge na hAlban (a’ Ghàidhlig). Beidh seans agat, más mian leat, tréimhse a chaitheamh i nGaeltacht na hAlban freisin.

An chéad bhliain agus an dara bliain

Sa chéad bhliain agus sa dara bliain, díríonn an cúrsa ar na hábhair seo a leanas: scileanna i labhairt agus scríobh na teanga, an cheapadóireacht, an t-aistriúchán, stair shóisialta na Gaeilge, an Ghaeilge Chlasaiceach, an nualitríocht, Gaeilge na hAlban. 

An tríú bliain agus an ceathrú bliain

Sa tríú bliain agus sa cheathrú bliain, díríonn an cúrsa ar na hábhair seo a leanas: ardscileanna teanga (labhartha agus scríofa), an cheapadóireacht agus an t-aistriúchán ag leibhéal níos airde, agus Gaeilge na hAlban. Foghlaimeoidh tú conas lámhscríbhinní a léamh (cúrsa sa phailéagrafaíocht) agus léirmheastóireacht chriticiúil a dhéanamh ar scéalaíocht na seanré. Ina theannta sin, déanfaidh tú rogha cúrsaí sa Nua-Ghaeilge Mhoch, sa litríocht bhéil, i nualitríocht na Gaeilge agus/nó i nualitríocht Ghaeilge na hAlban.

Measúnú

Déanann gach mac léinn cleachtaí scríofa gach seachtain mar chuid den mheasúnú leanúnach; bíonn aistí le scríobh go tráthrialta, agus béaltriail agus scrúduithe scríofa ag deireadh an téarma. Sa cheathrú bliain, déanann mic léinn taighde neamhspleách agus scríobhann siad miontráchtas.

Staidéar thar sáile

Is aoibhinn beatha an scoláire a dhéanann leathbhliain thar sáile. Cé nach féidir staidéar a dhéanamh ar an nGaeilge thar sáile mar chuid de bhunchéim sa Nua-Ghaeilge, is féidir le mic léinn le Gaeilge, agus le Gaeilge agus ábhar eile leathbhliain a chaitheamh in ollscoil thar lear sa tríú bliain. Sa chás sin, déanfaidh siad a gcúrsa Gaeilge in aon leathbhliain amháin i gColáiste na Tríonóide, agus caithfidh siad an leathbhliain eile thar lear ag díriú go huile is go hiomlán ar an ábhar eile atá idir lámha acu.

Study Old Irish as part of the Early and Modern Irish Degree at Trinity

Dr. Mícheál Hoyne, Department of Irish, gives an overview of Early Irish, which can be studied as part of the four-year undergraduate degree in Early and Modern Irish at Trinity College Dublin.

Course Details

Awards

B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ Level 8)

CAO Information

CAO Points 368 (2023) CAO Code TR022

Number of Places

15 Places
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Admission Requirements

Leaving Certificate:

H4 in Irish

Advanced GCE (A Level):

Grade C in Irish

International Baccalaureate:

SL/HL Grade 5 in Irish

Course Fees

Click here for a full list of undergraduate fees.

Apply

To apply to this course, click on the relevant Apply Link below

EU Applicants

Read the information about how to apply, then apply directly to CAO.

    Non-EU Applicants

    Advanced Entry Applications

    Read the information about how to apply for Advanced Entry, then select the link below to apply.

    Get in Touch

    nibhraoc@tcd.ie

    Website

    www.tcd.ie/Irish

    Register Your Interest

    Register your interest in studying at Ireland’s leading university, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin.

    Register Your Interest

    Do mholfainn an chéim seo go mór d’éinne a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge i gcoitinne – mar atá sí sa lá atá inniu ann agus mar a bhí fadó – go háirithe dóibh siúd atá fiosrach faoin áit as a dtáinig sí i gcomhthéacs na hEorpa. Tá Roinn na Gaeilge ar cheann de na ranna is cabhraí agus is spreagúla dá bhfuil ann, a chothaíonn comhfhoghlaim agus cairdeas i measc a mac léinn go léir, agus is mór an pléisiúr dom go rabhas in ann a bheith i mo chuid dá pobal le linn mo chúrsa fochéime anseo i gColáiste na Tríonóide.

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