Maynooth University leads first-of-its-kind study on the Irish language in the Irish university sector, launched by President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly

A new research report on the status of the Irish language at Maynooth University has been launched by President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly.

The report, titled Ár gCampas, Ár dTeanga (“Our Campus, Our Language”), presents the findings of a large-scale study to examine ability in, use of, and attitudes towards Irish among all staff and students of the University.

The research involved over 3000 participants and it will provide an important evidence base for language planning at Maynooth University in the coming years. This will be of particular importance in light of new obligations on public bodies under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, including targets to increase the number of staff who are proficient in Irish and requirements relating to the provision of bilingual public services.

The findings reveal very strong goodwill towards the Irish language across the University community, alongside significant opportunities to strengthen institutional support.

Among the key findings:

• There is widespread goodwill and support for Irish in MU: 90% of the 3329 staff and student respondents believe that Irish should be promoted on campus.
• There is a strong foundation of self-reported proficiency in Irish among staff and student respondents: 30% of students and almost 19% of staff reported having at least B2-level (upper intermediate) proficiency in spoken Irish.
• The research suggests that much of that capacity is currently latent: more than 50% of proficient Irish speakers said that they seldom or never use Irish on campus.
• There is a strong appetite for more opportunities to learn Irish: 85% of staff and 82% of student respondents expressed a desire to improve their Irish. Many respondents noted that constraints on time and a lack of institutional recognition can limit engagement with those learning opportunities available to them already.
• Demand for, and capacity to provide, Irish-language services was also clear: 50% of students said they would use Irish-language services if available, while 45% of staff expressed an interest in using Irish in their work.

The report sets out 25 practical recommendations to build on these strong foundations, to support language planning at Maynooth University and put language policy into practice. These include increasing the visibility of Irish and strengthening Irish-language ‘breathing spaces’ on campus, expanding learning opportunities for all staff and students, piloting certain Irish-language services and enhancing institutional structures and resources for language planning.

Speaking at the launch, President of Ireland Catherine Connolly said: “"May I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Dr Joe Simpson for undertaking this very important study. May I further congratulate all those who participated in the survey, conducted as part of the study, for the insights which they have given into the current status of the Irish language in Maynooth University and for clarifying the future possibilities for the University as a bilingual campus.

It is clear from the study that there is significant goodwill in the University towards the Irish language, but also that there are practical challenges ahead. The recommendations which have arisen from the completion of this survey offer a source of hope which, when implemented, will strengthen and benefit the language on campus.

May I offer my best wishes to all at Maynooth University as you develop this vision of bilingualism.”

Maynooth University President, Professor Eeva Leinonen said: “As the first study of its kind undertaken in an Irish university, Ár gCampas, Ár dTeanga represents a significant milestone not only for Maynooth but for the wider higher education sector. Maynooth has a long and proud association with the Irish language, stretching back more than two centuries to the foundations of learning on this campus.

“We are immensely proud both of that enduring tradition and of the work taking place across the University today to support and strengthen the Irish language. This report is important because it gives us clear, tangible insights into the place of Irish in university life and helps inform how we can build on that legacy and deepen our commitment to fostering a truly bilingual university community for students and staff in the years ahead”.

Ár gCampas, Ár dTeanga will be publicly launched at Maynooth University on 24 March 2026. The full report will be available online following the event.