Program Overview

Overview of the Early Irish Program

The Early Irish program is a four-year, full-time course that covers the history of the Irish language from its emergence at the dawn of the Christian era to the production of the great saga manuscripts of the twelfth century. This course is designed for students interested in acquiring a reading knowledge of Medieval Irish and understanding the origins of the modern Irish language.

Course Details

• The course is taught through the medium of English.
• It covers the language and literature from the earliest period for which there are records up to the year 1200.
• Students will study the basics of Old Irish in the first two years, including reading literature in translation and being introduced to original texts.
• In the third and fourth years, the study of the history of the language will expand to include its Celtic origins and the dawn of Modern Irish.
• A special course in palaeography will teach students how to read manuscripts themselves.
• Third-year students may opt to spend time in Aberystwyth, Wales, Utrecht in the Netherlands, or Marburg in Germany, studying subjects like Welsh and historical linguistics.

Awards

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

Course Options

Early Irish can be selected as the Modern Language option for the following Joint Honours combinations:

• Ancient History and Archaeology
• Classical Civilisation
• Drama Studies
• English Studies
• Film
• French
• German
• History
• History of Art and Architecture
• Italian
• Linguistics
• Mathematics
• Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations
• Music
• Russian
• Sociology

Admission Requirements

• All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language.
• Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Graduate Skills and Career Opportunities

• Some students of Early Irish pursue independent research in the subject with a view to teaching at third-level.
• Many 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.

Assessment

• At all levels, students will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams.
• A mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods will be used, including essays, project work, presentations, book reviews, dossiers, and podcast creation.
• Language modules are assessed by written examination.