Pride month may be over, but celebrating queer creators is a year-round pursuit! People often ask me how they can brush up on their Irish and improve their cúpla focal, and my answer is always following Irish-language content creators and influencers on social media. It’s a great way to rejig your memory, or to learn Gaeilge from scratch without even realising you’re doing so! Here are eight accounts you need to follow;
1. Ciara Ní É (@MiseCiara on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube)
Resident Writer in DCU. Bilingual poet, broadcaster, journalist and YouTuber, Ciara Ní É is a certified bad bitch. Her YouTube series What The Focal!? breaks down (in English) some common questions about the Irish language, and she also posts bilingual poetry to her channel.
2. Chris Is Ainm Dom (@ChrisIsAinmDom on Instagram and Tik Tok)
With 50,000 followers and over 1 million likes on Tik Tok, Chris is the Tik Tok Queen of Ireland. Creating a mix of queer content and Irish language hacks, Chris is a must follow for anyone who appreciates a good dad joke! His podcast Cad Is Ainm Duit? is also available to stream where you get your podcasts!
3. Do Chailín Rút (@Dochailinrut on Instagram and Twitter)
Rút is a musician, poet, style icon and all round glamazon from County Meath. Having recently returned to the boglands from Ottawa (where she was teaching Irish to Canadian university students), she is turning looks on the daily, and girls we have no choice but to stan!
4. Gaylgeoirí (@Gaylgeoirí on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter)
Gaylgeoirí is run by Cian Griffin; a poet, writer, broadcaster, journalist and lover of Vine references. From bilingual memes to full on fashion-shoots in the kitchen, Gaylgeoirí is a feel-good English/Irish influencer that promotes stupid humour, small Irish businesses, and being unapologetically you – all while wearing a pair of 6 inch stilettos! Also, Gaylgeoirí is currently writing an English-language novel called OUT set during Ireland’s marriage referendum, which promises to be hilariously Irish.
5. Kitty Ní Houlihán (Kittynihoulihan Instagram and Twitter)
Kitty is an Irish speaking baby drag queen from the back-arse of Galway that flits between Dublin and Tír na nÓg! She is a passionate linguist posts queer drag content through both English and Irish, and is definitely someone to watch!
6. Labhair Liom (@Labhair_Liom on Instagram)
This account is run by Mark Ó Glíasáin – a radio presenter on Raidió na Life and Raidió Rí-Rá that makes sure to blast gay anthems across the airways as often as possible! He is also an Irish and religion secondary school teacher, and his Instagram account is full of everyday vocab that will help you improve your Cúpla Focal!
7. Jill Mc Mahon (@ThriftyJilly on Instagram)
Jill is a poet, artist, musician and thrift shop queen (Macklemore eat her heart out) that shares her bargain bin treasures and promotes environmentally-friendly fashion on her bilingual account! She sings, she paints and she slays with sustainability seven days a week!
8. Queercal Comhrá Baile Átha Cliath (@queercalcomhra on Instagram)
Last but not least, is Queercal Comhrá BÁC – founded by Eoin McEvoy. This is a group of queer Irish speakers who meet up for chats with each other, to connect with like-minded individuals, and to learn some Irish! The account promotes queer creators and their work and celebrates what they are doing for the community, as well as offering an outlet for LGBTQ+ Irish-speakers. Definitely one to reach out to if you’re a fellow GAYlgeoir and want to get your Cúpla Focal on.
© 2020 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: xx20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.