Irish listening practice is easier to follow when you can see what is said, hear it again, and know who is speaking. This page compares six tools on those points: the audio and the text, replay, offline use and the voices. Abairt shows a transcript with an English line under it, and TG4 offers Irish or English subtitles on its programmes. For a wider look at reading, listening and watching, see our Irish comprehensible input comparison. For courses and tutors, see our Irish app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Irish. You learn from Irish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Irish lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Every Irish lesson has read-aloud audio beside its text.
- The Irish dictionary has more than 22,000 entries with English meanings, and Poppy's grammar notes cover 253 topics in English.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Unlimited custom Irish lessons need Pro, and Bubblegum plays no shows or videos.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Glossika
Glossika suits learners who want to hear many whole Irish sentences with the English beside them.
- Irish sentences come with audio, and the sentence you hear is also shown in text.
- You can use the course online and offline.
MobileWeb
TG4+
TG4 suits learners who understand some Irish and want to follow real programmes.
- TG4 is Irish-language TV, with Irish or English subtitles on programmes that have them.
- Voices are the people on screen.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- AbairtRecordings of Mayo Irish with a transcript that follows along as they play, and an English line beneath the Irish. A speech tool drafts the transcript and the English line, and native speakers check them; entries marked confirmed have been checked.
- PimsleurIrish audio lessons where you answer out loud, with the teaching in English. It offers a free first lesson, and later lessons are paid.
- RTÉ Raidió na GaeltachtaIrish-language radio with a player on its website. The voices are broadcasters, and the page is in Irish.
| App | English help | Audio and text | Replay | Offline | Voices | Free or paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Partly | Lessons with read-aloud audio | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Read-aloud voices | Unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| Glossika | Yes | Sentences with audio and text | Repeated sentence practice | Online and offline | Native speakers | 7-day trial, then paid |
| TG4 | Partly | TV with Irish or English subtitles | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Programme voices | Free player, rights limits |
| Abairt | Yes | Recording with transcript and English line | Replay a line, loop it | Unconfirmed | Mayo Irish recordings | Free |
| Pimsleur | Yes | Audio lessons | Unconfirmed | Offline access | Course recordings | Free lesson, then paid |
| RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta | Unconfirmed | Radio stream | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Broadcasters | Free on the website |
Which Irish listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Irish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Glossika if you want short Irish sentences with audio and English beside them.
Can I read what is said while I listen to Irish?
Yes, in four of these tools. Abairt shows a transcript that follows the recording, Glossika shows each sentence in text, TG4 offers subtitles on some programmes, and Bubblegum shows each lesson's text beside its audio.
Which Irish do the recordings use?
Abairt names Mayo Irish, and TG4 and Raidió na Gaeltachta carry the voices of the people on air. Bubblegum and Glossika use recorded or read-aloud voices without naming a region, so listen to a sample first.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
