Irish, or Gaeilge, is the first official language of Ireland and, since 2022, a full official language of the European Union. In the 2022 census, 1,873,997 people in Ireland said they could speak Irish, and 71,968 of them spoke it every day outside the education system. Several big apps teach Irish, and each one helps with a different part of learning.
Here are the apps and services that teach Irish, grouped by what they help you do. You can start with one and add another when you need it.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Bubblegum suits learners who want Irish built around their own lives. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Irish to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Irish voices. For recorded speakers, Pimsleur and Mango are the better fit, and for conversation, try the tutors in Learn With People.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Irish about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Irish speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Follow an Irish Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Irish words and sentences.
Duolingo
Duolingo has a free Irish course for English speakers. Use its short lessons to meet your first words, and support the audio with recorded speech.
- Free lessons that take about five minutes.
- Practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise's current Irish page offers word lists made by learners. Preview a list to see what it covers and which explanations it includes. Older decks still use the separate Community Courses website.
- Irish word lists made by other learners.
- Start with the free plan to see which Irish tools fit you.
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango Languages teaches Irish through everyday conversations. It also has a short St Patrick's Day course for greetings, small talk, and ordering food and drinks.
- Hear every word from native speakers, with grammar and culture notes.
- Compare your pronunciation with the native speaker's recording.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Practice Speaking and Listening
Pimsleur
Pimsleur suits learners who want to start speaking before they read much. You hear a prompt, answer aloud, and then hear the correct answer. The app also has flash cards and quizzes.
- Audio lessons where you answer out loud and get voice feedback.
- Download lessons and use them offline.
MobileWeb
Glossika
Glossika has you listen to and say Irish sentences that it prepares for you. You can take a placement test or start from zero.
- Sentence practice with audio from native speakers, from A1 to C1.
- Teaches the Connemara dialect.
MobileWeb
SaySomethingin Irish
SaySomethingin Irish asks you to build sentences out loud. The course gives you repeated practice recalling and combining what you have heard.
- Hear a prompt, say it in Irish, then hear the answer.
- Speaking practice built with an Irish speaker.
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Drops
Drops helps you learn Irish words through quick games and pictures. Spaced repetition brings the words back so they stay with you.
- Short five-minute sessions with an illustration for each word.
- Topics include Gaelic games and Irish traditional music.
Mobile
Clozemaster
Clozemaster helps you meet many words in context once you know the basics. It has an Irish forum where learners share tips and resources.
- Fill in the missing Irish word in real sentences.
- Review brings sentences back when you are about to forget them.
MobileWeb
Read and Watch Irish
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who want to read and listen to real Irish. It added Irish as its 51st language.
- Study Irish from real content such as YouTube videos, podcasts, and ebooks.
- One membership covers Irish and all of its other languages.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Learn With People
Choose a tutor if you want teaching and correction. For group classes, see the next section.
italki
italki lists Irish tutors under Gaelic (Irish). Read profiles to find one who teaches the dialect you want.
- Choose an Irish tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Some tutors are native speakers, and some prepare you for Irish exams.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply has a page of Irish tutors. Some of them are native speakers, such as a tutor from Connemara.
- Compare tutors by profile and reviews.
- Get a free tutor replacement until you are satisfied.
MobileWeb
Irish to Watch, Hear, and Look Up
Irish has strong public resources beyond apps, and you can combine them with any app above.
TG4 is the Irish-language TV channel. Foghlaim TG4 is its learning site for people who want to improve their Irish, and Cúla4 has children's shows that suit learners. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcasts in Irish, so you can hear speakers from the Gaeltacht at natural speed. Nuacht Mhall reads the week's news slowly in Irish, with a script to follow along.
Irish has three main dialects: Connacht, Munster, and Ulster. Teanglann.ie has an Irish-English dictionary and a pronunciation database with recordings in all three, and abair.ie reads any Irish text aloud in a Connacht, Munster, or Ulster voice. Focloir.ie is the New English-Irish Dictionary, with audio, grammar notes, and an app for iPhone and Android.
For classes, Gaelchultúr runs weekly online courses at eight levels, starting with Beginners 1. Conradh na Gaeilge teaches adult classes in Dublin, in Galway, and online. Oideas Gael runs week-long Irish courses in Gleann Cholm Cille, County Donegal, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Learn Irish in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Duolingo | 32 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mango Languages | 2 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| Glossika | 2 | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| SaySomethingin Irish | 1 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- Bitesize IrishSelf-paced online courses made by educators, a free one-month Irish for Beginners course, a podcast, and a weekly Gaeilge Gach Lá newsletter.
- blas.Built for the six living Celtic languages, including Irish, with drills for mutations, grammar, and spaced review. It is new and growing.
- uTalkMore than 2,500 everyday Irish words and phrases across 60 topics, recorded by Irish speakers.
- LingIrish lessons with audio recorded by native speakers, plus a dialog feature where you pick the best reply in real conversations.
- GaeilgeoirDozens of Irish-language podcasts and videos, alongside songs, lessons, and conversation practice.
- Tandem and HelloTalkLanguage exchange apps with members in Ireland. Tandem lists Irish among its languages, for finding someone to message and talk with.
Common Questions
Which Irish app should a beginner choose?
Start with Duolingo or Mango for a gentle course, and add Pimsleur or Glossika to hear Irish spoken from the start. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Irish uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Can I learn Irish for free?
Yes. Duolingo's Irish course is free, and so is Mango's Irish course. TG4 Player is free to watch around the world, and the New English-Irish Dictionary at focloir.ie has 48,000 entries and is free to use. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.
Sources
- Central Statistics Office: Census of Population 2022 Profile 8, The Irish Language and the Gaeltacht
- Bunreacht na hÉireann (Constitution of Ireland), Article 8
- European Commission: Irish is now at the same level as the other official EU languages (2022)
- Foras na Gaeilge: New English-Irish Dictionary
- TG4 Player
- Mango Languages: Learn Irish
- SaySomethingin Irish: features and access
- SaySomethingin Irish: features and access
- Memrise: current Irish learner word lists
- Memrise: current mobile languages and plan limits
- Bubblegum
- Duolingo
- Pimsleur
- Glossika
- Drops
- Clozemaster
- LingQ
- italki
- Preply
Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.
