Read all about it! Groundbreaking Irish Language Journalism course hailed a triumph

The innovative Irish-language journalism training course led by TG4, in partnership with Gréasán na Meán Skillnet, has been hailed a success by its first participants.

The 17 students who took part in the first year of this course, which concluded earlier this month, have praised it for providing a thorough grounding in the craft and proactive of journalism, for providing greater confidence in speaking as Gaeilge, and for the empowering impact of bringing together emerging journalists who want to work in the Irish language.

The course covered hands-on training in news gathering, writing, investigative reporting, media law, digital storytelling and social media, podcasting, mobile journalism (MOJO), voice and presentation skills, cybersecurity for journalists, and Irish-language writing for news.  The course was directed by media coach Grett O’Connor, former Nuacht TG4 journalist and founder of 'My Media'.

As one student said: “The course was brilliant, not only for practising skills but also as a source of inspiration — to show us the possibilities out there and give us the confidence to try things.”

Read more from the participants about their experiences of the course:

“The best course I’ve ever done. In my opinion, this two-week course was better than a few years in university studying journalism. I have to say, I’m certain I’m a better journalist now. I’m more prepared to go out and work as a journalist. I’m also a more well-rounded journalist now, too.”

“It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life so far. Not only did I learn loads of information and tips that will be useful to me in the future, but I also got an amazing experience. I got the chance to work with people who have the same interest, even though they’re at different stages of life. I feel like I’ve changed as a person and learned a lot about myself. The best thing about the course is the friendships that came out of it. I know I’ll have these friends for the rest of my life. I’m truly grateful for this course.”

“I really, really enjoyed it. The two weeks were absolutely wonderful. The course itself was excellent — high standard and top-class speakers. The accommodation and facilities were perfect. I’ve improved my Irish by 1000% and I hope to improve it even more. I learned new skills and now I have a huge interest in communication — I think I’ll be good at this work and I really enjoy it. It’s also great for making progress with my vision. I have a huge new respect for journalism and the craft. It’s not easy but it’s very rewarding. Thank you so much.”

“It really helped that GnaM was so kind and patient with us all. I’ll be forever grateful I did this course.”

“Excellent for getting to know other people who are interested in Irish-language media in a supportive environment.”

“It was fantastic. It was clear that a huge amount of work went into the course structure, and a lot of planning was done to make sure every aspect of journalism was covered. I think it was great that there were grammar classes as part of the course, and I really liked them. The speakers were excellent, and GnaM deserves huge praise for putting it all together and keeping us on time and on schedule every day! It was a great idea to get us to make the video beforehand and to get us to present the speakers — two simple things that gave us experience of aspects of journalism as well. Thank you so much!”

“I thought the course was EXCELLENT! The standard was really, really high. Everyone involved was very experienced. I feel like I learned an incredible amount. It was nice to do practical work, but the days that were just PowerPoints and Q&As were just as important. I’m really looking forward to seizing new opportunities in journalism in the future.”

“I thought it was a really good course! I learned a lot! The speakers were very strong, and it was great to meet people working in the media, especially those I’ve been following for years. Lastly, it was lovely to refresh my Irish and meet new people in the Irish-language world that I’d never met before!”

“The course was high-quality and I learned a lot about the world of journalism.”

“It was brilliant! It was inspiring! I’m sad that it’s over.”