Non-credit, informal classes in the Irish Gaelic language (Gaeilge) are offered by Becky Shields of the Language Sciences unit as a community outreach service. Classes meet in person for one hour per week in Fall and Spring semesters. Key details:
- Basic introduction to modern conversational Irish for participants with no previous background
- Open to students, faculty/staff and community members – all are welcome!
Registration
Fill out this online form to sign up, and contact Becky with any questions!
Non-credit Courses

Irish Gaelic 1 – Is Mise…
All about me… Introduction to contemporary spoken Irish. Develop abilities to introduce yourself, talk about likes/dislikes and order food and drink, and describe hobbies and activities. Emphasis on sound system, fundamentals of sentence structure, and useful conversational phrases. Connecting elements of Irish language and culture.
Next offered Fall 2025

Irish Gaelic 2 – Scéalta, Daoine, Áiteanna
Stories, People, and Places. Continue to make progress in the basics of spoken Irish as you learn to describe people and places, and construct and comprehend short narratives. Emphasis on expanding vocabulary and learning common verb forms. By the end of the semester, participants will be able to engage in basic conversations and read simple narratives in Irish.
Spring 2025
Mondays 4:30-5:30
Summer Study and Scholarship Opportunities
For more advanced study in Irish, there are several summer programs in Ireland:
- Fulbright Ireland offers Summer Gaeltacht Awards for summer immersion study in Ireland. The awards provide free tuition, room, and board (participants need to cover their own travel costs) for 2-6 weeks of study at an Irish language course in the Gaeltacht. Students who have participated in non-credit classes are eligible to apply (although priority is given to students with more formal training).
- Foreign Language Area Studies fellowships are available for 6 week intensive Irish summer programs in Ireland. Undergrad applicants generally need to have at least intermediate level proficiency, so additional study beyond our informal classes may be required for eligibility. Graduate students may be any level. Contact the Center for European Studies FLAS coordinator Eleanor Conrad for more information.
- UW-Milwaukee’s Center for Celtic Studies offers a 3 week, 6 credit summer study abroad program at Oideas Gael, in Donegal, Ireland. Contact UWM to inquire about enrollment for UW-Madison students.
Local Community Resources
A variety of additional resources are available locally for students and community members interested in Irish Gaelic:
- The local Madison organization Ciorcal Comhrá na Cuinge (The Isthmus Conversation Circle) offers free weekly online conversation practice sessions for Intermediate students. Their website has info about other Celtic cultural happenings in the local area too!
- UW-Milwaukee’s Celtic Studies Center hosts an annual Irish language immersion weekend (Tionól Gaeilge – Irish Language Gathering) every March. The event features language classes, lectures, and other fun cultural activities.


Interview: Irish Language Lessons come to Madison
Listen to this interview about our Irish language classes, conducted by UW-Madison student reporter Heewone Lim, which originally aired on local radio station WORT on August 8, 2023.