Before going out and discovering the World, we should be trying to figure ourselves out, right? What makes us tick? What drives us forward? Why are we inclined to follow certain paths but not others?

Most of these questions can be answered by looking back at our family tree and trying to discover our heritage.

Wherever this travel may take us, we’ll know more about our ancestors, our family, and ourselves – of course. You’ll be surprised by how far genealogy has gotten to. Commercial DNA analysis is a certainty for the present and people are taking advantage of these resources to find out their family’s history and, why not, their Irish heritage.

In this rebroadcast of the 31st Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode you can listen to a very interesting discussion between Eoin and Michael Carragher from the Irish Family History Forum of Long Island and New York City. Find out how discovering stories from your family’s past can be heartbreaking or surprising and how DNA tests can help you discover your Irish heritage.

This is a re-run of the 31st Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

Life is all about ups and downs. You’ll need to face challenges on a daily schedule and more often than not, you’ll find yourself in need of some extra strength to be successful in whatever you’re doing. For some of us, that strength comes from within our family, the place where we always feel like home.

We need to admit that our family plays an extremely role in our lives.

Starting from childhood, we seek role models and want to be near strong characters that end up defining who we will become as an adult. Family and childhood are extremely important because they allow you to see your surroundings with different eyes and probably feel a lot more protected.

The story behind our 30th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode is one that involves Irish heritage, family and childhood far away from the place you live but somehow close enough to something you can call home. In this rebroadcast you can listen to Eoin from Bitesize talking to Michael Carragher, the president of the Irish Family History Forum about Michael’s childhood and travels to Ireland.

This is a re-run of the 30th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

If you’re passionate enough to learn Irish Gaelic, a trip to the Gaeltacht (where Irish Gaelic is spoken in communities) can be an amazing experience. Seeing how the best time to visit Ireland is upon us, why not go ahead and do it… or start planning for next year?

Visiting the Gaeltacht is a good test of knowledge for those who are studying Irish Gaelic using the Bitesize method or any other ways to get acquainted with our beautiful language. If you’re planning such a trip, then you should look up Oideas Gael and what they have to offer. Don’t want to go alone or want to join bigger groups? Attending Irish Gaelic Immersion Weekends that take place near your area can be a good start to meet other language enthusiasts such as yourself.

Ireland and the Gaeltacht have so much to offer for those who have an Irish heritage or just want to visit our beautiful country. In the 29th episode of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast, Eoin talks with Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, founder of Oideas Gael about the history of the Gaeltacht and its future in connection with the Irish language.

Go ahead and listen this rebroadcast of the 29th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

The Irish culture is something that many people around the globe are fascinated with. Some like to read Irish books, others want to listen to Irish and Celtic music or visit Renaissance festivals. Whatever you may like about the Irish and Celtic culture, you have to admit that it’s something we all should try to learn a little more about.

It’s no secret that the Irish language has its problems because fewer people are speaking it but we see this as another motive why you should try to get a feel of the Irish culture, just a little bit and join the very worthy journey of preserving it.

Just like us, Marc Gunn has joined this amazing journey. While we’re doing our best to preserve the Irish language and culture, Marc took upon himself the very worthy goal of preserving and promoting the Irish & Celtic music. He has his very own Irish and Celtic Music Podcast and can tell us more about touring Ireland on a bus tour, going to renaissance festivals and enjoying that amazing mix of culture.

If you want to learn more about the Irish & Celtic music, Celtic invasion Vacations, and American adoption of Irish culture, please go ahead and listen to this rebroadcast of the 28th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode.

This podcast episode is in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

In the past year, the Bitesize Irish Gaelic community has been more active than ever. It makes us happy to see so many individuals wanting to discover their Irish heritage and learn this beautiful language.

It gives us hope that the Irish language is in good hands. 

The Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast has almost 70 episodes in over 2 and a half years and it represents one method to bring the Irish language closer to our audience that we really enjoy. It allowed us to interact with similar people who have the same level of passion for preserving the Irish language and showcasing Ireland’s culture.

In this rebroadcast of the 27th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode, Eoin brings you some of the best bits of the podcast’s first year. Guests, people who listen and leave comments – they’re all doing their role in growing the Irish speaking (or learning!) community.

This is a re-run of the 27th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

You’d think that speaking Irish in Ireland is something easy to do, but is that so? English is taking over all across Ireland and Irish speaking people are having a hard time to speak Irish on a daily basis. You might even say that being an Irish speaker in Ireland is just like climbing hills every day – it’s never easy.

Speaking Irish with Government services or other similar situations aren’t the easiest things to do in Ireland and it feels like Irish speakers are backed into a corner by the majority of English speaking people. The positive thing about this (yes, there is something positive) is that the Irish speaking community is pulling together, rather that splitting up into camps.

The situation is far from perfect so people are gathering and taking action to improve the status quo of the Irish language, at least in Ireland.

In this rebroadcast of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode 26, Eoin talks with Síne Nic an Ailí who is a part of Conradh na Gaeilge and an organiser of Lá Mór na Gaeilge 2015 when over 10,000 people marched for language rights on the streets of Dublin. You’ll hear what it means to speak Irish on a daily basis and the difficulties you have when dealing with the authorities and speaking Irish Gaelic.

This is a re-run of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast 26th episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

If you watched closely our member interviews category on this blog, you’ve noticed that people have several reasons why they choose to learn the Irish language. For some the Irish heritage is something sacred within the family, for others, it’s the need to preserve the beautiful language.

We came across many people, each with their reasons to learn how to speak Irish. Their stories start with curiosity and developing into a self-improvement journey or hide other passions such as the love for music.

Next to the beautiful landscapes, the welcoming people and great beer, Irish music plays an important role for the Irish people. This is also the case of David Wood whose love for music encouraged him to discover Irish songs and then the Irish language. Listen to his talk with Eoin in this rebroadcast of the 25th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode.

This is a re-run of the 25th episode of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

Depending on how long you’re planning to visit Ireland, you may or may not have time to discover all the Irish beautiful places. You can choose to join generic travel tours where you join another group of people and visit the important landmarks along your path or you could choose the alternative.

There are certain places in Ireland that aren’t advertised as travel destinations but they sure are worth visiting. The alternative to joining travel groups who visit specific landmarks would be to do your research and set your own path alongside Ireland’s beautiful landscapes. For example, did you know there are some secret places in Dublin you could visit?

Listen to the rebroadcast of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast 24th episode where Eoin talks with distinguished travel writer, Pól Ó Conghaile about some of their favourite spots in Dublin. Discover the Hungry Tree, St. Valentine’s Relic, Napoleon’s Toothbrush and learn Pól Ó Conghaile’s tips on getting around when visiting a new city.

This is a re-run of the 24th Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast episode in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

Learning Irish can be quite the challenge. What can you do to boost your chances of learning this beautiful language? 

If you took on the very worthy challenge of learning Irish and preserving this language, but you don’t see the progress you’re looking for, reaching out to others can help you complete this rewarding task. But how do you reach out to others so you can learn Irish better and practice it?

Listen to this rebroadcast of the 23rd Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast where Eoin talks with Dineen Grow from Madison, Wisconsin. She spent years helping people who share her enthusiasm for the Irish language and heritage to learn and practice. Learn how to reach out to others to boost your Irish language learning efforts.

This is a re-run of the 23rd Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.

The Middle Ages represent one of the most agitated periods in the history of Europe. Ireland wasn’t an exception and it had its share of turbulent times. The Irish language was the subject of many influences along Ireland’s history and the Irish people were very possibly even more multilingual than they are in present times.

How did the Irish language evolve in the Medieval Times and how this period of time influenced Ireland as a nation? These are just two questions that were answered in the 22nd episode of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast where Eoin talks with Fin Dwyer from the Irish History Podcast.

This is a re-run of the 22nd episode of the Bitesize Irish Gaelic podcast in the English language.

Please comment on the original episode.