About Líofa

The word Líofa means ‘fluent’ and this is precisely what The Líofa Initiative strives to achieve – a greater number of fluent Irish speakers.  

We at Líofa aim to encourage as many people as possible to make a personal pledge to improve their Irish, and in doing so, to join a community of like-minded people focused on learning and using the language. We also aim to support learners at any stage on their language journey, as the Irish proverb goes Ní neart go cur le chéile, which means that together we're stronger.

The Líofa Initiative was launched in September 2011 to get 1,000 people to sign up to Líofa and commit to improving and using Irish. By the end of 2021 we had over 24,800 people committed to learning the language. 

Líofa can offer you practical support to help you learn Irish:

  • You can access many learning resources through our website.
  • You can apply to attend an Irish-language summer course in Donegal through the Líofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme (The scheme will open for applications from 18 January 2023. 
  • The Líofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme 2023 Application Form can be completed online or by calling 028 9051 5114. Please refer to Gaeltacht section of website and Gaeltacht colleges to check which colleges are in the 2023 scheme. 

Líofa recognises that the Irish language does not belong to any particular group or individual, but is a rich, vibrant language to be spoken by anyone who wishes to do so. So please join us and sign up to Líofa today.