“The variety of class structures, as well as Paraic’s lived experiences as an Irish person brought the language alive for me in ways that would be hard to come by if you only relied on language apps or online courses. I recommend working with him as a way to have a well-rounded immersion not just in the Irish language but in the culture itself.”

“Living overseas it can be difficult to find a group of people for conversation and to push your ability, but that is exactly what Paraic provided. As a native speaker he has that ‘blas na teanga’ that makes Irish such a wonderful language!”

“I am an Irish missionary who never learnt Irish in school but had to learn a number of other languages for my work overseas… on my return to Ireland last year, it was my dream to learn my own language, at last ! I am lucky to have had Paraic guide me in these first steps ; he is patient, curious, interested in and encouraging of his students. Hopefully our paths will cross again !”

“Paraic’s lessons gave me the confidence not to be “perfect” and to stop being afraid of mistakes by focusing on getting my ideas across and connecting with my conversation partner, just as I would in English. In addition to being a gaeilgeoir, I think the key to Paraic’s success as a teacher is his flexibility and adaptability to his student’s needs, and his non-judgmental style with positive reinforcement all along the way.”

“I chanced up Paraics website and was immediately drawn to his message. He didn’t disappoint. Far from it. During our lessons we discussed topics that I and he were drawn to which made every lesson enjoyable and of great value. I highly recommend Paraic as a tutor in Irish, because not only did I learn the confidence to actually speak “ as Gaeilge “ but we tackled heritage, music, mythology and things dear to my heart.”

“Paraic is an fíorrud — the ‘real thing.’ He teaches through conversation, the way you would naturally learn to speak and listen. Sessions with him are not only a lot of fun. They have helped me understand the traditions and worldview of the Irish people while engaging with Irish as a living language. Low stress, high interest, real gains in fluency — what more could I ask? I highly recommend his lessions for learners of every level.”

“This is not just textbook teaching but a language experience that stays with you. Fundamental to this, was Paraic’s patience and encouragement which helped bring about massive improvements in my spoken Irish. As a native speaker, and proud west of Ireland man, imparting his undoubted grá for his culture and heritage, Paraic gives you hope for the future status of the language.”

Since he is a native speaker of Irish and knows the culture so well, he was able to give me an overview of the language and deeper understanding of Irish culture and language. It’s clear he loves the Irish language and he communicates that clearly.

He has a teaching style that uniquely embraces the principles of adult learning. He has dropped me in the deep end of the beautiful mystery of the Irish language and patiently, and with good humour, is teaching me to swim to shore!

Paraic also gave me great insight into the culture of the Conamara Gaeltacht, and even though I was working hard, our conversations were always great fun.

While anyone can learn vocabulary from a dictionary…one clear advantage Paraic has is the vocabulary that is actually used in Connemara, an Irish speaking area in the west of Ireland!

Paraic has a down-to-earth, laid-back temperament. He taught me Irish, but, in turn, about Irish culture: the former being the key to better understanding the latter. I have learned that language cannot be separated from its people.!

For the last 6 months I have been getting lessons and there has been an amazing improvement in my ability to Converse in irish!

 Irish is in his very blood, and he is passionate about his language and culture!

Paraic inspires and challenges the willing learner to new heights!

We touched on countless topics during our conversations and I was casually learning all this new vocab pertaining to things that interested me!

There is one item on my bucket list and that is to be able to maintain a conversation with a native Irish speaker. Paraic, with his beautiful Irish and Connemara blas was a real find. He patiently let me practise on him and would now and then interrupt with “Now the way we would say that in Connemara is………….!

Paraic is expert at keeping that pace just a bit ahead of you, not so slow as to be boring, not so fast as to be discouraging, so that you keep moving closer to your goal!

Chatting with Paraic in Irish was of inestimable value in developing confidence and a fairly sophisticated vocabulary. It was the key factor in my getting a fáinne óir, the symbol of fluency in Irish Gaelic. 

Today, I find at least 70 percent of our conversation is spoken in Irish. Had you told me six months ago that I’d have made this kind of progress I never would have believed you!

I will be able to achieve my long held dream of speaking Irish with confidence and pride. Paraic’s lessons are always easy going and interesting with a gentle pressure to push the limits of my conversational abilities and confidence!

Irish is Paraic’s first language, what he has to offer a student is invaluable, and the stories and insight he often shares about his homeland provides a precious and rich context for the language!

“I recently went to the Connemara Gaeltacht and surprised myself by being able to carry on conversations with people in shops, pubs and at our accommodations.”

Although I’ve been trying to learn Irish my entire life, I’ve never felt confident speaking it. Since I’ve started taking lessons from Paraic this has changed. While I still have a long way to go, Paraic’s encouragement has seen my Irish improve noticeably in a few short months!

As someone who is learning Irish to be able to communicate and interact with people this has been a key element for me. The lessons are helpful, challenging, great fun and always interesting covering a wide range of topics!

Paraic has uncovered a passion for this language greater than I even thought I had. He teaches based on the individual needs of the student while making a comfortable and fun space for learning to happen!

He provides a wonderfully low-stress yet highly effective environment in which to learn from a native speaker

No need for grammar books or dictionaries – learn the way we learnt as children – start talking!

Paraic possesses a skill set that is sorely lacking from the Irish language learning space – he’s a native speaker who is also a gifted teacher!

“It is invaluable to find a native speaker willing to teach Irish in this setting. His love for Irish and his insight into the culture and nuances of the language will help you tremendously towards your goal of becoming a better speaker!”

Brilliant lessons!! I wanted to focus on the everyday stuff I say in English with my friends, family and kids and that’s what we did. I and my children are using Gaelige way more as a result!

I loved the fact that he concentrates on conversational Irish that you could use in the home chatting to the kids or out and about in the community. Im lucky enough to live in a Gealtacht area and so can practice on poor unsuspecting individuals!

He’s a wonderful ambassador for the Irish language and his love for it and for the land and people of Connemara are evident!

He is also a natural conversationalist. You won’t have any trouble finding interesting things to talk about. It’s great to speak with a person who grew up with Irish in his blood!

This is a whole new, fresh and positive approach to learning our beautiful language!

I liked the way Paraic linked the language with culture, history and some anthropological observations, thus teaching me not only Irish but the mentality of the people of his native Connemara.!

My twin boys Just completed 10 weeks of conversational Irish. Paraic tailored the sessions well to suit the short attention span of a typical 9 year old. I would highly recommend Paraic for anyone of any age who wants to learn Irish from scratch or brush up on the language!

He is well-read and able to discuss a wide variety of subjects. In addition, since my primary interest is in the Connemara dialect, it is an added bonus that Paraic was raised in Connemara through Irish and is able to pass on his knowledge of the area as well as the language, though it is clear that his knowledge extends well beyond that region!

His knowledge of the culture is vast and he offers it with a great sense of humor!

Most of the time I don’t feel like I’m in a class, such is the great teaching methods used by Paraic!

As a native Connemara speaker with the passion and ingenuity to teach the language online, he’s worth his weight in gold!

Already in 10 short weeks, I feel like I have truly connected to the language and culture through Paraic.!

“I have just completed my first ten lessons with Paraic and recommend him highly both as a person and as a teacher. And, thanks to SKYPE, it’s like being in the same room with him.!

Returning to learning Irish with Paraic is fun and incredibly rewarding.

Paraic will bring you through conversations on topics related to politics, current affairs, family, friends, the latest news bulletin, religion, it really doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is that it matters to you, and once it matters to you, it matters to Paraic!

He is an inspirational teacher of this wonderful language—so much so that each week I find myself devoting more and more time to it!

After 15 sessions, I am now able to have conversations with Paraic in Irish about daily events and topics I enjoy!

I was struggling with things such as pronouncing verbs in the different tenses or understanding when to use Irish words in different contexts. These are things that are hard to understand when learning off textbooks or other educational materials so having a native speaker clarify the concepts is very helpful!

There is only so far that books can take you. Paraic’s approach through conversational immersion has really helped my ear and helped me to be able to form some of my own sentences, giving me a bit of courage to try to speak the language independently. Irish can be quite a frustrating and amazing language and paraic’s humor and patience has kept me going at times!

He believes in me more than I do and he has a real love for the language of his own youth and country and that really comes out in how he teaches.!

You will learn Irish focusing on areas relevant to you – things that you would speak about in an everyday conversation and things that interest you. And lastly, learning from a native speaker exposes you to true colloquial Irish, with a healthy dose of Irish culture!

As someone who came through the whole school system without being able to hold a basic conversation in Irish, I found Paraic’s classes a breath of fresh air!

What stands out is his curiosity and variety of interests – the focus from the start is on communication rather than worrying about grammatical rules, and the sessions quickly began to feel more like chats about the meaning of life than classes!

Just recently I had a native Irish speaker praising my Irish and I don’t think that would have happened without me having worked with Paraic over the past few months!

After 20 weekly chats with Páraic my ability to converse has advanced enormously – far less panic and anxiety, much greater fluency, much more ability to engage proactively in converation and as a result I feel much more relaxed about speaking the language!

Paraic has a natural ability to make you feel at ease as a learner, his classes don’t feel like lessons, he adapts the content and direction of the classes to your needs and as the conversations flows the skype sessions feel like a catch up with a friend!

“After the first few lessons with Paraic I found myself having the confidence to talk with my aunt in Irish on the phone, near the end of the set of ten i was able to converse over dinner with a cousin who is studying Irish in university!

He is an excellent teacher and works with the Irish you have as well as building upon that foundation!

He was very responsive to any questions I had and overall it was a very special experience to practice my spoken skills with him, a native speaker of Irish from Conamara, and ‘múinteoir go smior!

Lessons from Paraic have had the added benefit of learning from a native speaker from a Gaeltacht area, complete with stories, humour and context for what you’re learning!

It is lovely language that has sprung up from the people of Ireland over the centuries and, just like our traditional music, its a delight to experience it from someone who embodies it, as Paraic does!

He always comes prepared to introduce you to new topics if you haven’t any idea where to go next. Especially interesting to me were the key tiny phrases and daily vocabulary of an everyday speaker, that you probably won’t find so easily from other sources!

Paraic is a master of both the language and the culture and can’t help but teach both. I challenge you not to find his lessons intriguing, enjoyable and highly educational!

He is patient, encouraging and has beautiful Conamara Irish. I feel that I have progressed greatly in our ten lessons (listening and speaking skills)!

The conversations were realistic, about everyday life’s , they were relevant, and you could gradually build up your vocabulary!

Paraic is extremely patient as I struggle with speaking. He will offer suggestions while pointing out what I said correctly. More importantly, our conversations are fascinating. We discuss the connection between native cultures with the land, the philosophies of personal freedom and Connemara culture. Our lessons are like two neighbours getting together each week to put the world to rights!

Add a touch of Connemara humour to the recipe and what you get is the best value lessons for your money!

He uses various techniques to ensure the student is always learning, never resting on their laurels and provides great feedback which helps the student stay positive and focused on making progress!

Being a native speaker, he not only has a lot of technical knowledge of the language but is an amazing resource for the context of the living language as it is spoken at home or between friends!

Most of the time it felt like I was chatting with a friend. He’s extremely encouraging and very patient and tailors the lessons to students’ needs!

He asked good questions and came up with a variety of natural conversation topics, so the lessons were fun and interesting, and my ability to speak in Irish improved!

He moved the lessons at a pace that suited me but also created a learning environment that required me to stretch my abilities. Paraic’s own west of Ireland roots are a real asset to the teaching!

Being a native speaker, Paraic has also given me a great insight to the language, idiomatic expressions and cultural insights from his native Connemara.!

After just three lessons, I was able to chat away about the matters that are most important to me, and by the end of the course, my level of Irish had improved exponentially!

Anybody interested in learning Irish will find Paraic’s depth of knowledge, humor and patience adds a new dimension and enthusiasm to this beautiful, ancient language!

Paraic broke me from the restrictions of “textbook” learning and had me using the language—as a living language and not just words on paper—during the first lesson!

His style is unassumingly genuine, encouraging and kind!

He also shared a lot of wisdom from the culture in Connemara and idioms of the language that I never would have come to on my own. 

Our classes are free from judgement, tests and criticism and it’s a wonderfully neutral place for language acquisition, learning and self-growth!

Paraic’s approach to teaching isn’t one of rote learning and grammar; but one which develops the individual’s confidence to use the language as a spoken, living means of communication!