7 Best Irish Language Books For Learners Of All Levels

Are you looking for the best Irish language books to learn the language?

If you’re trying to work on learning (or relearning) the Irish language whatever skill level you may be in, then you are in the right place.

The Irish language is remotely connected to German or English, as both languages are part of the Germanic branch. Irish, on the other hand, is a Celtic language.

Some claim it is a hard language to learn.

RELATED READ: Books About Ireland (That You Should Read Before Visiting)

However, there are ways to make learning Irish fun. Once you set your heart into it, Irish will prove to be an exciting language to learn even if you’re not Irish-blooded.

You will love the idea that this language is so old that speaking it somewhat links you back to the ancient past. So, are you ready to delight your Irish family and/or friends or maybe surprise the locals?

Then check out the following list of the best Irish language books we have prepared for you, sorted out in different learning levels.

7 Best Irish Language Books For Learners Of All Levels

Best Irish Language Books for Beginners

1. Step-by-Step Irish: An Irish Language Workbook for Beginners by James Joyce

If you’re using Duolingo to learn Irish, this Irish language workbook for beginners is going to be a great companion.

It will give you a firm grip of the basics to back to what you have learned from the popular language app. The book includes a brief outline of Irish grammar to explain what can seem like a very intimidating language to learn due to its complicated changes in sound and the tricky spelling.

It provides useful exercises that test your knowledge retention. It not only features grammar basics but presents Irish vocabulary and pronunciation as well.
If you’re just starting to learn Irish, Step-by-Step Irish is highly recommended. It’s quite easy to follow along; even a young kid could do it!

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

2. Gaeilge gan Stró! Beginners Level by Éamonn Ó Dónaill

Gaeilge gan Stró! Beginners Level: A Multimedia Irish Language Course for Adults (English and Irish Edition) by Éamonn Ó Dónaill is, as per the subtitle, designed for adult learners of the Irish language.

This Irish language book is focused on conversations with plenty of dialogues. Here you will learn spelling, pronunciation, numbers, and basic words and phrases.

It’s a good resource if you’re looking for a workbook, like the sort you use in school and not the usual travel phrasebook.

But if you’re keen on learning some modern and truly basic and useful everyday language situations and contexts that you are likely to encounter if traveling to Ireland, this is for you and all the beginners wanting to learn Irish the easy way.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

3. Speak Irish Now by Brian Lee Pugnier and Patricia Delia Pugnier

Speak Irish Now is designed for novice learners, a nice learning tool even if you have limited or no experience at all with the Irish language. This will help you learn to speak the language in a short time, with its more than 200 lessons that can be used on learning on your own or with a study group.

Starting with a basic introduction lesson, you will be guided to further lessons that are carefully laid out until you finish the course.

So basically you will be taught how to speak and how to construct sentences in the Irish language.

Speak Irish Now is not like many basic phrase books around where you are provided with fully constructed sentences that you will only repeat like a myna bird.

This one is actually teaching you not only to speak the language but also how to think in it. Quite handy when you order food in a restaurant in Ireland and need to talk with people there – much better than memorizing generic phrases when trying to pick a good Irish meal!

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

Best Irish Language Books for Intermediate Learners

4. First Steps in Irish by The Christian Brothers

First Steps in Irish provides the basics in the complexities of Irish grammar while developing your vocabulary. It is a good introduction to the language and an excellent supplement for those learning the language in any setting: online, at home, or in school.

This book is helpful to those learning Irish in the intermediate level, serving as a companion to other language books because it won’t be teaching solely Irish.

Worksheets are provided, which you can use to test the Irish language skill you’ve acquired from somewhere else (such as any or all of the books mentioned above).
The lesson is structured, which makes learning easier.

It contains illustrations of objects labelled in Irish, Irish sentences with English translations, and written exercises where you can test your learning by translating simple sentences from Irish to English and vice versa.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

5. Gaeilge Gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level: A Multimedia Irish Language Course for Adults by Éamonn Ó Dónaill

Have you already learned some Irish or relearning and still comprehend some of the language? Then grab this book.

It’s a multimedia course for adults leaning or relearning the Irish language, with the purpose of advancing on speaking and listening skills. How this book is laid out makes it easy to follow, with the points of grammar coordinating with the conversations in each lesson.

The exercises using the CDs that come with the book allows learners to practice speaking, with vocabulary comprising of basic Irish words needed in everyday situation.

With Gaeilge Gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Level: A Multimedia Irish Language Course for Adults, you can expect to gain some confidence and skills in Irish that you may need in communicating in the language.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

Best Irish Language Books for Advanced Learners

6. Learning Irish by Micheal O’Siadhail

Better suitable for use as a college textbook, Learning Irish is a rather highly technical introduction to the language. This means it won’t be useful to truly novice learners.

Covering too much ground too fast, with brief grammar explanations, we do not recommend it if you are trying to learn to speak Irish on your own.

Learning Irish is a great resource if you have an experienced or fluent tutor who will clarify some grammar points in the book.

This will be a great addition to your other Irish language books, however. But note that you must have at least some knowledge of the language before you get to it.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.

7. Teach Yourself Irish Grammar You Really Need to Know: A Practical Course by Éamonn Ó Dónaill

This is Éamonn Ó Dónaill’s Irish language book for the advanced learners, suitable for those who had learned the language as a child and desires to polish it.

As the subtitle suggests, this book is a practical course with explanations illustrated with examples – a perfect presentation of almost everything.
Please note that this is a grammar book for learning Irish and not a how-to-speak the language that visitors exploring the Emerald Isle can use.

However, while it won’t be of much use to basic learners, there is enough material in this book for those in the intermediate learning level.
Teach Yourself Irish Grammar You Really Need to Know: A Practical Course is a supplement to the previous two books by the same author mentioned above.

BUY IT ON AMAZON HERE.