Students interested in pursuing careers in Irish were encouraged “to go out and give it a go” by musician DJ Próvaí at an Irish language careers event held in Dublin on Thursday.
DJ Próvaí, who is a member of rap trio Kneecap, was cheered when he took to the stage at Dublin’s Convention Centre at the Fís 2026 conference, the first national conference of its kind aimed at highlighting what a bilingual life has to offer.
About 5,000 second- and third-level students attended the event which was timed to coincide with Seachtain na Gaeilge, the annual festival celebrating the Irish language.
JJ Ó Dochartaigh, whose stage name is DJ Próvaí, told the audience Gaeilge had always been central to his life. He said that as it was also the native language of his bandmates, there was never any question about what language they would perform in.
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“Tá an Ghaeilge lárnach i mo shaolsa go fóill agus bhí i gcónaí. Nuair a thosaigh muid bhí a fhios againn go raibh muid chun é a dhéanamh i nGaeilge mar sin í an teanga s’againne,” he said.
“We are now at a point in the Irish-language movement where we’re not just doing things for the sake of it anymore. We are creating things that are every bit as good as, or even better than, what’s available in English.”
He urged the audience to take pride in the language, to shed any shame about speaking Irish and to use it among themselves, saying: “If you won’t do it, who will?”
“Is sibhse an chéad ghlúin eile agus caithfidh sibhse stop a chur leis an náire seo inniu agus a bheith bródúil as an teanga agus mionn a ghlacadh istigh anseo inniu leanstan leis an nGaeilge agus labhairt lena chéile as Gaeilge agus mura bhfuil sibhse chun é a dhéanamh, cé a dhéanfas é?”
The name of the event, Fís, is Irish for “vision”. It was divided into three main areas featuring 110 stands relating to three themes – careers, community and future. Students could learn about opportunities in areas including media, technology, education, business and the public sector.
The conference was organised by Conradh na Gaeilge in partnership with Gaeilge365, a Dublin City Council programme to increase the use of Irish across the city.
Event manager, Aodhán Ó Deá, said: “We have seen this groundswell of interest in the Irish language along with a growth in opportunities in the public and private sector and young people are engaging with the language more than ever.”
“There is so much positivity and so many organisations that want to engage with young people. When we came up with this concept, we thought we would get 30 or 40 stands. But we were blown away by the interest and we ended up with 110 stands – as much as we can fit in – and a waiting list.”
Ó Deá said he hoped the attendees would come away with an understanding of the opportunities offered by Irish.
“I hope they come away with a new vision of the Irish language and an understanding of the advantage they have and could have by learning Irish,” he said.
“This is really the first generation of schoolchildren who will leave school and come into a bilingual society, with 20 per cent of State recruits into the civil service being able to speak Irish by 2030.
“There are so many different opportunities, so many different professions where you can use the language, and these are due to increase hugely over the next few years."
