New campaign aims to create new opportunities to use Irish language
It is hoped that 2018 will be the Year of the Irish language.
Bliain na Gaeilge is being launched today with the release on social media of a special version of 'Auld Lang Syne' as Gaeilge for New Year's Eve.
A range of events will take place next year to celebrate the language, with over 100 planned in the first half of 2018 alone.
Julian de Spáinn, general secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, says it's all about giving people more opportunities to speak Irish.
"It's 125 years since the start of the revival of the Irish language, and what we're trying to do is celebrate what has come since,
"We know that in the general community when you talk to people, they say 'I'd love to use Irish more' - well, that's what we want to do in 2018 - we want to ask people to use Irish more.
"Not only that, we're asking people to organise events themselves as well, through Irish.
"Hopefully we're going to have a huge year of opportunities to use the language."
