As a University sporting the Fighting Irish as its mascot, Irish cultural symbols are no stranger to Notre Dame or the greater South Bend community. In fact, for much of the United States, the golden dome has become synonymous with Ireland or Irish-American culture. However, the Irish culture around campus only scratches the surface of the storied country across the pond. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Clíodhna Curran directed our attention away from the shining dome, and towards the small town of Armagh, Northern Ireland, where she grew up. She described her upbringing as innocent; surrounded by her grandad’s apple orchards, playing the traditional Gaelic sport of camogie, and taking lessons in Irish dancing. Her grade school had 17 kids in her grade, making a close-knit community that connected through music, Mass, dancing, and sports. Through this community, Clíodhna became a steward of Northern Irish culture but had no formal education in the Irish language as a child.
Clíodhna’s first exposure to Irish education came in high school. In our interview, she reminisced about the trajectory of her education and marveled at the effect that a single class had in shaping her future–an effect that is not lost on her when teaching and planning her own Irish language classes here at Notre Dame. Clíodhna continued to explore Irish through the Donegal Gaeltacht, a three week linguistic and cultural immersion summer program that she described as akin to “classic summer camp movies”. Despite the bleak weather, the Donegal Gaeltacht animated Irish culture in ways that resonated with campers and planted the seeds for a future in Irish language advocacy. Clíodhna has returned to work at the same Gaeltacht every summer since 2011.
After high school, Clíodhna studied Irish and Spanish language and literature at Queens University in Belfast. It was there that Clíodhna began to see the repercussions of contentious Irish politics surrounding Irish culture, language, and identity. The wall in Belfast separating east and west–a symbol of the regional conflict between Catholics and Protestants–is a stark reminder, but disparities in linguistic status are perceptible in smaller ways to those who have awareness. Clíodhna saw her university defer priority of Irish education–they resisted bilingual signage and were reluctant to provide support for Irish speakers for fear of politicization. Still today, debates surrounding the Irish language serve as a proxy for the broader cultural conflicts.
During her time at Queens University, she also had the opportunity to teach English in Madrid, unearthing her love for city life after her youth in Armagh. Immediately following graduation from Queens University, Clíodhna dove into telecommunications and broadcasting, thinking she would be a TV host. Stationed in Northern Ireland for Macha Media, she worked with a small team which necessitated that she became familiar with each stage of the television production process. This gave her the tools needed to begin her own projects, as she plans on returning to the station in May to present her first documentary. It focuses on the life of Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh (Agnes O’Farrelly), a revolutionary in the early-mid1900s in Ireland, telling the story of how she shaped society and worked for the advancement of women.
Now at Notre Dame, Clíodhna teaches Irish language classes in addition to organizing language events and presentations. She has also enrolled in Intermediate French classes and hopes to use this knowledge while visiting France in the future. Additionally, with her documentary presentation coming up, she has undertaken independent research about Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh. Not all of her pastimes are academic, however, as you can catch her playing with the ND Céilí Band, and with a traditional Irish music group at the Fiddler’s Hearth on Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00pm!!
Reflecting on her life’s arc that led her to teaching, Clíodhna recalled a phrase that was riddled throughout her childhood: “What’s for you won’t go past you.” She always had a soft spot for teaching; her grandmother and aunt were teachers, and Clíodhna foresaw that she would follow in their paths someday. Despite her gravitation towards the film and television industry, she nonetheless has found herself making a pitstop in South Bend to fulfill her family’s prophecy, and has found immense fulfillment in it. Clíodhna said that she still gets goosebumps when she teaches people their first words in Irish because she feels as though she is giving the gift of Irish to her students. The feeling is only amplified when her students have proficiency by the end of the semester.
While she finds the process of language classes rewarding, Clíodhna is no stranger to the difficulties that come with learning a new language. When asked to give advice to students studying a language, she fell back on the common themes of perseverance and dedication in the learning process; clichés repeated because of their truth. Clíodhna spoke of the magic she experienced in each Irish language classroom, where students become bonded through their mutual struggles in learning the language. Clíodhna encouraged students to stick with the language, let go of their fear of vulnerability, and ask for help when needed. By following this advice, a learning community is created in the classroom that can only elevate your language skills.
About the CSLC
The CSLC is dedicated to the advancement of linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness for students, staff, faculty, and spouses in all languages across the Notre Dame community. If you would like to learn more about studying languages and cultures, Fulbright programs for Notre Dame Students, or cultural events sponsored by the many groups at Notre Dame, visit the CSLC website, or call (574) 631-5881.