Master Irish.
One Story At a Time.
A Three Week Immersive Irish Challenge — Built Around Story
A new approach to learning Irish for adult learners, designed to get you reading, listening and thinking in Irish from day one.
Maybe you’ve started Irish before —
read a few chapters, downloaded an app —
and then lost momentum.
This challenge is designed to help you keep going — and finish.
Early Bird Pricing Before March 10
Irish Was Never the Problem.
The Way It Was Taught Was.
Most adults don’t struggle with Irish because they lack ability.
They struggle because they were taught to memorise — rather than to understand or experience the language.
This challenge offers a different approach.
No drills.
No endless worksheets.
No more leaving books unread.
No more stalling at chapter two.
Just Irish — through reading, listening, and immersion in a great story.
“Listen Up is a sneaky way to improve language skills… I was so engrossed in the story that I really didn’t feel like I was doing a lesson. I am thoroughly delighted with the improvement in my listening skills.”
Lynne Feyk, Florida
Ó Am go hAm
A Viking Raid. A Monastery. An Ancient Manuscript.
Ó Am go hAm (From Time to Time) is set during a Viking raid on an Irish monastery in the 8th century — a world of monks, manuscripts, and invasion.
Originally written for younger readers, it’s surprisingly powerful for adult learners.
As you read, you’ll explore early Irish Christianity, Viking raids, and Ireland’s manuscript tradition — all through authentic Irish used in context.
With guided recordings, focused vocabulary support, and clear structure, you’ll experience real storytelling — not textbook Irish, but living language on the page.
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
Listen to a Short Extract from the Challenge below:
Read the text (below the audio clip) as you listen to a short extract from the book.
Leis sin, bhreathnaigh sí timpeall. D'aithin sí go raibh sí fós ar shuíomh na seanmhainistreach, ach bhí gach rud athraithe. Ní fothrach a bhí ann a thuilleadh, ach foirgneamh breá láidir.
With that, she looked around. She recognised that she was still on the site of the old monastery, but everything had changed. It's wasn't a ruin anymore, but a fine, strong building.
Why You'll Love Learning Irish
with Listen Up Irish:
Learning Irish doesn’t have to feel like hard work. With Listen Up Irish, you’ll stay motivated, make real progress, and actually enjoy learning Irish every step of the way.
Train Your Ear to Real Irish
Step beyond textbooks and tune into the rhythm, tone and flow of everyday Irish through guided native-speaker recordings.
Build Real Momentum
With short, focused sessions every other day, you’ll make steady progress — without overwhelm or burnout.
Learn through Story — not study
Instead of drills and exercises, you’ll move through a living Irish story that builds comprehension naturally.
Save €30 with Early Bird pricing (ends March 10).
How You'll Move Through the Story
Step 1
Listen to the story come alive.
Listen to Ó Am go hAm read by Joe, a native speaker from South Connemara.
Let the rhythm, tone, and flow of real Irish draw you into the world of monks, manuscripts, and invasion.
Step 2
Follow the story with confidence.
Read along using the parallel bilingual text and guided chapter notes.
Recognise patterns in context and understand more with each page.
Step 3
Deepen your understanding.
Reinforce each chapter with focused audio and short video explanations.
Strengthen vocabulary and structure naturally — through story, not drills.
In just 15 to 20 minutes every other day for three weeks, you’ll train your ear to the sound of natural Irish, strengthen your vocabulary, and start speaking with more ease—no textbook required.
Ó Am go hAm —
A Story-Led Irish Immersion
A three-week guided journey through monks, manuscripts, and Viking-era Ireland — designed to help you think, listen, and read in Irish with growing confidence.
Here's Exactly What You'll Receive:
📘 Book and
Tracker
Receive your own copy of the book in the post, along with a physical tracker to mark your progress as you go — keeping you motivated from chapter one to the end.
🎧 Audio
Recordings
Enjoy studio-quality audio from Joe, a native Irish speaker from Connemara, to perfect your pronunciation and rhythm naturally.
🌍 Bilingual
Downloads
Follow along with Irish and English side by side — no need to stop and translate, just relax and absorb the story.
🎥 Chapter
Summaries
Get short bilingual video recaps with cultural insights and commentary from Joe and Patricia, connecting your reading with Ireland’s folklore and history.
💬Stór Focal
Videos
Expand your conversational Irish with vocabulary builder videos that explain real-world phrases you’ll actually use.
⏱️ Short
Lessons
Learn in bite-sized sessions designed to reinforce new words and patterns through natural repetition — no rote memorization needed.
✉️ Email
Reminders
Get gentle reminders and new lesson links every other day — the perfect nudge to keep your Irish habit strong.
🚶♂️ Learn
On The Go
Use the free app and take the challenge anywhere — listen to lessons on your walk, drive, or commute. No desk time required.
Save €30 with Early Bird Pricing (ends March 10).
By the End of Chapter One, You'll Already Notice the Difference
You won’t be stopping to translate every line — you'll be following the story.
With each chapter you’ll find yourself recognising patterns, hearing familiar structures, and understanding more than you expect.
From the very first chapter, you’ll begin to:
✓ Hear the rhythm of real Irish
✓ Recognise recurring structures in context
✓ Build confidence and vocabulary without memorising lists
You'll notice the difference — chapter by chapter.
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
Additional Resources to Deepen the Experience
Not only does the course include a printed copy of the book plus tracker delivered to your door; high quality audio recordings for each chapter; support material in audio, text and video format and full support the Ó Am go hAm Challenge also includes the following bonuses:
Historical Insight with Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín
Step beyond the story and into the real historical world of early Christian Ireland. Listen to Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín discuss the monastic tradition, Viking incursions, and the cultural landscape that shaped the world of Ó Am go hAm — giving depth and context to the narrative.
2 Live Sessions (recordings available afterwards)
Join two interactive live sessions with Patricia and Joe. You’ll meet fellow learners, explore key themes from the story, and gain deeper insight into the language and historical setting — with full recordings available afterwards.
Ongoing Support as you go through the Challenge
You’re never on your own. As you move through the course, we are here to answer your questions, clarify tricky points, and give guidance — helping you stay confident and consistent from beginning to end.
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee
"Yes, it was a children's book. Did I enjoy it regardless? Absolutely! (and I learnt Irish without even noticing it). Patricia and Joe always succeed in explaining what the chapter's about, what interesting words are found in there and then there are of course, Joe's excellent audio recordings! I also loved the history spotlights - especially for those of us who learnt next to nothing about Cromwell in school."
Julia Bachmeier, Bavaria
(Testimonial from our last challenge An Mac Tíre Deireanach)
Exploring the World of Early Christian Ireland with Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín
Listen to interviews with Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, one of the leading historians of Ireland during the time of the Viking invasions.
In short conversations he discusses the monastic tradition, the culture of manuscript learning, and the impact of Viking incursions — deepening your understanding of the setting behind Ó Am go hAm.
You’ll also gain insight into the development of early Irish and the Norse influences that shaped the language as spoken today.
Your Guides on The Ó Am go hAm Challenge
Learning a language is easier (and more enjoyable) when you trust the people guiding you. This challenge was created by a team of authors, and educators from the west of Ireland dedicated to helping you succeed.
The challenge also includes input from Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, a leading expert on early Christian Ireland.
Patricia Forde
Laureate na nÓg 2023 – 2026, Patricia Forde is a bilingual writer who creates stories for print, television and the stage. Patricia has written many award-winning books for children and young adults and been published in both Ireland and further afield. She is also an established TV scriptwriter and her first feature film, Fidil Ghorm, premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2024.
Joe Ó Fátharta
A native Irish speaker from Indreabhán in Co. Galway, Joe is a co-founder of Listen Up Irish. He is an honours graduate of the Irish Studies programme at the University of Galway. Joe has worked on the long-running Irish language soap Ros na Rún and currently teaches Irish at Dublin City University.
Patricia Nic Eoin
Patricia is a co-founder of Listen Up Irish and also the founder of All About Irish. She has worked at the European Commission in Brussels as an Irish language translator and has written her own series of children's books in Irish. She has also translated many children's books from English and French to Irish.
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
What Learners Say About Listen Up Irish Challenges
These testimonials come from participants in our previous immersive, book-based Irish course — built around the same story-first approach you’ll experience in Ó Am go hAm.
You are fully protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
Answers To Your Questions
When does the Challenge start and finish?
For how long will I have access to the course?
How much time will I need to devote to the course?
How do I access the course?
What level of Irish is required?
What is the refund policy?
What dialect of Irish is used in the course?
Are there any live sessions included as part of the course?
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
🎉 Register by MIDNIGHT on March 10th to Save €30 with
Early Bird Pricing
(and to get your printed book delivered in time).
Pricing varies by region to cover international shipping for your printed course book.
Ireland, UK & EU — €137
🇮🇪 Register from Ireland, UK & EUUSA, CAN, AUS & Rest of World — €147
🌍 Register from USA, CAN, AUS & rest of worldYou are fully protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
What Others Have Said
About Previous Challenges
Here are some reviews of our previous challenge based on the novel Bódléar by Darach Ó Scolaí, and of our self-study Literature and Poetry courses.
"What I would say is 'go for it!'. The challenge was an amazing way to learn Irish. I really appreciated all the hard work and effort Joe and Patricia put into it. I am certain you won't be disappointed. I came away feeling a great sense of achievement. Thank you Joe and Patricia for being there for me every step of the way." 🙂
Sandra Steele, U.K.
"What if I don't like the book?" was my first thought! I am so glad that I did this challenge - the very first sentence won me over! Because even though it was difficult at first, it was SO worth it! (There is a beautiful sentence in the first chapter of the book which basically says that the view from the top of the mountain is worth the hardship of the climb, and that sums up the challenge perfectly! Patricia and Joe are amazing guides - they not only explain interesting words and phrases, but also give historical and cultural background information, explain dialectal words and summarise each chapter. I am not usually a fan of audiobooks but I will surely listen to Joe's recording of the book again and again. The amazing thing about the challenge is that you learn Irish without really noticing. I knew by the end of the challenge that my Irish had really moved up a level."
Julia Bachmeier, Bavaria
"Thaitin Dúshlán an tSamhraidh go mór liom, bhí sé go hiontach ar fad. Tá an leabhar Bódléar, le Darach Ó Scolaí ar fheabhas. Molaim an modh seo go mór chun Gaeilge a fhoghlaim agus comhghairdeas Patricia agus Joe as ucht an dúshlán iontach seo a chur ar fáil."
Kevin Minton, Galway
"This was a great way to learn the language and culture all at once. I’d certainly do it again."
Mike Madden, Wisconsin
"Listening to spoken Irish and processing it in my pea brain is always challenging, so having the bilingual summaries and vocab by Patricia and the readings by Joe are helping me overcome that. The course was so enjoyable and learning felt effortless."
Kelly Smith Moore, Virginia
"I've just completed the Learning Irish Through Poetry course. I found myself captivated by this thoroughly immersive experience. It's an innovative and compelling encounter with modern Irish poetry, and completely accessible for new learners like me."
Richard Barrett, Los Angeles
"This course is a fantastic way to improve listening skills. I looked forward to reading and listening every day just to find out what was going to happen next in the story…and along the way I really upped my skills in a way that didn’t feel like work! Having texts and support materials made this course accessible for learners at many different levels. I would call myself a low intermediate level, but I think I got as much out of the course as the fluent learners. ."
Lynne Feyk, Florida
"Irish language literature may seem a little daunting when you feel your Irish is far from fluent. But Patricia and Joe have devised a wonderful course which enables learners of all levels to access great pieces of writing in the Irish language. Along with the excepts, summaries, vocabulary lists and recordings are provided to assist you in your reading and comprehension. Highly recommended!"
Sheena Malone, Kildare
"Both of the courses in the Learn Irish Through Literature series (Poetry and Prose) have audio narrations of the texts by Joe Ó Fátharta, a native speaker of the Connacht dialect. He has a beautiful voice and a gorgeous blas, and his narrations are frankly irresistible and bring the language to life. These literature courses are as good as any you will find in a university Modern Irish Department."
Jean Dohan, Tennessee
You're protected with our 14 day money back guarantee.
14 Day No Questions Asked Refund Policy
We want you to feel confident in joining the challenge — so we offer a 14-day, no-questions-asked refund policy, beginning on the challenge commencement date (March 21st).
If you’re not satisfied for any reason within the first 14 days of the challenge, just let us know and we’ll issue a full refund.
📝 If your book has already been shipped, the cost of the book and postage will be deducted from your refund.
🇺🇸 International shipments to the USA are subject to customs/import clearance. If a parcel is returned to us because of incorrect address, refusal of delivery or un-claimed import charges, the return postage and any handling costs will be borne by the purchaser.
