It’s nice to have the cúpla focail.

And while it can be daunting to learn a new skill, studies show that learning a new language as an adult can have a host of benefits, from boosting your cognitive recognition and memory to improving your attention span.

If you plan on learning Irish or another new language in the New Year, our brilliant public libraries have a whole host of resources that allow any member to access free, online language courses – just the thing to put you on the right bóthar in 2023.

How do I sign up?

All you need is a library membership- which is free of charge and takes approximately five minutes to set up at your closest library.

Once you have your card, your local librarian will give you an online login for the language portal, which you can access through the Cork Libraries website.

Then you simply set up an account; you’ll need a username and email and voila, you have access to the beginner Irish language courses. You can also learn 99 other languages, from Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Italian to Khmer- the choice is yours.

This time next year, you could be chatting up a storm at a pop-up Gaeltacht or conversing with locals on your next Spanish getaway.

To find out more about online learning and courses at Cork Libraries, head to their website here.