Irish reading challenge: An Mac Tíre Deireanach (join me)
January 12, 2026 Leave your thoughtsI’m doing an Irish reading challenge in February, and I’d like you to join me. It’s based on An Mac Tíre Deireanach (The Last Wolf) and it’s built around reading plus native audio, with support materials so you keep moving.
Why I’m doing it
I’m a speaker of English and Welsh, and I’ve also studied Cornish. I started looking seriously at the languages of The Isles during the Covid pandemic. I did courses in Scots, Gaelic, Irish, and Cornish.
Since then:
- I’ve taken Gaelic further in a more serious way
- I’ve completed all the KESVA exams in Cornish
- I’ve start learning Jèrriais with L’Office du Jèrriais
- and I’ve kept Irish alive in a practical way: reading with a friend
That friend is Martin ter Denge, a Low Saxon language ambassador. We met through Twitter and we still meet regularly to read short stories in Irish.
So when Patricia offered a February challenge based on new material, it felt like a good moment to commit properly.
Patricia and The Language Event
If you’ve followed my work for a while, you might remember that Patricia also came to The Language Event to talk about Irish and getting started speaking (including her approach via Michel Thomas).
That session is one of the reasons I’m happy to point people towards her materials again.
What the challenge looks like
Listen Up Irish describe this as a 3-week listening + reading challenge for adult learners, built around the story.
The course page says:
- Registration opens: 9 January
- Early Bird ends: 21 January
- We start: 7 February
- Runs until: 27 February
10% discount code
You can access the challenge and order the book from Patricia’s website:
Patricia has given me a code for followers to get a 10% discount on the book:
- Code:
RICHARD(I genuinely recommend Patricia’s work. If you use my code/link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
Warm-up: Irish verb sessions with Patricia
During the pandemic, Patricia worked with Martin and me on Irish verbs. If you want a run-up to February, these are still useful:
Final note
We hope our Irish is up to it. If it stretches us, fine. We’ll come out of the challenge with a boost to our Irish either way. Let me know how you get on and we can have a nice catch-up on a Zoom call at the end!
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This post was written by Richard
