'After not speaking Irish for 10 years, Kneecap inspired me to take up the teanga'

Walking down Camden Street for my first Irish class at Conradh na Gaeilge, I hear two fluent speakers yapping behind me. While they are likely heading to the same destination as me, my ears prick up at hearing the language in the wild.

Despite 40% of the Irish population claiming they can speak as Gaeilge to varying degrees, it is seldom heard in Dublin - so much so that it surprises me. Hearing cúpla focal as Gaeilge brings me the same feeling of smelling an old perfume I frequently wore.

It fills me with nostalgia and instantly transports me back to some of the happiest times of my life. The summer after my first year in secondary school, when I was 13 years old, I attended a three-week course in the Gaeltacht in Connemara with a group of friends from school.

Despite having been taught Irish in school for eight years at this point, I barely had a word. But, I didn't care - I was so excited.

I dragged my mam around the shops before I left, worrying more about what I was going to wear than how I was going to communicate with others. It was my first taste of freedom - I had never been away anywhere without my parents before and I couldn't wait for the craic and the céilís.

While I landed myself in the 'leabhar Bearla' a few times that summer, I genuinely did try. Making friends was my top priority - but children and teenagers are sponges, especially when it comes to languages. In my Irish summer exam before going to the Gaeltacht I got a D; less than six months later, in my second year Christmas exam, I got an A.

I remember this so vividly because my teacher asked me what had changed - unfortunately, the whole class couldn't be shipped off to Galway for a few weeks.

That's where my grá for Gaeilge began. I was never one to sit down and study irregular verbs, but I had a decent understanding of the spoken language. While it wasn't perfect, I was able to have almost any conversation I wanted to in Irish. When I was 14, I was on a show on TG4 called The G-Team. My hometown of Donabate was turned into a Gaeltacht for the day and we went head to head against another town to see who could put on the best Irish festival.

I was filmed in the local flower shop where I smelt a flower and said "Tá an bolg go deas" (the belly is nice). I meant to say "Tá an boladh go deas" (the smell is nice). Despite making this mistake on TV, I didn't care and was only delighted to grace the screen. At this age, I championed the phrase "Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste".

I went to a Gaeltacht summer course two more times after that as a student, which I'm incredibly grateful for. All school year I would look forward to it. It was three weeks of pure bliss for me - meeting new people, feeling independent and switching off from reality. Being a teenager in Ireland can often be troublesome, as drinking in fields is commonplace.

But the Gaeltacht was the most wholesome fun I ever had, I even left my phone in Dublin because I wasn't chancing getting kicked out. I went on to become a cúntóir in the school - which is someone who looks after the students in their house and makes sure they are speaking Irish. I was delighted, I was getting paid to be at my favourite place ever.

After finishing my Leaving Cert I went back as a cinnire - which is basically a step up on the job chain with more responsibilities. I became fully immersed in Gaeltacht life as I wasn't confined to the school. I went to the pub and met the Muintir na hAite where I often shouted "Cád?!" as I found it hard to understand their thick accents and native Gaeilge.

I always thought the Irish language would be part of my life. But, 10 years since my last stint in the Gaeltacht I have barely spoken it. After watching the Kneecap movie last summer, I became emotional. How did I let something go that was once so important to me?

While I began listening to How to Gael and singing Kneecap's Cearta in the car, I decided to sign up for Irish classes at Conradh na Gaeilge at the beginning of this year. As I entered my first class, I was nervous. I was in the group just below líofa - what if I remembered nothing?

But, I discovered tá an Gaeilge i mo cheann in áit éigin - it's just about getting it to the tip of my tongue. The most difficult part about learning the language for me has definitely been spelling and writing. There are so many rules when it comes to grammar, but mastering a language is about sucking this up and learning it.

Over the past seven weeks of the course, I have found myself being fairly quiet as I worry about saying something completely wrong. But, slowly, I am trying to shake that off and channel my 14-year-old self, who didn't care that what she said on national television made no sense.

Faigheann cos ar siúl rud nach bhfaigheann cos ina cónaí! In other words - start the journey.

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