Irish For Primary Teaching
September 2026 – May 2027
Want to be a Primary School Teacher?
Our Irish For Primary Teaching course is designed for students who want to apply for the PME (Professional Master in Education) post graduate degree, but need to first meet the Irish language requirement.
This course is ideal for students who are no longer in full-time secondary school education and may not have studied Irish in a while.
Over 29 weeks, our expert Irish teacher Nuala Uí Cheallaigh, will guide and support students of all levels in order to help them build confidence and succeed in the Irish exam.
As part of this course, you’ll also get support for the TEG Oral exam – at no extra charge.
What you can expect from the course:
- Expert tuition from one of Ireland’s leading teachers
- Study from the comfort of home with weekly online classes
- Class recordings available to rewatch until the end of the State Exams in 2027
- Exam-focused class notes to aid revision
- Master exam strategies, answer techniques, and time management
Enrol today.
Who will be teaching this course?
The teacher for this course is Nuala Uí Cheallaigh.
Nuala Uí Cheallaigh is an Irish teacher with over 25 years teaching experience.
Nuala’s unique teaching style inspires students to be more confident and self-assured in the subject. She provides her students with the skills necessary to master both the Irish language and the requirements of the syllabus. Nuala focuses this class on bringing you from your current ability, giving you the tools and confidence to achieve at the the honours Irish paper.
Nuala has a deep understanding of the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examination process having worked as a corrector with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) for 19 years.
Nuala holds a BA from University College Dublin, a H.dip from Trinity College Dublin and an M.Ed from the University of Ulster.
She works as an Academic Tutor on the University of Limerick’s teacher training programme. In addition, she is a post primary, (school) student teacher placement tutor with the University of Limerick and previously with the National University of Ireland Maynooth. Nuala has also provided Dianchúrsa Gaeilge for students of Dublin City University’s B.Ed programme.
Nuala works with the publishers on the creation of Irish textbooks for the new Junior Cycle syllabus, the Leaving Certificate syllabus, and was awarded the All-Island Entrepreneur Educator of the Year in 2007.
When do classes take place?
This is a weekly online course. The classes are held every Monday evening at 7pm. You can see the weekly schedule here.
Who is this course for?
The course is for students wishing to enrol on a Professional Masters in Education PME (Primary Teaching), post graduate degree, but have not achieved at least a H4 in their Leaving Cert Irish Exam.
This course is designed specifically for students who are no longer in full time second level education and who may not have studied Irish in a number of years.
What are the entry requirements for the Professional Masters in Education PME (Primary Teaching)?
You can find the current entry requirements for the Professional Masters in Education PME (Primary Teaching) course in DCU, Marino Institute of Education, Mary Immaculate College and Maynooth University here. Entry requirement to Hibernia College can be found here.
The course will run over 29 weeks, commencing September 2026. The course will include all aspects of the Leaving certificate course, the written the listening and the oral aspects. There is a crossover on the oral work for the leaving Certificate exam and the TEG exam. Students will be offered the opportunity to attend oral preparation tutorial and partake in a mock oral before their exams.
Course features:
- 2 hour online class once per week.
- Onsite (or at home) mock exams in March.
- Mock oral after Christmas.
- Attendance at TEG Course Free of Charge.
- Follow on task and activities are provided for you to engage with at your own pace and timeframe.
- Direct access to tutor to deal with any individual issues or questions that you may have.
For the Academic Year 2026/27 this Irish for Primary School Teaching Course will take place every Monday at 19:00 as per the Weekly Schedule below.
NOTE: All classes are 120 minutes in duration.
*Students may join at any stage throughout the year, subject to availability.
| Week | Week Commencing | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7th Sept 2026 | First Week |
| 2 | 14th Sept 2026 | |
| 3 | 21st Sept 2026 | |
| 4 | 28th Sept 2026 | |
| 5 | 5th Oct 2026 | |
| 6 | 12th Oct 2026 | |
| 7 | 19th Oct 2026 | |
| No Classes | 26th Oct 2026 | October Mid-Term |
| 8 | 2nd Nov 2026 | |
| 9 | 9th Nov 2026 | |
| 10 | 16th Nov 2026 | |
| 11 | 23rd Nov 2026 | |
| 12 | 30th Nov 2026 | |
| 13 | 7th Dec 2026 | |
| 14 | 14th Dec 2026 | |
| No Classes | 21st Dec 2026 | Christmas Break |
| No Classes | 28th Dec 2026 | Christmas Break |
| 15 | 4th Jan 2027 | |
| 16 | 11th Jan 2027 | |
| 17 | 18th Jan 2027 | |
| 18 | 25th Jan 2027 | |
| 19 | 1st Feb 2027 | *St. Brigid's Bank Holiday, Classes as normal this week, including Bank Holiday Monday 1st February 2027. |
| 20 | 8th Feb 2027 | |
| No Classes | 15th Feb 2027 | February Mid Term |
| 21 | 22nd Feb 2027 | |
| 22 | 1st March 2027 | |
| 23 | 8th March 2027 | |
| No Classes | 15th March 2027 | St Patrick's Week |
| No Classes | 22nd March 2027 | Easter Break |
| No Classes | 29th March 2027 | Easter Break |
| 24 | 5th April 2027 | |
| 25 | 12th April 2027 | |
| 26 | 19th April 2027 | |
| 27 | 26th May 2027 | |
| 28 | 3rd May 2027 | **May Bank Holiday. Classes as normal this week, including Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May 2027. |
| 29 | 10th May 2027 |
*Classes will be taught on Bank Holiday Monday 1st Feb ’27
**No classes on Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May ’27. Classes will be taught instead on Monday 17th May.
The fee for enrolling in this course is: €1,995.
All students joining our weekly classes now will receive access to recordings of all the classes for which they have enrolled. In addition, they will have access to recordings of the classes that have already taken place since the start of the course. This is an invaluable aid when it comes to revision.
Please note:
- Card payments accepted.
- 10% reduction for the second and subsequent members of the same family, attending the same courses. Please contact our office to avail of this discount.
- Fees are non-transferable.
An installment payment option for fees is available. Please call our office on 01 661 3511 or visit out Help Desk for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I access my online classes?
A: Students enrolled on the course will receive an email from us containing their unique login details and links to access their chosen subjects. Login credentials will be sent in advance of course start date. Only those details sent to you will enable you to successfully access classes online.
Q: How are the online classes hosted?
A: All online classes are hosted live on Microsoft Teams. The links to the weekly classes are accessed via Moodle. Students must sign into both Moodle and MS Teams with the @instituteofeducation.ie login credentials sent to the student.
Q: Are the online classes pre-recorded?
A: No, each online class is streamed live. Recordings of classes will be available after each live class is completed. These can then be replayed as a revision aid.
Q: Will I have access to recordings of the live classes?
A: Yes, recordings of classes will be available after each live class is completed. These can then be replayed as a revision aid. These will be available up until the end of the State exams 2027.
Q: Are there any specific requirements to attending online classes?
A: We would advise that all students enrolling in our online grinds have the following:
• Access to a reliable wifi service.
• Access to a PC, Laptop, Tablet, or similar device.
• We would not recommend using a mobile phone.
• Headphones/earphones.
Q: If I'm attending the online classes will I have access to the notes?
A: Yes, students enrolled in online classes will receive a monthly delivery of notes for each chosen subject. Please allow five working days for delivery from the time of booking.
Q: Are the class notes available online?
A: Yes. A soft copy is available on the Moodle Course page for each class booked. Class notes will be posted directly to you. Please ensure you include your Eircode when registering to ensure notes are posted to the correct location.
Q: How long is each weekly class?
A: Each class lasts 120 minutes.
Q: How much is the fee per class?
Q: Can I cancel my classes and get a refund?
A: Yes, though please note: Classes are taught for 29 weeks. A refund (or partial refund) can be given for requests made on or before Week 17, 18th January 2027. A request for a refund can be made by contacting our office on 01 6613511 or visit our Help Desk.
Q: How many weeks of tuition are there in the weekly course?
A: There are 29 weeks of tuition between September and May. Students will have one class per subject booked per week (29 classes).
Q: Are there any breaks or holidays during the year for students attending weekly classes?
A: Yes, the classes schedule generally follows the normal school calendar with breaks at mid-terms, Christmas & Easter. Please refer to the timetable for more details
Q: Is attendance at weekly classes and part-time courses monitored?
A: Yes, attendance is monitored for each class attended. The Institute however accepts no responsibility for students who fail to attend class.
Q: What style are the classes conducted in? Can students ask questions?
A: Our classes run in a more lecture style than most students might be used to in school, but they are also interactive, and teachers will use a variety of methods to ensure that students can learn and understand and feel comfortable asking questions and contributing to the class.
Q: For weekly classes, does the beginning of a new term mean the start of a new course?
A: No, in the weekly classes each subject commences in September and runs through to the end of the academic year in May. Students can catch up on what they have missed by reviewing the previous class recordings and notes.
Q: If I want to join weekly classes during the year, can I find out what is yet to be covered on the course and what I have missed?
A: Each teacher has their own individual teaching plan for the year and will be able to advise on this.
Q: My son/daughter cannot attend the weekly classes. Can we buy the notes?
A: No, teaching is a central part of all our courses and classes. The notes are to facilitate recall and revision of what was covered in class by the teacher.