Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin is a joy to chat to. She’s back from the United States after four years in college there. She attended Quinnipiac University in Connecticut on a rugby scholarship.
But now she’s trying her hand at radio as she landed a job in Raidió na Gaeltachta. After spending a handful of years Stateside, she knew that she wanted to set up shop in her native Connemara.
Here we speak to her about the Irish language, her love for her hometown and her incredible community for Seachtain na Gaeilge…
Hey Fódhla! How did you join Raidió na Gaeltachta?
Yeah! I graduated from university last May. I was in university in America on a rugby scholarship. I actually studied finance and business analytics over there. So not really anything to do with journalism. But I always liked numbers. So I really enjoyed that experience and I met some great people from all over the place. I knew I wanted to move home after four years. And I definitely missed my life here. I worked with Coláiste Lurgan, the Irish college, in the summer. Teaching kayaking to the kids through Gaeilge there. I got to work through Irish, so that eased me back in. Then the opportunity came in radio. I never really thought about working in the radio before. I saw myself working more with numbers. But when the opportunity came, I saw it as a chance to learn a new skillset. I really didn’t know what to expect. I learned literally so much in such a short amount of time. I’m working in the newsroom there for the local news team. We cover the greater regions in Galway, Mayo and Meath. I’ve been doing that since last August. I’ve learned so much. I couldn’t have done it without all the amazing people there. And I’m still learning every day. And, um, like the help they gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am now, definitely without the help.
That is so incredible!
I’m happy to be there. I feel blessed, blessed and privileged to still be here working in the radio.
Were you brought up through Irish?
I was born and raised in Teach Mór in Indreabhán, so in the Gaeltacht. My mam is from that town as well. But my dad is actually from New Jersey in America. He moved to Ireland, and he learned his Irish through summer courses. My dad is fluent in Irish now. We were raised with Irish; all my mam’s family speak Irish. We were surrounded by them. I played sports through Irish, did school through Irish, and went to Séan-Nós singing classes through Irish.
Your dad will definitely inspire people who were on the fence about learning Irish! There has been such an uptake in people going back to our native language…
Yeah, definitely. I think with social media, there’s so much more access to it now. There are so many more like Irish-speaking influencers. It’s kind of cool now to speak Irish. There’s so much more like media being produced through Irish, like radio, television series and movies. It’s great.
You went to college in the States on a rugby scholarship. Did you always plan to come back to Ireland?
I think when I went to the States, it was the end of COVID. So I was like, “Oh my God, get me out of here. I need to leave.” [Laughs] I felt like some kind of cabin fever. I was so happy to get the experience, to be able to go to America and move away. I learned so many life skills. When I first moved over, I thought I would stay in America for a year or two after college. But then, after my third year of college, I knew I was definitely going home. I’m someone who is very airy-fairy. I’m never really sure about anything. But that was like the one thing that I was sure about. I was definitely, definitely moving home. I wanted to be able to live my life through Irish. I felt like the time I was over there that my Irish started to, I didn’t start losing it or anything, but it was definitely a bit rusty when I came back. That really kind of impacted me, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, I don’t want to lose this thing that I have.” And so I was so excited to come home and kind of live my life through Irish again.
The Gaeilgoirí community is so incredible…
My community is so great. I have so many friends in my community. We go to music festivals together. We’re friends with a bunch of people through music and through Irish from when we were young. We’d go up to Donegal and down to Kerry and to the music festivals there. We all speak our different Irish to each other.
What advice would you give people starting out in radio?
There’s so much to learn from the people who work around you. I think I have been someone who has always tried to figure things out by myself. But because I was going into such a new kind of area, I wasn’t afraid to, ask questions. So just don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Everyone started out where you are; it’s the same thing. Be brave!
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