University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College celebrate 250 years of modern language education in Ireland

UL and MIC celebrate 250 years of modern language education in Ireland

UL and MIC joined to celebrate Ireland’s legacy as a global pioneer in university-level modern language education

University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College held an event to celebrate 250 years of university-level modern language education in Ireland.

The event, the third in a four-part national series, leads up to the 250-year milestone of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) establishing its first professorships in French, German, Italian, and Spanish in 1776 – positions that laid the foundations for modern language study in Irish higher education. The final event in the series will take place in TCD in 2026.

Proceedings opened at MIC’s Limerick campus, where Professor Michael Cronin, 1776 Professor of French and Senior Researcher in the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation at TCD, delivered his keynote. This was followed by a panel discussion on multilingualism in Irish schools, supported by a poster exhibition showcasing current research and national language-learning initiatives.

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In advance of the event, Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, sent his best wishes while highlighting the importance of the event, saying the celebration of Ireland as a “global pioneer” in the study of modern language education “comes at an important moment”.

He said, “Events like this help us reflect on our long tradition in modern languages while also recognising the very real need for graduates with strong language skills and intercultural competence – not as an optional extra, but as core capabilities. They also highlight the value the EU places on multilingualism and remind us of the role Ireland can and should play on that stage.”

In the afternoon, the event moved to UL’s Glucksman Library, where two further panels brought together experts from education, cultural organisations, diplomacy and academia to explore Ireland’s evolving linguistic landscape, the national need for language graduates and the wider value of plurilingualism.

The event was co-organised by Dr Sabine Egger, Associate Professor of German Studies at MIC, and Professor Gisela Holfter, Languages and Applied Linguistics at UL and Director of the Centre for Irish-German Studies, who highlighted the importance of sustaining national conversations about language education.

Dr Egger reflected on the themes that emerged throughout the day and the importance of sustaining national momentum around language education.

She said, “What stood out today was the clear consensus across sectors: Ireland needs more language graduates, greater investment in language education and stronger recognition of the cultural and intellectual value that multilingualism brings. The conversations at MIC and UL highlighted both the progress made and the gaps that remain. As we look towards 2026 and beyond, our task is to turn that momentum into sustained action – supporting teachers, empowering learners and ensuring that languages continue to play a central role in Ireland’s global engagement.”

Speaking after the event, Professor Holfter emphasised the significance of the occasion and the shared purpose behind bringing both institutions together.

Professor Holfter said, “Today’s gathering showed just how deeply rooted, and how urgently needed, modern language expertise is across every level of Irish society. As we move towards the 250-year milestone, it is clear that languages are not an optional extra but a strategic necessity—for education, diplomacy, the creative industries and the wider economy. The level of engagement we saw across both campuses speaks to a shared commitment to strengthening Ireland’s linguistic capacity, and to ensuring that future generations can thrive in an increasingly multilingual world.”