Offaly school students to feature in new quiz show to be screened on TG4

GALLEN Community School, Ferbane, will feature in a new quiz show to be screened on TG4 on Tuesday April 28th at 7.30pm.

In the new show, entitled Slé Anois go Cúramach, they will battle it out with Gonzaga College, Dublin.

This brand-new TG4 quiz show is set to transform how young people - and the broader Irish audience - experience the Irish language. Slé Anois go Cúramach is a fast-paced, funny and fearless educational quiz series that proves two simple ideas: effort matters more than perfection, and you have much more Irish than you think you have!

Slé Anois go Cúramach is being broadcast on TG4 on Tuesdays from 7.30–8pm for a 10-week run. The series combines high-energy entertainment with meaningful language learning, creating a show that appeals to teenagers, families and anyone curious about improving their Irish.

Slé Anois go Cúramach is an original format by Macalla Teoranta for TG4, designed primarily with English-speaking secondary school Junior Cycle students in mind. The show creates a supportive, high-spirited space where using the Irish you have is celebrated rather than judged. The series replaces the pressure often associated with language learning with humour, quick thinking and courage, while still delivering real genuine educational value.

Each episode sees two schools go head-to-head in a series of five lively studio-based rounds that test listening skills, vocabulary, cultural knowledge and improvisation. The show is specifically created so viewers at home and in classrooms can easily play along, making it ideal for shared, intergenerational viewing as well as use as a classroom resource.

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At the heart of the series is its core belief: everyone has Irish. Fluency is not required - bravery is. Broken Irish is welcomed, laughter is encouraged and taking part is always rewarded.

The show is hosted by Síomha Ní Ruairc, a well-known face in Irish-language broadcasting. Born in Galway and raised in Lucan, Dublin, Síomha grew up in a Gaeilgeoir household and went on to study Irish and music at Maynooth University. Síomha works with Conradh na Gaeilge, has appeared in many TG4 shows, and is one-third of the popular podcast ‘How To Gael’ alongside Louise Cantillon and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Warm, quick-witted and encouraging, she brings an infectious energy to the studio and a genuine passion for helping young people feel confident using Irish.

“It’s so important to me that the language be showcased in natural, everyday settings - and there’s no setting quite so natural as a quick-fire quiz show! Slé gives students an opportunity to engage with the language in a fun and enjoyable way - and it gives me the chance to be a little bit cheeky with it too!”

Each episode is made up of five rounds - “Céard San Fhocal?” is a high-speed word guessing game in the style of Heads Up. “An Bhabhta Emoji” challenges players to identify jobs, places and seanfhocail from emoji clues. “Éist go Géar” tests listening skills through short, humorous video clips. A rotating “An Bhabhta Randamach” introduces surprise fun games such as “Cé Thú Féin Anyways?”, “Seanfhocal nó Scamfhocal?” and the hilarious “Kneecap/Ní Cheapaim”. The final round, “Gaeilge Ghasta”, is a rapid-fire multiple-choice challenge where speed and instinct are key.

While the tone is energetic, colourful and youth-focused, the educational foundation is carefully considered. Slé Anois go Cúramach combines the fun of a quiz show with the educational learning of Irish in a completely unique way. Macalla Teoranta, the producers, work alongside experienced language consultants, a creative pedagogy consultant, and an academic team to ensure the show is ‘scaffolded’ educationally in line with the Junior Cycle Learning Framework. They also ensure a strong standard of Irish while maintaining a relaxed, supportive atmosphere for contestants. The content aligns with CTET levels A2–B1, making the series particularly relevant for Junior Cycle learners.

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