Longford TikTok queen Laura Pakenham setting new records in Irish language quest
Laura Pakenham is bringing her passion for Irish speaking to ever growing audiences online via her own Tiktok page.
Laura Pakenham's stock is rising by the week, capped this week by a briefing she delivered to politicians in the Dáil this week.
Meet the Longford Gaelgeoir who, thanks to a novel online social media platform, is single-handedly making Irish speaking trendy again.
Laura Pakenham is a name that is no stranger to the glare of the media spotlight courtesy of the Lisryan native’s regular contributions on video networking site TikTok and a recent appearance on Virgin Media Television’s new Irish dating show ‘Grá ar an Trá’.
And while love failed to blossom for the outgoing 22-year-old, her fortunes in carving out a niche in the world of online tutoring continues to break new ground with each passing week.
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By her own acceptance, becoming an internet educational sensation is one that has even taken the Lisryan native by surprise.
“My journey to becoming a Gaelgeoir and a voice for the language online was not one I ever imagined myself embarking on,” she told the Irish Independent website.
“I wasn’t raised with Irish and my first 14 years of education were through English. Irish was simply a subject that I (fortunately) happened to be good at. My journey to becoming a fully-fledged Gaeilgeoir truly began when I decided to study a college course by the name of ‘Baitsiléir san Oideachas Trí Mheán na Gaeilge’.”
That decision, prompted by the course’s appeal of being delivered solely through the medium of Irish paved the way for Laura’s path to becoming a teacher in a Gaelscoil (Irish-medium primary school).
“Switching to all-Irish education at third level after 14 years of education through English was not an easy task, but to spoil the end of the tale, I persevered and achieved my qualification,” she eloquently remarked.
“This experience has left me in a unique position where I can understand various people’s experiences with the language. I was once a learner who struggled to wrap my head around the language, and I'm now confident in my fluency and want to help others achieve the same positive relationship with the language.”
The passion illustrated by the former Cnoc Mhuire, Granard, student when it comes to Ireland’s native tongue is as refreshing as it is laudable.
They are traits which has resulted in a TikTok audience following of almost 11,000 and rising with thousands more similarly linked to her own Instagram page.
Laura Pakenham's stock is rising by the week, capped this week by a briefing she delivered to politicians in the Dáil this week.
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“My journey with the language stands testament to the idea that ‘if I can do it, anyone can’ and I thought to myself, why not try to reach thousands of people with this message through social media?
“I understand that people had negative experiences with Gaeilge within the education system, but I want to provide an alternative outlook on the language for people on my TikTok account.”
That deep-seated sense of determination has also seen Laura secure a role with TG4 in Galway as a social media co-ordinator of educational content.
It’s a stint the proud Longford woman is excelling in ahead of what she hopes will kick-start a career in television presenting and acting.
Laura insisted all of her various postings carry a positive and uplifting slant, tendencies which has allowed her many followers to integrate cúpla focal into their everyday lives.
“I rarely teach grammar lessons on my TikTok and haven’t analysed Peig yet, but instead I make sketches, chat aimlessly, do my makeup, tell stories, rant, embarrass myself, get ready for nights out and much more; but all through Irish.
“I think a lot of people’s apprehensions about using or speaking the Irish they may already have comes from the fear of making a mistake.
"However, I love mistakes. I remind my audience that my profile is a safe space to ask questions and make those very mistakes that may be holding them back. As an educator, I love mistakes as they help me identify what my viewers are yet to learn about the language. This means I can create videos to teach that content and clarify any common misconceptions.”
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Laura’s impressive communication skills resulted in a trip to the Dáil earlier this week where she briefed politicians on her own experiences and the importance of upholding a custom she remains steadfast in bringing to as wide an audience as possible.
“As the good ‘ol seanfhocal says, ‘bíonn gach lá ina lá scoile’ - everyday is a school day, and that is the case on my TikTok,” she added.
“I’m teaching Irish to my viewers, I’m learning from other creators and we’re creating an amazing space in which our beautiful language can flourish, outside of the classroom.”
You can follow Laura on TikTok @laurajpakenham.
