Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys says she is committed to the Irish language.
The former minister said she visited the Gaeltacht in 2017 during her time as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and she said she found the language returning to her.
Ms Humphreys says she can speak a "cúpla focal," but she says she had not used Irish since leaving school.
She said she does try to use as much Irish as she can, adding that she thinks it's a confidence issue, like most people, the local woman said you're afraid you're going to say the wrong thing.
Speaking at the ploughing championship, she said she's committed to going back to the Gaeltacht and she is committed to brushing up and speaking Irish better along with understanding it better. The former Cavan/Monaghan TD says she committed to the Irish language, saying it's one of the oldest languages in the world, and she's committed to learning it.
