A trio of Buncrana students are to take part in a brand new television quiz set to hit our screens next week.
SLÉ ANOIS GO CÚRAMACH is a brand new TG4 quiz show that is set to transform how young people and broader audiences interact and engage with the Irish language.
Taking part in the very first episode are students from Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana.
They are Niamh Devlin, Ava O’Donnell, and Eilí Ní Dhómhnaill and they take on Zac Mullally, Dara Geary & Joseph Mc Sharry from Marist College, Athlone.
This hilarious and fast-paced quiz launches onto Irish TV screens on March 24th next, and has been developed to prove two simple ideas – you have much more Irish than you think you have, and effort matters more than perfection.
Broadcasting on TG4 on Tuesdays 7.30-8.00pm from March 24th for 10 weeks, each episode sees two secondary schools go head-to-head in a series of five lively studio-based rounds that test listening skills, vocabulary, cultural knowledge and improvisation.
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. It 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.
The show is hosted by Síomha Ní Ruairc, a hugely popular and 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 chart-topping podcast ‘How To Gael’ alongside Louise Cantillon and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Warm, cheeky and encouraging, Síomha creates an infectious energy in the studio and helps the young people taking part to feel confident using their Irish.
Síomha says, “It’s so important to me that the language is 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 a creative pedagogy consultant, and an academic team at Mary Immaculate college to ensure the show is ‘scaffolded’ educationally in line with the Junior Cycle Learning Framework.
Twenty Schools from right across the country take part in Series One, including Sandymount Park ETSS (Dublin), Our Lady’s College (Drogheda), Ursuline Secondary School (Thurles), St Macartan’s College (Monaghan), Maynooth Post Primary School (Kildare), De La Salle College (Dundalk), Marist College (Athlone), Scoil Mhuire Buncrana (Donegal), St Aidan’s CBS (Dublin), St Mark’s Community School (Tallaght), Salesian College (Celbridge), St Louis High School (Dublin), Rockbrook Park School (Rathfarnham, Dublin), Ramsgrange Community School (Wexford), Gallen Community School (Offaly), Gonzaga College (Dublin), Chanel College (Coolock), The High School (Rathgar), St Brendan’s College (Killarney) and Holy Faith Clontarf.
With its bold visual style, quick-fire format and cheeky spirit, Slé Anois go Cúramach is truly a breakthrough series for TG4 that positions Irish as something modern, social and full of life.
Conall Ó Máirtín, Foghlaim TG4, said: “We in TG4 are delighted that Slé Anois go Cúramach is coming to air. This programme gives school students a wonderful opportunity to use the Irish they have without fear, while watching students their own age take on language challenges under the guidance of Síomha Ní Ruairc. The series is informed by the latest research on promoting Irish in English-medium schools, and we hope it will provide support for teachers and encouragement for students to use the Irish they have both in school and at home. We congratulate the Macalla team on what they have achieved with Slé Anois go Cúramach and we look forward to audiences thoroughly enjoying it.”
Cúán Mac Conghail, Executive Producer Macalla Teoranta said “We are thrilled at Macalla to have created and produced this ground-breaking new quiz show for TG4. We set out to create an entertaining quiz series that helps change attitudes to learning Irish in schools and give students a new way to enjoy Irish. Building on personal, professional and collegiate knowledge, the show is designed to encourage those watching to learn Irish in a real-world cultural context. It will also appeal to a wider audience who just love a good quiz and want to engage with the language.”
Slé Anois go Cúramach airs Tuesdays at 7.30pm on TG4 from March 24th for 10 weeks and is repeated every Sunday at 11.45am.
Buncrana students to try their luck on new TG4 quiz show was last modified: March 19th, 2026 by Staff Writer
