Quick answer: In Ireland, English classes (ESOL) run by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are free, and so are library language apps. Paid courses in our sources cost €90 for a 10-week ETB evening class, €180–€395 for a university evening course, €150–€240 for a 10-week Irish class and €280–€420 a term or course at a cultural institute. A two-year university diploma costs €1,085 a year. All prices are in euro.
Language course cost checker
Pick a course type to see the typical Irish price range and where the figure comes from.
Prices change and depend on the size of the job, the property, access and location. Figures were last checked . Always get a written quote before work starts.
Request a free quoteIreland has three price tiers. At the bottom, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) teach English to adults who have come to live here free of charge, and public libraries give members free access to online language courses. In the middle, ETB colleges and universities run evening classes in other languages for a modest fee. At the top are cultural institutes, private schools and accredited university diplomas. The table shows each tier. Every figure comes from the provider’s own page, checked in September 2026. Where we could not find a published price, such as typical private tutor rates in Ireland, we have left the item out rather than guess.
Irish language course prices
| Course type | Price | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETB English classes (ESOL) | Free | Part-time English at many levels for adults who have come to live in Ireland; City of Dublin ETB’s Adult Education Service runs free classes in over 150 locations and Waterford and Wexford ETB runs them mornings, afternoons and evenings | English Language Classes (adulteducationcityofdublinetb.ie); Adult Education Service (cityofdublinetb.ie); ESOL (wwetb.ie) |
| ETB college evening language class | €90–€270 | City of Dublin FET College Ballsbridge: 10 weekly 90-minute classes in Spanish, Italian, French, German or English for €90; IELTS preparation, 5 hours a week, €270 | Language Evening Courses (ballsbridgecollege.com) |
| University evening language course | €180–€395 | UCC online French, 10 x 1.5 hours, €180 (€145 concession); UCC Japanese, 10 x 2 hours, €200; UL, 40 hours over 20 weeks, €375 (€200 concession); Trinity extramural Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Turkish, 24 weeks, €395 | Continuing Education (ucc.ie/en/french); Evening Language Courses (ucc.ie/en/asian); Evening Language Courses (ul.ie); Evening Courses (tcd.ie/slscs) |
| University certificate or diploma | €700–€1,085 a year | UCC Certificate in Languages (NFQ Level 6), €700 over one year or €350 a year over two; University of Galway part-time diplomas in French, German and Italian, €1,085 a year for EU students including a €35 levy | Languages Cert (ucc.ie); French; German; Italian (universityofgalway.ie) |
| Irish-language class (10 weeks) | €150–€240 | Conradh na Gaeilge €215 in person or €150 online; Gaelchultúr €240 on-site in Dublin or €220 online (20 hours); UL Irish evening courses €180 | FAQ (cnag.ie); Irish Courses On-Site; Courses (gaelchultur.com); Irish Courses (ul.ie) |
| Gaeltacht Irish course | €120 | Oideas Gael weekend Irish course in Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal (tuition) | Week-Long and Weekend Irish Language Courses (oideasgael.ie) |
| Cultural institute term course | €280–€420 | Instituto Cervantes Dublin: 30-hour general Spanish course €420, 20-hour conversation course €280; Alliance Française de Limerick: €396 a term | General Spanish Courses (dublin.cervantes.es); 2026/27 French Courses (aflimerick.org) |
| Independent group class | €200 | Ola Languages, Waterford: 10 weekly 90-minute Spanish classes in groups of 6–12 | Waterford Spanish group classes (olalanguages.ie) |
| Library language courses | Free | Transparent Language Online, over 100 languages, free with a library card; Dublin City Libraries also offer uTalk and Road to IELTS | Online Languages (librariesireland.ie); Learn a new language with online resources (dublincity.ie) |
Per teaching hour, the paid courses in our sources run from about €6 (Ballsbridge’s €90 for 15 hours) to about €14 (Instituto Cervantes’ €420 for 30 hours), with university evening courses at roughly €8–€13 an hour: Trinity’s €395 covers 48 hours and UL’s €375 covers 40. The concession rates at UCC, UL and Trinity bring the hourly cost down further for people on social welfare, older learners and, at UL, refugees and people living with a disability.
What drives the price
Who is teaching. ETB colleges are publicly funded, so their evening classes are the cheapest paid option; universities charge more but often cover more hours; cultural institutes and private schools charge the most per term.
Your circumstances. Most providers here offer a lower rate to people on social welfare payments, older learners and students. Trinity’s reduced fee is €197.50, half the full fee, and UL’s concession is €200 against €375.
Accreditation. A course that leads to credits or an NFQ award costs more. UCC’s Certificate in Languages is an NFQ Level 6 award, and the University of Galway’s diplomas run over two years.
Where you are. Irish-language classes are easy to find in Dublin, but in Cork and Waterford we found fewer published in-person options, so many learners there take the online courses from Conradh na Gaeilge or Gaelchultúr.
Extras to budget for
- Textbooks. Ballsbridge supplies materials except a textbook; Gaelchultúr includes a digital handbook and three months of ranganna.com e-learning.
- Payment and admin charges. UL passes on a €10 TransferMate fee on online payments; Gaelchultúr charges €10 to change level.
- Membership. Alliance Française Waterford-Wexford membership is €20 a year and gives €10 off a course; Alliance Française Dublin’s student friend membership is €15 a year.
- Exams. Certificates such as DELF, DELE, Goethe-Zertifikat, IELTS and the TEG are booked and paid for separately. See DELF, DELE and the Goethe-Zertifikat and how the TEG Irish-language certificate works.
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How to keep the cost down
- If you have come to live in Ireland and want to improve your English, contact your local ETB first: its English classes are free.
- Join your local library: Irish public libraries give members Transparent Language Online at no cost.
- Ask about concession rates before you pay. UCC, UL and Trinity all publish one.
- Compare the hourly cost rather than the headline fee, and read tutoring vs group classes before paying for one-to-one lessons.
Local detail is in our guides for Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. You can also compare course types or tell us what you need.
Are English classes free in Ireland?
For adults who have come to live here, usually yes. Education and Training Boards such as City of Dublin ETB and Waterford and Wexford ETB run free part-time English classes, and Limerick and Clare ETB offers free English language skills courses.
How much is an evening language course in Ireland?
In our sources, €90 for a 10-week class at an ETB college in Dublin, €180–€200 for a 10-week university evening course in Cork, and €375–€395 for longer university courses of 40–48 hours at UL and Trinity.
How much do Irish-language classes cost?
A 10-week course costs €150–€240: €215 in person or €150 online with Conradh na Gaeilge, €240 on-site or €220 online with Gaelchultúr, and €180 at UL.
Can I learn a language free with my library card?
Yes. Irish public libraries give members free access to Transparent Language Online, which covers over 100 languages.
Is there a cheaper rate for people on social welfare?
Often. Trinity charges €197.50 instead of €395, UL €200 instead of €375 and UCC’s French department €145 instead of €180.
Sources
- English Language Classes; Region 1 (adulteducationcityofdublinetb.ie)
- Adult Education Service (cityofdublinetb.ie)
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (wwetb.ie)
- Further Education & Training (limerick.ie)
- Language Evening Courses (ballsbridgecollege.com)
- Continuing Education, Department of French; Evening Language Courses, Asian Studies; Languages Cert (ucc.ie)
- Evening Language Courses; Irish Courses (ul.ie)
- Evening Courses (tcd.ie)
- French; German; Italian (universityofgalway.ie)
- FAQ; Spring Term 2026: Beginners 1 (cnag.ie)
- Irish Courses On-Site; Courses (gaelchultur.com)
- Week-Long and Weekend Irish Language Courses (oideasgael.ie)
- General Spanish Courses (dublin.cervantes.es)
- 2026/27 French Courses (aflimerick.org)
- Become a Friend (afwaterfordwexford.ie)
- Autumn Term 2026 (alliance-francaise.ie)
- Waterford Spanish group classes (olalanguages.ie)
- Online Languages (librariesireland.ie)
- Learn a new language with online resources (dublincity.ie)
Last checked: September 2026. Course fees change each term, so confirm the price when you enrol. All prices are in euro.
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