Often the envy of their neighbours across the Irish sea, Irish accents sound pleasingly smooth, musical, and animated. There are a lot of subtleties to the accent, though, and when performed poorly it can sound clichéd and even offensive.
Here’s how to swerve the common pitfalls and act convincingly in an Irish accent.
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Irish Gaelic was the first primary language spoken in Ireland, and the Constitution of Ireland continues to recognise it as the country’s national and first official language. Anglo-Norman invaders introduced English to the island nation in the 12th century, however, and it grew to become the dominant language.
Irish English, also known as Anglo-Irish and Hiberno-English by linguists, is divided into various dialects: Ulster and Northern Irish accents, Dublin accents, Western and Southern Irish accents, and a more recent nonregional standard accent outside Ulster.
“An Irish accent is melodic, with a distinct lilt and varied vowel pronunciations,” says accent coach Sarah Valentine. “A true Irish accent almost sings.”
There are many regional Irish accents, and you may be expected to adopt a particular one depending on where your project is set. “The Dublin accent is quite neutral; the Cork accent has a musical, sing-song quality; and the Donegal accent has a bit of a Scottish influence,” Valentine says.
“A good Irish accent flows naturally,” Valentine says. “A bad one? Think Tom Cruise in Far and Away (1992) – too forced and inconsistent!”
When acting using an Irish accent, however, it is important to consider your audience.
“Irish [accents] can sound a bit like a stereotype,” says accent coach Holly Renaut. “People can get stuck repeating the same intonation all the time. The T is very specific for Irish, and the vowels can change from region to region. I often hear actors mix a few accents together with some sounds from one place and other sounds from another. A great Irish accent is easy to understand for any audience. We want it to be as authentic as possible while staying recognizably Irish. If the project is for an Irish market, then we want to get into the nitty gritty and really be sure it’s flawless.”
The Irish accent uses unique melody, pitch, and sounds, and it’s particularly difficult with so many variants.
“Focus on the placement. Keep your mouth quite closed. You should feel your tongue doing most of the work,” Renaut says. “The Rs are rhotic (pronounced). The TH is often changed to a T or a D. So ‘three’ sounds like ‘tree.’ The Ts become wet, sounding like a mix of a T and an S. The U in words like ‘but’ sounds more like the OO in words like ‘book.’”
“In some regions, the S before a consonant turns into an SH, so ‘stop’ sounds more like ‘shtop,’” Renault continues. “Of course in Northern Ireland, we have the distinctive OW pronunciation in words like ‘now’ or ‘about,’ where the sound shifts toward something more similar to AI, like in ‘my.’ The melody of Irish is distinctive, as well, and intonation is more expressive, using a broader range of pitches.”
“To make your Rs sound Irish and not American, put your mouth into the position of an E, like in ‘bed,’ with a hint of a smile. Then make your R,” Renault says. “Pay attention to the vowels and to the sounds they make when they’re thinking. Those ‘ums’ and ‘ers’ and ‘ahs’ are distinct depending on the region.”
Valentine stresses that actors trying to speak in a convincing Irish accent need to avoid using outdated and overused cliches (like “top o’ the morning to ya”), overdoing the lilt, and confusing it with Scottish.
“When an actor is getting it wrong, they overdo the intonation and make everything have the same pattern,” Renaut says. “They don’t pay enough attention to the vowels, and instead focus mainly on the consonant changes. They make the Ts too strong. And they mix different accents together.”
1. Study Irish dialects
A great way to work on your Irish accent is to record yourself and play it back. You could also use further training resources, such as one-to-one lessons with an accent coach who specialises in Irish accents.
Exposing yourself as much as possible to Irish accents will help you improve. Watch TV shows, films, and videos, and listen to podcasts that feature Irish performers. Even better: Visit the country and immerse yourself in the local accents.
2. Study good Irish accent examples
We recommend the following as a starting point for accents from the Republic of Ireland: Cate Blanchett in Veronica Guerin (2003); Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherim (2022); Liam Neeson in Michael Collins (1996); and Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People (2020).
For a Northern Ireland accent, look to the cast of Derry Girls (2018–2022).
3. Be specific
It’s a rookie mistake to use different dialects when trying to emulate the accent of any country, so narrow down your Irish accent to a specific one in keeping with the character’s origins.
4. Practise
The more you practise your Irish accent, the more it will improve. It takes time to master a new accent, with lots of listening, absorbing, and familiarising your tongue with it along the way.
