Buncrana students set for TG4 quiz show battle, hoping to have the focal answer

Three students from Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana are preparing to represent their school on national television as part of a brand-new Irish-language quiz show on TG4.

Niamh Devlin, Ava O’Donnell, and Eilí Ní Dhómhnaill will take part in the new quiz series Slé Anois go Cúramach, which begins broadcasting on Tuesday, March 24 at 7.30pm. The trio will compete against students from Marist College, Athlone, County Westmeath, in the opening episode of the ten-part series.

The lively new programme aims to make learning Irish more fun and accessible for young people. Designed primarily with English-speaking Junior Cycle secondary school students in mind, the show encourages participants to use whatever Irish they have with confidence, proving that effort and enthusiasm matter more than perfect grammar.

In each episode, two schools go head-to-head across five entertaining rounds that test vocabulary, listening skills, cultural knowledge, and quick thinking. Viewers at home can also play along, making the show ideal for families and classrooms alike.

Among the challenges are “Céard San Fhocal?”, a fast-paced word-guessing game, and “An Bhabhta Emoji”, where contestants must identify jobs, places, and well-known Irish sayings from emoji clues. Another round, “Éist go Géar”, tests listening skills through short and often humorous video clips. 

Another challenging round facing the Buncrana students is “An Bhabhta Randamach” which introduces surprise games such as “Cé Thú Féin Anyways?”, “Seanfhocal nó Scamfhocal?” and the hilarious “Kneecap / Ní Cheapaim”, keeping contestants on their toes and adding to the fun of the competition. The final round, “Gaeilge Ghasta”, is a rapid-fire multiple-choice challenge where speed and instinct are key.

The series is hosted by broadcaster Síomha Ní Ruairc, who brings energy and humour to the show while encouraging students to feel comfortable using Irish in a relaxed environment.

Produced by Macalla Teoranta for TG4, the programme features twenty schools from across Ireland in its first series, with Scoil Mhuire being Donegal’s only participant. The aim is not only to entertain but also to help change attitudes towards the Irish language by showing that it can be fun, lively, and part of everyday life.

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Slé Anois go Cúramach will air on TG4 every Tuesday at 7.30pm for ten weeks and will also be repeated on Sundays at 11.45am.