Get your H4 in Leaving Cert Irish.
Become a primary teacher.
A one-year course built specifically for mature students returning to sit Higher Level Leaving Cert Irish looking for the H4 requirement for B.Ed. and PME primary teaching programmes at MIC, DCU, Marino, Maynooth, Froebel and Hibernia. Live weekly grinds, full oral exam prep, recordings of every class, and a teacher who has been getting adults across the H4 line for over a decade.
"Having access to all the recordings for everything was brilliant. It was real peace of mind knowing that if I got held up at work and couldn't make the class live, I could just watch it back later and not miss anything."
"The extra help with oral preparation, with specific questions on why I want to be a primary school teacher, was very helpful. Material was clearly laid out — you didn't have to go searching for it. Michael's love for the language is infectious and makes it all so enjoyable"
One grade stands between you and primary teaching.
Most mature students applying for Primary Teaching in Ireland fall short of one thing — the Higher Level Irish requirement set by the Department of Education. This course is designed around that one outcome: getting you safely over the H4 line.
What is the H4 Irish requirement?
To train as a primary school teacher in Ireland — whether through the four-year B.Ed. or the two-year Professional Master of Education (PME) — the Department of Education requires a minimum H4 grade in Higher Level Leaving Cert Irish (60–69%). This is a hard requirement at the state-funded colleges of education: Marino Institute, Maynooth University Froebel Department, DCU Institute of Education, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Limerick, and the privately-funded Hibernia College PME.
You also need a minimum of O4 or H7 in Leaving Cert English and Maths. These grades can be combined from different sittings of the Leaving Cert, which is exactly why returning to sit Higher Level Irish as a one-off works for mature applicants.
Who this course is for
This course is built specifically for mature students — people who finished school years ago, who may not have spoken Irish since, and who now need the H4 to get into a primary teaching programme. Whether you're sitting Irish for the first time as an adult, repeating from your original Leaving Cert, or coming back to it after a long gap, the course assumes nothing and rebuilds the language from the ground up.
Classes are online, live and fully recorded, so working around a job, kids or other commitments is straightforward. Every class is rewatchable for the full academic year.
What about the PME oral exam (TEG B1)?
If you already have a degree and are applying for the PME (postgraduate route to primary teaching), most colleges also require you to pass the TEG B1 oral Irish exam with at least 65%, or to do part of your application interview in Irish. The intensive oral preparation in this course — 10 hours of dedicated live oral classes plus 4 mock oral exams — covers the speaking competence you'll need for both the Leaving Cert oral (40% of your grade) and the TEG B1.
Why the oral exam matters more than students think
The oral exam is worth 40% of your overall Leaving Cert Irish grade. For mature students, this is where the H4 is most often won — or lost. Our oral prep specifically covers the topic that comes up almost every year for primary teaching applicants: "Cén fáth ar mhaith leat a bheith i do mhúinteoir bunscoile?" ("Why do you want to be a primary school teacher?"). Michael has been preparing adults for this exact moment for over a decade.
Everything you need for your H4 in Irish.
A complete one-year programme for mature students sitting Leaving Cert Higher Level Irish for primary teaching. Live grinds, on-demand catalogue, intensive oral prep, full revision courses and an Irish book that covers the entire syllabus — all included.
Live weekly Irish grinds
Interactive live grinds every week throughout the academic year, taught by Dr. Michael Casey and the Grinds360 Irish team. Every class is geared specifically towards the exam — what to study, what to skip, and what wins marks.
400+ on-demand video lessons
A library of bite-size Irish videos that builds your Irish from the ground up. Stuck on grammar at 10pm? Search the catalogue and watch a 5-minute explainer. Designed for adults rebuilding the language from scratch.
Comprehensive Irish book delivered
Dr. Michael Casey's complete Leaving Cert Irish book — the entire Higher Level syllabus in one place, written to focus only on what scores grades. Sent directly to your door.
Intensive oral exam prep
Weekly class focusing on the Oral and Aural sections of the exam, getting you comfortable with spoken Irish. Special focus on the questions future primary teachers are asked — including "Cén fáth ar mhaith leat a bheith i do mhúinteoir bunscoile?"
Christmas, Easter & June revision courses
Three full revision courses included — at the points in the year where consolidation matters most. Plus in-person revision workshops you can attend if you're within travel distance . These are also live-streamed so you never miss a class.
Works around your schedule
Every grind, oral class and revision course is recorded so you can watch it back a time that suits your busy schedule — essential if you're juggling work or kids. The thing mature students consistently flag as the difference-maker.
Irish teachers with a track record of getting mature students to H4.
Led by Dr. Michael Casey, our Irish team has spent years preparing adults to resit the Leaving Cert and get into primary teaching.
Head Irish Teacher
Dr. Michael Casey
Author of the Grinds360 Leaving Cert Irish book and the driver behind our Irish for Primary School teaching programme. Has spent the last decade preparing mature students to resit Higher Level Irish for primary teaching admission.
Irish Teacher
Clare Grealy
Experienced Leaving Cert Irish teacher specialising in oral exam preparation. Brings a calm, structured approach that works particularly well for adults re-engaging with the language after years away.
Irish Teacher
Ronan Murdock
Senior Irish teacher with deep knowledge of the Higher Level syllabus and the LC marking scheme. Specialises in the comprehension, prose and poetry sections where the H4 is most often secured.
Everything mature students ask about Irish for primary teaching.
The most common questions we get from adults returning to sit Leaving Cert Irish. Can't see your question? WhatsApp us — we usually reply within the hour.
What grade do I actually need in Irish for primary teaching?
The Department of Education requires a minimum H4 in Higher Level Leaving Cert Irish (60–69%) for entry to all state-funded Initial Teacher Education (ITE) primary teaching programmes — Marino, Maynooth Froebel, DCU Institute of Education, and Mary Immaculate College Limerick. Hibernia College's PME requires the same H4 (or a recognised equivalent), plus the TEG B1 oral exam.
Ordinary Level Irish is not accepted for entry to primary teaching, no matter how high the grade.
Can I get into primary teaching as a mature student?
Yes. All four state-funded colleges of education and Hibernia College have a mature applicant route (typically open to applicants aged 23 or over by 1 January of the year of entry). Mature applicants are usually assessed on a combination of application, interview, and oral Irish test — but the H4 in Leaving Cert Higher Level Irish is still required.
Importantly, your Leaving Cert grades can be combined from different sittings. So sitting just the Irish paper as a one-off year, while keeping your original English and Maths grades, is the standard route most of our students take.
I haven't studied Irish in 15+ years. Will I be able to keep up?
This is the most common worry — and the course is built around the assumption that you haven't touched Irish since school. The on-demand video catalogue starts from the ground up and builds towards Higher Level competence over the year.
You progress at your own pace through the on-demand material, attend the live weekly grinds for structure, and message your teacher directly if anything isn't clicking. Most of our mature students start "rusty" and finish the year confident walking into the Leaving Cert exam.
What about the TEG B1 oral exam for the PME?
If you already have an undergraduate degree and are applying for the Professional Master of Education (PME) in Primary Teaching, most colleges require you to pass the TEG B1 (Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, Bonnleibhéal 1) oral Irish exam with at least 65%, in addition to the H4 in Leaving Cert Higher Level Irish. The TEG B1 exam usually has special sittings in January/February each year.
The intensive oral preparation built into this course — 10 hours of dedicated oral classes and 4 mock orals — gives you the speaking competence required for both the Leaving Cert oral and the TEG B1.
Can I do this course while working full-time?
Yes — the course is designed for it. Live weekly grinds are scheduled in the evenings and every single class is recorded, so if work runs over, you watch it back the next day. The on-demand catalogue, post-class quizzes and the Irish book are all available 24/7.
Most of our students are working full-time, often with kids and other commitments. The structure is flexible by design.
How much of the Leaving Cert Irish grade is the oral exam?
The oral exam is worth 40% of your overall Higher Level Leaving Cert Irish grade. For mature students, the oral is often the most reliable place to bank marks — it rewards preparation and rehearsal, and it's taken over the Easter break, well before the written papers.With a smart study plan, the vocab and phrases you learn for your oral can also be adapted to be reused in your written exam in the essay section, another big points earner.
Our oral prep gives particular focus to the topic that comes up almost every year for primary teaching applicants: explaining, in Irish, why you want to be a primary school teacher.
Which colleges accept this for primary teaching?
The Department of Education H4 requirement applies to all recognised primary teaching programmes in Ireland, including:
Undergraduate (B.Ed.): Marino Institute of Education, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Limerick, DCU Institute of Education (St Patrick's Campus), Maynooth University Froebel Department, MIC Thurles.
Postgraduate (PME): Hibernia College (online), Marino, MIC, DCU, and Maynooth all offer postgraduate routes — most require the TEG B1 oral exam in addition to the H4.
Always check the current entry requirements directly with your chosen college, as details can change year to year.
When does the course start and when is the exam?
The course runs across one full academic year, starting in September 2026 and finishing with the Leaving Cert exams in June 2027. The Leaving Cert Irish oral exam is held in the first week of the Easter break, and the written papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2) are sat in June 2027.
You can join after September if you're sitting the 2027 Leaving Cert — all earlier classes are recorded and ready to catch up on.
What if I don't get the H4 — can I resit?
Yes. Leaving Cert Irish can be repeated as often as needed — there's no limit on attempts for mature candidates. If you sit the exam and fall just short of the H4, you can sit it again the following June. Grades from different sittings can be combined to meet the overall Leaving Cert primary teaching requirements.
That said, the structure of this course — full syllabus coverage, four mock orals and three revision courses — is designed so you only need one year.
How much does the course cost?
The full one-year course is €999 and includes weekly live grinds, the on-demand video catalogue, Dr. Michael Casey's complete Leaving Cert Irish book delivered to your door, Christmas, Easter and June revision courses, intensive oral prep, in-person workshops, post-class quizzes and recordings of every class.
Split payment options are available.
Still have a question?
WhatsApp us — we usually reply within the hour, 7 days a week.
Check our plan.
One time fee. Everything you need to reach your H4 — included.
Grinds360 — Irish for Primary School Teaching
Full-year Irish course for Mature students
Access until 1st July 2027
- Full one-year course — all materials included
- Weekly live Irish grinds
- Recordings of every class
- 200+ on-demand video lessons
- Michael's Irish book delivered
- Christmas revision course
- Easter revision course
- May / June revision course
- 10 hours of oral prep classes
- 4 mock oral exams
- In-person workshops
- Post-class quizzes
- Direct teacher support
Instant access · Split payments available · 14-day money-back
Ready to take the first step into primary teaching?
Join the next intake of mature students sitting Leaving Cert Irish for primary teaching with Grinds360. Classes start September 2026.
WhatsApp lines open 7 days · Phones Mon–Fri 10am–7pm