WATCH: Irish man’s beachside Gaeilge chats go viral in Australia

Gaeilgeoir [Irish language speaker] Eamon left Ireland five years ago with a plan to teach Irish online while travelling the world.

In his five years on the road, the Irish teacher has headed to the Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea and more.

After some time in Barcelona, he decided to go to Australia, where he is currently based.

"If you see me in Coogee with a big sign, and a big Irish head on me, bí ag caint liom [chat with me]," Eamon said in a video recapping his adventures to date.

With 20,000 followers across his Instagram and TikTok platforms, Eamon has been sharing glimpses inside the conversations he is having with fellow Irish in Australia.

The most recent conversation on the beach sees Eamon explaining his idea is to see if Ireland is alive in Australia.

Before long, he is joined by Roscommon woman Ailish, who is currently in Sydney for work.

Asked when was the last time she had a conversation in Irish, Ailish shared that she had attempted to teach her colleagues some cupla focail [Irish words].

@eamonspeaksirish Ailise is a Roscommon woman currently living in London travelling for work (and the craic) in Sydney. After a long wait on this day in Sydney, Ailise was the first person to come up agus Dia Duit a rá (to say hello) Ailise’s attitude towards Irish and its connection to home was refreshing. It really got me thinking about the language not just as something we speak, but as a powerful link to home for so many people living abroad. 💚 During the video I mention a term ‘ar an imeall’ for ‘on the fence’, a more native way of saying this would be ‘Táim idir dhá chomhairle’ I’m between two minds. ✌️ #ireland #gaeilge #learnirish #irishlanguage #irish ♬ original sound - eamonspeaksirish

The couple then get stuck into a conversation in Irish, with Eamon putting questions to Ailish such as what is her name, where was she from and asking her about London, where she is currently based.

Asked if she would consider a move to Australia, Ailish admitted she was on the fence.

As the conversation came to an end, Ailish confessed her Irish was "so rusty" but was lauded by Eamon, who noted she had a "huge amount."

"That’s cracking," he praised.

Sharing the encounter on social media, Eamon reiterated his praise for Ailish.

"Ailish’s attitude towards Irish and its connection to home was refreshing," he said.

"It really got me thinking about the language not just as something we speak, but as a powerful link to home for so many people living abroad."

The interaction has amassed nearly 19,000 likes with many taking to the comments praising Eamon for the initiative.

Presenter Greg O’Shea praised: "Epic interaction. 14 years of Irish schooling, we should all be bilingual."

Another wrote: "As an Irish man who despised learning the language my whole life, I am sickened daily about not learning it."

A third shared: "It’s never too late to start. I even heard of one guy practicing by talking to himself. Any port in a storm. Maith thú."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.