Oh Mo Dhia, RuPaul Tweets As Gaeilge

Host of the global phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race and all-round Queen has given wee Éire a shout out today. The titular personality of the ludicrously popular reality show has released a tweet, composed entirely in Irish, in support of Michelle Visage’s new role as a judge on Ireland’s Got Talent (where she's been an uncontested hit). Visage is best known as Ru's fellow judge on the American programme that pits aspiring drag queens against each other. Needless to say, the tweet has sent Irish fans reeling with excitement.

A mhuintir na hÉireann! J an chraic? Cloisim go bhfuil mo chailín @michellevisage ag déanamh thar cinn ar @GotTalentIRL Is léir go bhfuil sibhse, na banríonacha, deadlaí agus maightí freisin, ach b’fhearr daoibh an obair a chur isteach nó is ag sashayáil away a bheidh sibh! pic.twitter.com/qP5VqD5gyF

— RuPaul (@RuPaul) February 16, 2018

The tweet, as if nearly planned by some marketing genius with friends in high places, comes ahead of Seachtain na Gaeilge, which is taking place from March 1st-17th. This year’s festival is adapting to our social media age by introducing Snapchat filters as Gaeilge and encouraging the usage of WhatsApp and Facebook through the teanga. Apps such as these are integral to the aimed-for naturalisation of a cúpla focail here and there.

The exceptional standard of RuPaul’s Gaeilge is rather curious however, considering that in December he tweeted about his adoration for Lady Bird and its star, Sir Shaw. We wonder too what RuPaul makes of the proposed Irish Language Act by Sinn Féin, which would give Irish equal status with English, in the hopes of restoring Irish as the spoken language of the majority of people in Ireland. No, or “Yasss”?