How can you teach Irish in an interesting and stimulating way if you haven't got interesting materials to tap into? Geraldine Mooney Simmie, Education Dept, NUI Maynooth

Researchers, teachers and parents, both nationally and internationally, are concerned with promoting the notion of learning and lifelong learning. Inside the classroom, with 15-year-olds, this presents many challenges. Teachers have to accommodate all abilities and an even wider range of interest and motivation. Transition Year presents opportunities to develop a love of the Irish language, and a deeper appreciation of our rich culture and heritage. Skills and competence in Oral Irish and Aural Irish may be nurtured during the year, with time and space away from the straightjacket of the examination pressure cooker.

To teach Irish in an up-to-date and innovative way teachers require interesting classroom material to catch the students' interest and to stimulate discussion and debate. Some texts, while quite scholarly, can be weighty academic tomes, visually starved, not related to the lives or interests of young people and, quite frankly, boring boring boring!

The Ros na Rún project, spearheaded by Máire Ní Thuathail and her creative team, is supported by a number of agencies, including An Foras Teanga and TYCSS of the Department of Education and Science.

It is a good example of curriculum innovation, deanta in Éirinn, and using ICT and television in the classroom. The teachers receive weekly e-mail lesson notes, tailor-made for all abilities and including homework.

The proof of the success of the project lies in the fact that more than 200 teachers have signed up to be involved. The Irish Pharmaceutical and Chemical Manufacturers Federation, on hearing about the project, has decided to emulate it by producing its own e-mail resource to promote Transition Year science.