Irish Gaelic, the official language of Ireland, is spoken as a native language by between 20,000 and 80,000 people and is currently experiencing a resurgence. Aaron, who translates from Spanish to English, English to Irish, and Irish to English, shared insights into his background as a linguist and his experience working with the Irish language.

Q: Thanks so much for joining us at TranslationsInLondon, Aaron. Welcome to A Cuppa With. To start, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Aaron Butler. I’m a 30-year-old freelance translator specialising in insurance translation, including home, sports, and health insurance. I’m originally from Derry/Londonderry.

I’ve been interested in languages for as long as I can remember. It started during family holidays in Mallorca, where I was fascinated by hearing people speak languages I didn’t understand. At school, I began learning Spanish and Irish and continued studying both.

At university, I focused on Spanish, as I felt there would be more professional opportunities, but I always maintained a strong connection with Irish. After graduating, I spent time in Vietnam teaching English before completing a Master’s degree in Translation, which I finished in December 2021. Since then, I’ve been working as a freelance translator. It’s been an exciting learning curve, especially on the business side, but languages and translation remain at the core of my work.

In terms of translation work, I’ve been involved in transcription, proofreading, subtitling, and website translation. I’ve also translated pharmaceutical documents for TranslationsInLondon.

Q: With Irish being one of the official languages of Ireland, demand for Irish translation services is increasing. Given the relatively small number of native speakers, what challenges do you face when translating from English into Irish?

One of the biggest challenges is terminology, particularly in specialised fields such as pharmaceuticals. It can be difficult to find reliable parallel texts. I rely heavily on online resources, including terminology databases maintained by translators, linguists, and Irish government bodies.

Another challenge is dialect variation. I studied Ulster Irish (Gaeilge Uladh), as I live in Northern Ireland, but when translating professionally it’s important to use An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (the Official Standard) so that the language is appropriate nationwide. Pronunciation and grammatical features such as séimhiú (lenition) and urú (eclipsis) also need careful attention to ensure the language flows naturally.

I also benefit from having a strong network of fellow Irish translators whom I can consult when needed.

Resources Aaron recommends for Irish translation

• IATE – http://iate.europa.eu (useful for technical and pharmaceutical terms)
• gaois.ie – research resources from Dublin City University
• tearma.ie – National Terminology Database for Irish
• teanglann.ie – Irish–English dictionaries and pronunciation resources
• focloir.ie – Foras na Gaeilge’s online English–Irish dictionary

Q: We can’t avoid mentioning Derry Girls, as Val is a fan!

It’s a great way of promoting Derry internationally and offers an authentic portrayal of local language and culture. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely worth watching.

Q: Did you grow up in Derry?

Yes, I was born and raised here. I studied in Leeds, then at Ulster University in Coleraine, before travelling to Vietnam and eventually returning home.

Q: Many of our readers are translation students or aspiring freelance translators. What advice would you give to those hoping to work with your language pairs?

During university, I developed the idea that translation is everywhere. Translation isn’t limited to written texts — subtitling and transcription are also important forms of language work.

While translation is the core of my business, transcription and subtitling help maintain listening and writing skills and make content more accessible, particularly for hard-of-hearing audiences. Interestingly, most people who use subtitles are not deaf or hard of hearing, so this work often benefits a wider audience.

That said, I make sure that proofreading, subtitling, and transcription remain a smaller part of my workload, with translation being my main focus.

After the discussion, TranslationsInLondon shared some practical advice with Aaron

• Focus on a specific subject area to build expertise and deliver consistently high-quality translations
• Become proficient in CAT tools such as Trados to increase your chances of securing work
• If you plan to start your own agency, be aware of translation scams and always vet collaborators carefully

If you enjoyed this interview, stay tuned for more conversations from the TranslationsInLondon A Cuppa With series.