This is the problem with "Irish Studdies". At NYU the head of the Irish studies department had not a word of Gaelic, while - in order to take French graduate history studies, French was a prerequisite, and you had better be nearly fluent. Well, I used to present a class in balladry at NYU's graduate English department, and it took a life time of experience to prepare. Good luck, but I wish... in the words of Robert Emmitt, "my nation will take her place among the nations of the world..." in the respect of university studies.
All the best
Larry Otway