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Launch marks significant milestone in the provision of healthcare for native Irish speakers

Dublin, Ireland � 25 February 2025 � The Psychiatry for the elderly team at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, is proud to announce the launch of the Irish-language version of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III). This widely used and extensively validated cognitive assessment tool is now available for use by Irish clinicians, marking a significant milestone in the provision of healthcare for native Irish speakers.

The ACE-III is a broad cognitive assessment tool that has been instrumental in diagnosing and managing cognitive impairment. However, until now, there has been no formal cognitive assessment tool available in the Irish language. The psychiatry for the elderly team, working within the hospital’s Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing Memory Clinic, identified this gap and took action to address it.

Following the identification of this unmet need, the team at St James’s Hospital used a HSE-approved translation service to translate the ACE-III into Irish. The translation was then adapted in collaboration with clinicians working with patients with memory impairment across all Gaeltacht areas. This approach ensured the inclusion of all dialects. The final version was reviewed by fluent Irish speaker and Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Professor J B Walsh.

Dr Aoife O’Callaghan from the Psychiatry for the elderly team at St James’s Hospital said; â€�It is common with cognitive impairment to experience a loss of language skills. For bilingual speakers this becomes more complex, as it is often a person’s second language that declines first. This is why, where possible, cognitive tests are performed in a person’s first language. 

“Until now, ACE-III was unavailable through Irish, putting native Irish speakers at a disadvantage as they had to communicate through their second language. We recognised the need for a cognitive assessment tool in the Irish language to better serve the needs of these patients, especially those from Gaeltacht areas. This new tool will enable us to provide more equitable healthcare.�

Clinicians working in Gaeltacht areas, such as Donegal and Kerry, have expressed their support for the new tool. �I feel the ACE in Irish is a more natural communication tool for us who are native speakers. It makes it easier for patients to comprehend what I am asking them. When doing the assessment in English, at times I would have had to explain to the patient in Irish what was required from them in certain sections of the English assessment. Now, we can focus on the task, rather than the language,� said Máire McGinley, Clinical Nurse Specialist based in Donegal.

The feedback from patients has been extremely positive. As one patient said; “As a native Irish speaker, it is much better and natural doing the assessment in Irish.�

Family members have also expressed the benefits of conducting the test in Irish; “The test was first completed in English but she did not recall doing it. However, when it was completed in Irish she did recall doing the assessment.�

The launch of the Irish-language ACE-III coincides with Seachtain na Gaeilge, a celebration of the Irish language and culture, taking place from 1 to 17 March.. This timing underscores the hospital’s commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of native Irish speakers.