Izabela Razniak

…de la Dublin People:

Izabela Razniak was working in her dream job as a library assistant at Tallaght’s County Library when she was faced with an unusual dilemma.

In order to take up a permanent position she needed to pass an oral examination in Irish which is a requirement for all candidates.

“I mean, I was surprised but at the same time excited, because I always liked Irish music and culture. It was a challenge for me,” recalls Izabela, who is from Swidnica in southwest Poland. “I was studying languages before like Russian and English so it wasn’t very difficult for me to learn another.”

Izabela, who holds a master’s degree in Librarianship and Scientific Information and worked for nine years in a library in Poland, embarked on an intensive six weeks ‘as Gaeilge’...