Declan Kiberd interview: “The political elites are much less literate now.” ‘In a wide-ranging interview, the influential critic discusses the Gaelic Revival’s genius, culture as a site of struggle, the folly of compulsory Irish, today’s shy students and his subversively happy childhood’.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to interview Prof Kiberd, and it is no surprise that many of his former students have been in touch since reading to tell me how much they enjoyed his classes. Thanks to Martin Doyle in the Irish Times for publishing it.