Language is often used by nations and cultures to exert their unique identity. In the case of Ireland in 1922 following independence, it was a case of how to make Ireland 'Irish' again. There is a sense in revitalization of restoring or going back to a state that existed in the past. In this paper I question this assumption. Drawing on the case of the Irish language in particular, I critically examine the role that education can play in promoting the wider use of minority languages outlining successes and failures. In doing so, I draw on Grin’s (2003) model of; capacity, opportunity and desire. Education contexts tend to address language capacity or competency but have more limited influence on opportunity and desire. The discourse in Ireland on Irish in education focuses almost exclusively on competence. Where competent bilinguals emerge from the education system, the question arises as to whether there is a speech community that they can participate in. In addressing this and other questions I examine the role that parents, communities and other agencies, including the state might play in wider language planning initiatives.