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This article examines the contributions of Gaelic-language cinema in the shaping of Irish national identity. Taking the case study of An Cailín Ciúin, Colm Bairéad’s 2022 debut film, and analyzing it through the lens of the short story it adapts, Claire Keegan’s Foster, the article aims at uncovering the echoes between adaptation and translation, as well as how the use of the Irish language brings new meaning to the short story. It further showcases how recent legislative policies have created a favorable context for the emergence of a strong Irish-language cinema. The article further sheds light on Bairéad’s aestheticised representation of rurality in Ireland, as a land shaped by its Celtic roots and traditions. By claiming this heritage, Bairéad links revival of the Irish language to Irish collective identity. Gaelic-language cinema, by exporting itself internationally, contributes to the country’s prestige and is fast on its way of becoming a new instrument of Irish soft-power.