In the 1990s, the big idea for consolidating the Irish language was TG4. After a contentious debate over many years, the government eventually agreed to finance it and despite attracting a relatively modest audience, it has managed to prosper and even earn the occasional plaudit from the television critics.
With that particular battle over, the language movement has begun to look elsewhere for ways to promote Irish. The next big idea looks set to be third-level education through Irish.
With the emphasis gradually shifting from language revival to language survival, education has become a key battleground.
Now a powerful alliance of four universities has submitted a joint plan for a brave new world of Irish language education, mainly located in Gaeltacht areas.
It carries a price tag of at least €50 million and the four universities - NUI Galway, UCC, NUI Maynooth and Queen's University - are asking the Government, the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority to seriously consider their proposal.
While mandarins in the Department of Finance might groan at the idea of forking out more money for the promotion of Irish, the four colleges believe a new Irish-language service set in the Gaeltacht is a key way to stop the brain drain from rural communities, particularly those in the west.
The president of NUI Galway, Prof Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, says the joint bid by the colleges is not about academic empire-building.
"There is a real issue in places like the Connemara Gaeltacht when people leave their homes to go to college for three or four years. The problem is many of them never come back and there is a social, economic and cultural cost as a result."
The joint bid for the new service, which is currently being considered by an inter-departmental working group, is an attempt to get some of those people to remain at home. There they could get a degree or diploma and hopefully use their skills to enrich their communities. That is the theory at least.
Under the joint bid, the four universities would set up a network of out reach centres to serve the people of the Gaeltacht.
Courses in a range of areas would be offered, including disciplines such as computers and business. But what is the potential size of this student market?
Nobody seems to know,and research is needed into how many people would be interested in receiving their third-level education through Irish. While the numbers are certainly small, many public servants who are required to have Irish in their jobs might be attracted to the idea.
While there is obviously a core group based in the Connemara Gaeltacht who might want to avail of the services, the pitch from the colleges envisages a wider catchment.
While everyone is familiar with Gaeltachts in Galway, Cork and Kerry, people are often surprised to hear there are Gaeltacht communities in Meath, only down the road from the M50.
Mr Ruairí Ó hUiginn, professor of modern Irish at NU Maynooth, says the Ráth Cairn community near Athboy, Co Meath, now contains up to 500 Irish speakers and he says an area like that would also benefit from the new service.
Another enthusiast for the plan is Mr Peadar Mac An Iomaire of NUI Galway. He says there is no limit to what subjects could be taught through Irish.
He admits the cost of the project is not cheap, but says by educating thousands of students through Irish, savings will be made in other parts of the third-level system.
He says his university has already operated successful Irish language courses in places such as Carna and Carraroe. Galway has the capacity to put 1,500 students through Irish language programmes each year, he claims.
Queen's University Belfast adds another dimension to the project. NUI Galway hopes to combine with its Northern counterpart to offer Irish language courses in the Donegal area.
However with the public finances coming under huge pressure, getting financial backing for the proposal is going to be difficult, although Government ministers such as Éamon Ó Cuív have given the idea their support
While NUI Galway originally came up with the idea, the presence of the three other universities makes it hard for education figures to entirely ignore the idea. Collaboration between institutions is in vogue in the education sector at present.
The submission from the four colleges pulls no punches in what will happen if the initiative, or something like it, is not given backing. It says the "viability" of Gaeltacht communities is at stake and policy-makers have been warned.
• Service 'should go beyond Gaeltacht'
Dublin-based colleges such as Dublin City University have put forward an alternative vision of how Irish can be promoted at university level.
According to Dr Caoilfhoinn Nic Pháidín of DCU's Irish language centre, Fiontar, there is a need for a truly national service which would move beyond the idea of simply putting on courses for those in Gaeltacht areas.
It is understood that a DCU submission to the Higher Education Authority says the proposals tabled by the four universities are not properly thought out and would only cater for a minuscule part of the potential student population.
Dr Nic Pháidín says the Irish-speaking population is already fragmented and any third-level education service should not seek to fragment it further.
There are huge numbers of Irish speakers based in cities, she adds, and any new service should also seek to cater for them.