@Betsy Og I agree with some of that sentiment, not so much other parts.
On the education front there is no doubt that Irish has problems the way it is thought, particularly at second level. It is treated on par with English which is silly considering it is not the native tongue of most. I learnt some French in secondary school also, I don't recall having to study French literature?
That said, the compulsory imposition in school was part of a cultural revival. Whether it was necessary or not, hard to say, maybe it was a measure in form of a 'backstop' against its decline and in that regard understandable.
100yrs on perhaps it is time to reflect on progress? I didn't like Irish at school but just got on with it as much as I could. My own interest in it was prompted after I left school, amongst other things, discovering my grandmother grew up in all Irish speaking household in Kerry. This prompted my interest in adult life and no doubt my scattered eduction in school was a help. So what I detested in school, I am grateful for today.
My own sense that compulsory Irish is a good thing, perhaps up to Junior cert, as it instills a sense of identity and culture that may otherwise be lost.
After that I think it should be optional. My own instinct is that those who excel at Irish in LC tend to be those who will excel at languages anyway. For the rest, the literature part is self-defeating. For some English literature is painful during school years, why compound the misery with Irish literature that is an understandable as an alien language from Star Wars.
I would be of the mind that there is a sufficient underbelly of support for the language amongst the population. New innovative ideas to make it more accessible and adoptable in everyday life would be preferential to the traditional ciriculum that is a love/hate (mostly hate) affair.
Hector on TG4 was a revelation all those years ago. We got to see Irish being spoken in foreign countries whereas up till then it was only in Gaeltacht areas with whining old women and fishermen.
Duolingo, on of the top language apps reports that Irish has been downloaded 2.3m times in USA alone (I figure a tiny portion of that actually study Irish).
Irish does have a growing following in the international community of language enthusiasts. I read somewhere (cannot confirm) that there are more fluent Irish speakers outside of Ireland than there are native speakers in Ireland.
Finally, the language is often thought to be redundant by many. I can assure you however that anyone with a cursory interest in the language will find ample resource and opportunity to communicate in Irish once they dip their toe in the water.