Status of the Irish language
Encyclopedia
Irish
is the main community and household language of 3% of the population of the Republic of Ireland
(which the census showed to be 4,581,269 in 2011). Estimates of fully native speakers range from 40,000 up to 80,000 people. Areas in which the language remains a vernacular are referred to as Gaeltacht
areas.
The word "Gaeltacht" refers to those areas where Irish has never died out and has been passed on in an unbroken chain of native speakers as far back as historical records go. In most of Ireland, English was adopted as the main community language in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These areas may be referred to as the "Galltacht".
Irish speakers in the Galltacht include both second-language speakers and native speakers who were raised and educated through Irish. They are sometimes known as Gaeilgeoirí (a term also used for all Irish speakers) and constitute an expanding minority, though of uncertain size.
Recent research suggests that urban Irish is developing in a direction of its own and that Irish speakers from urban and Gaeltacht areas can find it difficult to understand each other. This is related to an urban tendency to simplify the phonetic and grammatical structure of the language. The written standard remains the same for both groups, and urban Irish speakers have made notable contributions to an extensive modern literature.
The number of fluent speakers in Dublin and elsewhere is rising, largely because of the growth of urban Irish-medium education, but Irish in the Gaeltacht grows steadily weaker. The 2006 census showed that inhabitants of the officially designated Gaeltacht regions of Ireland numbered 91,862. Of these, 70.8% aged three and over spoke Irish and only around 60% spoke Irish daily. It was estimated in 2007 that, outside the cities, about 17,000 people lived in strongly Irish-speaking communities, about 10,000 people lived in areas where there was substantial use of the language, and 17,000 people lived in "weak" Gaeltacht communities. In no part of the Gaeltacht was Irish the only language. Complete or functional monolingualism of Irish is now restricted to a handful of the elderly in isolated regions and some children under school age.
A comprehensive study published in 2007 found that young people in the Gaeltacht, despite their largely favourable view of Irish, use the language less than their elders. Even in areas where the language is strongest, only 60% of young people use Irish as the main language of communication with family and neighbours, and English is preferred in other contexts. The study concluded that, on current trends, the survival of Irish as the main community language in Gaeltacht areas cannot be guaranteed.
Another study has argued that people bilingual in Irish and English (Gaeilgeoirí by implication) tend to be more highly educated than monolingual English speakers and enjoy the benefits of language-based networking, leading to better employment and higher social status. Though this study has been criticised for certain assumptions, the statistical evidence supports the view that such bilinguals enjoy certain educational advantages.
The Irish government has adopted a twenty-year strategy designed to strengthen the language in all areas and greatly increase the number of habitual speakers. This includes the encouragement of Irish-speaking districts in areas where Irish has been replaced by English.
The 2001 census in Northern Ireland showed that 167,487 people (10.4%) "had some knowledge of Irish" (see Irish language in Northern Ireland
). This, combined with statistics from the Republic, means that at least one in three people (~1.8 million) on the island of Ireland can understand Irish to some extent. English speakers are however generally reluctant to use the language.
On 13 June 2005, the EU foreign ministers unanimously decided to make Irish an official language of the European Union
. The new arrangements came into effect on 1 January 2007, and Irish was first used at a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers, by Minister Noel Treacy
, T.D., on 22 January 2007.
The number of native Irish-speakers in Gaeltacht areas of the Republic of Ireland today is a smaller fraction of the population than it was at independence. Many Irish-speaking families encouraged their children to speak English as it was the language of education and employment; by the nineteenth century the Irish-speaking areas were relatively poor and remote, though this very remoteness helped the language survive as a vernacular. There was also continuous outward migration of Irish speakers from the Gaeltacht (see related issues at Irish diaspora
).
A more recent contributor to the decline of Irish in the Gaeltacht has been the immigration of English speakers and the return of native Irish speakers with English-speaking partners. The Planning and Development Act (2000) attempted to address the latter issue, with varied levels of success. It has been argued that government grants and infrastructure projects have encouraged the use of English: "only about half Gaeltacht children learn Irish in the home... this is related to the high level of in-migration and return migration which has accompanied the economic restructuring of the Gaeltacht in recent decades". In a last-ditch effort to stop the demise of Irish-speaking in Connemara in Galway, planning controls have been introduced on the building of new homes in Irish-speaking areas. New housing in Gaeltacht areas must be allocated to English-speakers and Irish-speakers in the same ratio as the existing population of the area.
Gaeltacht families with school-age children may apply for grants if the children demonstrate native-level competency in Irish. In the 2006-07 school year, 2,216 families received the full grant of €260 p.a., 937 families received a reduced grant and 225 families did not meet the criteria. This payment scheme is called Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge, the first example in Europe where citizens are paid to speak their first official language.
In contrast to the situation in the Gaeltacht, urban Irish speakers represent a minority growing in numbers, influence and cohesiveness, and may in another generation become a language-based elite, particularly in Dublin. Their bilingualism, however, tends to obscure this.
The Official Languages Act
of 2003 gave people the right to interact with state bodies in Irish, but it is too early to assess how well this is working in practice.
On 19 December 2006 the government announced a 20-year strategy to help Ireland become a fully bilingual country. This involved a 13 point plan and encouraging the use of language in all aspects of life. It aims to strengthen the language in both the Gaeltacht and the Galltacht.
in the 2006 Irish census. The census did not record Irish speakers living outside of the Republic of Ireland.
Irish is taught as a degree subject in a number of tertiary institutions in North America and northern Europe
, and at the University of Sydney
in Australia
. The University of Auckland
in New Zealand
teaches it as an extension course.
The organisation Coláiste na nGael plays a major part in fostering the Irish language in Britain. North America has several groups and organisations devoted to the language. Among these are Daltaí na Gaeilge
and the North American Gaeltacht. In the Antipodes the main body is the Irish Language Association of Australia, based in Melbourne. The websites maintained by these groups are supplemented by a number of sites and blogs maintained by individuals.
Irish-language publications outside Ireland include two on-line publications: a quarterly American-based journal called An Gael, and a fortnightly newsletter from Australia called An Lúibín.
) who claim that tourists may not recognise the Irish forms of the placenames.
Following a campaign in the 1960s and early 1970s, most road-signs in Gaeltacht regions have been in Irish only. Most maps and government documents did not change, though Ordnance Survey (government) maps showed placenames bilingually in the Gaeltacht (and generally in English only elsewhere). Most commercial map companies retained the English placenames, leading to some confusion. The Act therefore updates government documents and maps in line with what has been reality in the Gaeltacht for the past 30 years. Private map companies are expected to follow suit.
Beyond the Gaeltacht only English placenames were officially recognised (pre 2004). However, further placenames orders have been passed to enable both the English and Irish placenames to be used. The village of Straffan
is still marked variously as and , even though Irish has not been the spoken widely there for two centuries. In the 1830s John O'Donovan
listed it as "Srufáin" The nearby village of Kilteel
was "Cill tSile" for centuries, meaning "The church of Saint Síle", but since 2000 it is shown as "Cill Cheile", which does not carry the same meaning. There are numerous other examples.
Irish vehicle registration plates
are bilingual: the county of registration is shown in Irish above the plate number as a kind of surtitle, and is encoded from English within the plate number. For example, a Dublin plate is surtitled Baile Átha Cliath and the plate number includes D.
Conradh na Gaeilge
has expressed concern over the proposed introduction of postcodes, which, similarly, may use abbreviations based on English language
place names, although people sending mail would still be able to use addresses in Irish. It has advocated that postcodes should either consist solely of numbers, as in many other bilingual countries, or be based on Irish language names
instead.
and some Superquinn
stores have in-store Irish signage. Several companies (mostly current and ex-semistate bodies) publish their yearly reports in both Irish and English. These include Eircom
, An Post
and the ESB
. Other companies have Irish language options on their websites. Examples of these include Bord Gáis
, Meteor, and An Post
. Bank of Ireland ATM's and Samsung phones have an Irish Language option and meteor has also begun to offer an Irish language voicemail option to its customers. People corresponding with bodies like the Revenue and the ESB
can also send and receive correspondence in Irish or English. The ESB have Irish-speaking customer support representatives and offer both Irish and English language options on their phone lines, along with written communication in both languages. The Emergency response number 112 or 999 also have agents who deal with emergency calls in both languages. Bank of Ireland have an Irish language option on their ATM's and Fuji Film have introduced an Irish language interface option to the thousands of Fuji Film kiosks around the world.
,
Mozilla Firefox
,
Mozilla Thunderbird
,
OpenOffice.org
,
and Microsoft Windows XP
.
Hiberno-English
has been heavily influenced by the Irish language, and words derived from Irish, including whole phrases, continue to be a feature of English as spoken in Ireland: ("goodbye"), ("get home safely"), ("good health"; used when drinking like "bottoms up" or "cheers"). The term craic
has been popularised in a Gaelicized spelling: "How's the craic?" or "What's the craic'?" ("how's the fun?"/"how is it going?").
Many public bodies have Irish language or bilingual names, but some have downgraded the language. An Post
, the Republic's postal service, displays Irish place names in both Irish and English with equal prominence outside its offices and continues to have place names in Irish
on its postmarks as well as recognising addresses. Royal Mail
also recognises Irish language place names in Northern Ireland. Traditionally, the private sector has been less supportive, although support for the language has come from some private companies. For example, Irish supermarket chain Superquinn
introduced bilingual signs in its stores in the 1980s, a move which was followed more recently by the British chain Tesco
for its stores in the Republic. Woodies DIY now also have bilingual signs in their chain of stores. In contrast, the "100% Irish" SuperValu
has few if any Irish signs, and the German retailers Aldi
and Lidl
have none at all.
Signage in Irish may be viewed as a gesture of goodwill towards the language. It does not imply that any of the staff in a particular establishment can speak Irish.
Thanks in large part to Gael-Taca and Gaillimh le Gaeilge and two local groups a significant number of new residential developments are named in Irish today in most of the Republic of Ireland. In several counties there are a large number being named in Irish. Over 500 new residential developments were named in Irish during the property boom in Ireland. It is now council policy in Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Galway City Council, Shannon Town Council and Navan Town Council for all new residential areas to be named in Irish.
In an effort to increase the use of the Irish language by the State, the Official Languages Act
was passed in 2003. This act ensures that state bodies have to have services through the medium of Irish for Irish speakers; bilingual signage, websites and stationery. Major publications issued by issued by state and semi-state bodies must be available in both official languages. In addition, the office of Language Commissioner has been set up to act as an ombudsman
with regard to equal treatment for both languages. The Official Languages Act is being implemented on a phased basis.
(1906–1970), whose dense and complex work has been compared to that of James Joyce
. Two outstanding poets are Seán Ó Ríordáin
(1907–1977) and the lyricist and scholar Máire Mhac an tSaoi
(b.1922). There are many less notable figures who have produced interesting work.
In the first half of the 20th century the best writers were from the Gaeltacht or closely associated with it. Remarkable autobiographies from this source include An tOileánach (“The Islandman”) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain
(1856–1937) and Fiche Bliain ag Fás (“Twenty Years A’Growing”) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin
(1904–1950).
Irish has also proved to be an excellent vehicle for scholarly work, though chiefly in such areas as historical studies and literary criticism.
There are several publishing houses which specialise in Irish-language material and which together produce scores of titles every year.
deplored the fact that the State spends about €1,000,000,000 p.a. on teaching Irish. He called for a:
Professor Walsh's remarks provoked further comment for and against his suggestion.
under the supervision of Professor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta and was finally published in 1981. The Church of Ireland
Book of Common Prayer
of 2004 is available in an Irish-language version.
(Gaeltacht radio) and Teilifís na Gaeilge (Irish language television, initially abbreviated to 'TnaG', now renamed TG4
). There are also the community stations Raidió na Life
in Dublin and Raidió Fáilte
in Belfast, the former being an important training station for those wishing to work in radio professionally. There is also a internet radio station for young people called Raidió Rí-Rá
.
Community radio stations in Ireland try to have at least one Irish language programme per week, depending on the number of employees or volunteers who speak it. Near90fm, the community radio station covering north-east Dublin, broadcasts "Ar Muin na Muice" five days a week, and a current affairs programmes called "Between The Lines" is also broadcast in Irish on occasion. The BBC
offers an Irish-language service called called Blas ("a taste"). 14% of the population of the Republic of Ireland listen to Irish radio programming daily, 16% listen 2-5 times a week, while 24% listen to Irish programming once a week.
has offered Irish-speaking young people a forum for youth culture as Gaeilge (in Irish) through rock and pop shows, travel shows, dating games, and even a controversial award-winning soap opera in Irish called Ros na Rún
(with 160,000 viewers per week) and comedy-drama Rásaí na Gaillimhe, with 223,000 viewers tuning in on its opening night. In 2007 TG4 reported that overall it "has a share of 3% (800,000 daily viewers) of the national television market". This market share is up from about 1.5% in the late 1990s. TG4 delivers 16 hours a day of television from an annual budget of €35 million, which is widely judged to be relatively efficient. The budget has the full support of all political parties in parliament. TG4 is the most successful and high-profile government initiative for the Irish language for the past fifty years.
Cúla 4
is a children's channel. As of 1 September 2009, a children's channel available on Chorus NTL digital (Channel 602) television with the majority of programmes in Irish, with a range of home-produced and foreign dubbed programmes. Programmes are broadcast Mondays-Sundays from 7am - 10am, then from 2.30pm-7pm.
RTÉ News Now
is a 24 hour live news service available on the RTÉ website featuring national and international news. It offers a mix of Irish language, English language and Irish sign language TV news bulletins and political programmes. It broadcasts the following programmes: Cinnlínte Nuachta, Nuacht RTÉ
, Nuacht an Lae, Nuacht TG4
, Pobal
, Timpeall na Tíre and 7 Lá
.
Print
The two main weekliy papers are Foinse and Gaelscéal. Foinse
is published as a supplement with the Irish Independent. This gave it a potential readership of 152,000 as of 18 November 2009, though it is likely that only a small percentage would be able to read it with ease. Another paper, Saol
, concentrates on the Irish-language scene. Until December 2008 there was an Irish-language daily newspaper called Lá Nua, which came out five days a week and had a circulation of several thousand. The Irish News has two pages in Irish every day. The Irish Times had up until recently one article in Irish every week. Now it has several articles with short lists giving the meaning in English of some of the words used. The immigrants’ magazine Metro Éireann
also has articles in Irish every issue, as do local papers throughout the country.
Several magazines are published in the language. These include the two "flagship" reviews Feasta and Comhar, both with an interest in new writing.
There are several internet-based publications. These include the magazines Beo, An Gael (American but with international scope) and the very contemporary nós* (the last also being available in print). Nuacht24 and Gaelscéal are presented in a news format, the latter competing in print with Foinse.
. Yearly albums of contemporary song in Irish (the latest being Ceol '10) now appear. The artists have included Mundy, The Frames, The Coronas, The Corrs, The Walls, Paddy Casey, Kíla, Luan Parle, Gemma Hayes, Bell X1 and comedian/rapper Des Bishop.
There are two Irish-language radio programmes specialising in popular music, both created by Digital Audio Productions: Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann
and Giotaí. Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann (Ireland's Official Top 40) was first broadcast in 2007.
It has become increasingly common to hear Irish top 40 hits presented in Irish by radio stations normally associate with English: East Coast FM, Flirt FM, Galway Bay FM, LM FM, Midwest Radio, NEAR FM 101.6FM, Newstalk, Red FM, Spin 1038, Spin South West and Wired FM.
Electric Picnic
, a music festival attended by thousands, features DJs from the Dublin-based Irish language radio station Raidió na Life, as well as celebrities from Irish language media doing sketches and comedy. Dara Ó Briain
and Des Bishop
are among the latter, Bishop (an American by origin) having spent a well-publicised year in the Conamara Gaeltacht to learn the language and popularise its use.
, who could not speak the language himself.
In spite of the strong emphasis on the teaching of Irish, the Royal Irish Academy
's 2006 conference on "Language Policy and Language Planning in Ireland" found that the study of Irish and other languages is declining in Ireland. To reverse this decline, it was recommended that training and living for a time in a Gaeltacht area should be "compulsory" for teachers of Irish. No reference was made in this connection to the decline of the language in the Gaeltacht.
In March 2007, the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin
, announced that more attention would be given to the spoken language, and that from 2012 the percentage of marks available in the Leaving Certificate Irish exam would increase from 25% to 40% for the oral component. This increased emphasis on the oral component of the Irish examinations is likely to change the way Irish is examined. At secondary school level, however, students must analyse literature and poetry, and write lengthy essays, debates and stories in Irish for the (L2) Leaving Certificate
examination. Extra marks of 5-10% marks are awarded to students who take some of their examinations through Irish, though this practice has been questioned by the Irish Equality Authority.
The exemption from learning Irish on the grounds of time spent abroad, or learning disability, is subject to Circular 12/96 (primary education) and Circular M10/94 (secondary education) issued by the Department of Education and Science
. Over half the students granted an exemption from studying Irish for the Leaving Certificate because of a learning difficulty in the three years up to 2010 sat or intended to sit for other European language examinations such as French or German.
, a major Irish party which won power in the 2011 general elections as part of a coalition. This policy was the cause of disapproving comment by language activists before the election.
In 2005 Enda Kenny
, leader of Fine Gael, called for the language to be made an optional subject in the last two years of secondary school. Mr Kenny, despite being a fluent speaker himself (and a teacher), stated that he believed that compulsory Irish has done the language more harm than good. The point was made again in April 2010 by Fine Gael's education spokesman Brian Hayes, who said that forcing students to learn Irish was not working, and was actually driving young people away from real engagement with the language. The question provoked a public debate, with some expressing resentment of what they saw as the coercion involved in compulsory Irish. The party now places primary emphasis on improved teaching of Irish, with greater emphasis on oral fluency rather than on the rote learning that characterises the current system. It is intended that Irish will become optional after ten years' experience of the new curriculum.
In 2009 almost 14,000 Leaving Certificate students chose not to sit Irish exams, and the numbers opting out are increasing by 600 a year.
In 2007 the Government abolished the requirement for barristers and solicitors to pass an Irish examination. A Government spokesman said it was part of a move to abolish requirements which were no longer practical or realistic.
eanna at primary level) enjoy strong support from elements of the urban professional class, but are also found in disadvantaged areas. Their success is due to limited but effective community support and a very professional administrative infrastructure.
In 1972, outside the Irish-speaking areas, there were only 11 such schools at primary level and five at secondary level. Now there are 172 at primary level and 39 at secondary level. These schools educate over 37,800 students and there is now at least one in each of the 32 traditional counties of Ireland. There are also over 4,000 children in Irish-medium preschools.
These schools have a high academic reputation, thanks to committed teachers and parents. Their success has attracted other parents who seek good examination performance at a moderate cost. The result has been termed a system of “positive social selection,” with such schools giving exceptional access to tertiary education and commensurate employment. An analysis of “feeder” schools (which supply students to tertiary level institutions) has shown that 22% of the Irish-medium schools sent all their students on to tertiary level, compared to 7% of English-medium schools.
In Gaeltacht areas the education has been through Irish since the foundation of the State. A certain number of Gaeltacht students are L1 (first language) Irish speakers, but even in the Gaeltacht areas the language is taught as an L2 (second) language while English is taught as an L1 language. Professor David Little has commented:
areas under the guidance of a bean an tí
. Students attend classes, participate in sports, art, drama, music, go to céilithe
and other summer camp
activities through the medium of Irish. As with conventional schools, the Department of Education establishes the boundaries for class size and teacher qualifications.
As in the Republic, the Irish language is a minority language
in Northern Ireland, known in Irish as .
Attitudes towards the language in Northern Ireland have traditionally reflected the political differences between its two divided communities. The language has been regarded with suspicion by Unionists, who have associated it with the Roman Catholic-majority Republic, and more recently, with the Republican
movement in Northern Ireland itself. Erection of public street signs in Irish were effectively banned under laws by the Parliament of Northern Ireland
, which stated that only English could be used. Many republicans in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams
, learned Irish while in prison, a development known as the jailtacht. Although the language was taught in Catholic secondary schools (especially by the Christian Brothers
), it was not taught at all in the controlled sector, which is mostly attended by Protestant pupils. Irish-medium schools, however, known as gaelscoil
eanna, were founded in Belfast
and Derry
, and an Irish-language newspaper called Lá Nua ("New Day") was established in Belfast. BBC Radio Ulster
began broadcasting a nightly half-hour programme in Irish in the early 1980s called Blas ("taste, accent"), and BBC Northern Ireland
also showed its first TV programme in the language in the early 1990s.
The Ultach Trust
was established with a view to broadening the appeal of the language among Protestants, although DUP
politicians like Sammy Wilson
ridiculed it as a "leprechaun
language".
Ulster Scots, promoted by many loyalists
, was, in turn, ridiculed by nationalists (and even some Unionists) as "a DIY
language for Orangemen
".
Irish received official recognition in Northern Ireland for the first time in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement
's provisions on "parity of esteem". A cross-border body known as Foras na Gaeilge
was established to promote the language in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, taking over the functions of the previous Republic-only . In 2001, the British government ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
in respect to Irish in Northern Ireland. In March 2005, the Irish-language TV service TG4
began broadcasting from the Divis transmitter near Belfast, as a result of an agreement between the Department of Foreign Affairs
and the Northern Ireland Office
, although so far this is the only transmitter to carry it.
Belfast City Council
has designated the Falls Road area (from Milltown Cemetery to Divis Street) as the Gaeltacht Quarter of Belfast, one of the four cultural quarters of the city. There is a growing number of Irish-medium schools throughout Northern Ireland (see picture above).
Under the St Andrews Agreement
, the UK Government committed to introduce an Irish Language Act. Although a consultation document on the matter was published in 2007, the restoration of devolved government by the Northern Ireland Assembly
later that year meant that responsibility for language transferred from London to Belfast. In October 2007, the then Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
, Edwin Poots MLA
announced to the Assembly that he did not intend to bring forward an Irish language Bill.
, DCU
, UL
, NUIM, NUIG
, UU
, QUB
). Many of these universities also have thriving Irish language departments, such as the NUI
constituent universities, UL, TCD, UCC, DCU and UCD.
The national Union of Students in Ireland
has a full-time Irish language officer. Most universities in the Republic have Irish-language officers elected by the students.
University College Cork (UCC) maintains an unique site where old texts of Irish relevance in several languages, including Irish, are available in a scholarly format for public use.
Britain:
Continental Europe:
North America and Australia:
In May 2007, the University of Cambridge
in Great Britain started offering courses in Modern Irish in addition to Medieval Irish. In the United States, Harvard University
offers courses in modern spoken Irish. Members of the general public may take Irish courses through the Harvard Extension School
. In the Boston area non-credit courses in Irish are offered by the Irish Cultural Center.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
is the main community and household language of 3% of the population of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(which the census showed to be 4,581,269 in 2011). Estimates of fully native speakers range from 40,000 up to 80,000 people. Areas in which the language remains a vernacular are referred to as Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
areas.
Irish speakers in the Galltacht include both second-language speakers and native speakers who were raised and educated through Irish. They are sometimes known as Gaeilgeoirí (a term also used for all Irish speakers) and constitute an expanding minority, though of uncertain size.
Recent research suggests that urban Irish is developing in a direction of its own and that Irish speakers from urban and Gaeltacht areas can find it difficult to understand each other. This is related to an urban tendency to simplify the phonetic and grammatical structure of the language. The written standard remains the same for both groups, and urban Irish speakers have made notable contributions to an extensive modern literature.
The number of fluent speakers in Dublin and elsewhere is rising, largely because of the growth of urban Irish-medium education, but Irish in the Gaeltacht grows steadily weaker. The 2006 census showed that inhabitants of the officially designated Gaeltacht regions of Ireland numbered 91,862. Of these, 70.8% aged three and over spoke Irish and only around 60% spoke Irish daily. It was estimated in 2007 that, outside the cities, about 17,000 people lived in strongly Irish-speaking communities, about 10,000 people lived in areas where there was substantial use of the language, and 17,000 people lived in "weak" Gaeltacht communities. In no part of the Gaeltacht was Irish the only language. Complete or functional monolingualism of Irish is now restricted to a handful of the elderly in isolated regions and some children under school age.
A comprehensive study published in 2007 found that young people in the Gaeltacht, despite their largely favourable view of Irish, use the language less than their elders. Even in areas where the language is strongest, only 60% of young people use Irish as the main language of communication with family and neighbours, and English is preferred in other contexts. The study concluded that, on current trends, the survival of Irish as the main community language in Gaeltacht areas cannot be guaranteed.
Another study has argued that people bilingual in Irish and English (Gaeilgeoirí by implication) tend to be more highly educated than monolingual English speakers and enjoy the benefits of language-based networking, leading to better employment and higher social status. Though this study has been criticised for certain assumptions, the statistical evidence supports the view that such bilinguals enjoy certain educational advantages.
The Irish government has adopted a twenty-year strategy designed to strengthen the language in all areas and greatly increase the number of habitual speakers. This includes the encouragement of Irish-speaking districts in areas where Irish has been replaced by English.
The 2001 census in Northern Ireland showed that 167,487 people (10.4%) "had some knowledge of Irish" (see Irish language in Northern Ireland
Irish language in Northern Ireland
The Irish language is a minority language in Northern Ireland. The dialect spoken there is known as Ulster Irish....
). This, combined with statistics from the Republic, means that at least one in three people (~1.8 million) on the island of Ireland can understand Irish to some extent. English speakers are however generally reluctant to use the language.
On 13 June 2005, the EU foreign ministers unanimously decided to make Irish an official language of the European Union
Languages of the European Union
The languages of the European Union are languages used by people within the member states of the European Union. They include the twenty-three official languages of the European Union along with a range of others...
. The new arrangements came into effect on 1 January 2007, and Irish was first used at a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers, by Minister Noel Treacy
Noel Treacy
Noel Treacy is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Galway East constituency from 1982 to 2011....
, T.D., on 22 January 2007.
Republic of Ireland
The vast majority of Irish in the Republic are, in practice, monolingual English speakers. Habitual users of Irish fall generally into two categories: traditional speakers in rural areas (a group in decline) and urban Irish speakers (a group which is expanding).The number of native Irish-speakers in Gaeltacht areas of the Republic of Ireland today is a smaller fraction of the population than it was at independence. Many Irish-speaking families encouraged their children to speak English as it was the language of education and employment; by the nineteenth century the Irish-speaking areas were relatively poor and remote, though this very remoteness helped the language survive as a vernacular. There was also continuous outward migration of Irish speakers from the Gaeltacht (see related issues at Irish diaspora
Irish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...
).
A more recent contributor to the decline of Irish in the Gaeltacht has been the immigration of English speakers and the return of native Irish speakers with English-speaking partners. The Planning and Development Act (2000) attempted to address the latter issue, with varied levels of success. It has been argued that government grants and infrastructure projects have encouraged the use of English: "only about half Gaeltacht children learn Irish in the home... this is related to the high level of in-migration and return migration which has accompanied the economic restructuring of the Gaeltacht in recent decades". In a last-ditch effort to stop the demise of Irish-speaking in Connemara in Galway, planning controls have been introduced on the building of new homes in Irish-speaking areas. New housing in Gaeltacht areas must be allocated to English-speakers and Irish-speakers in the same ratio as the existing population of the area.
Gaeltacht families with school-age children may apply for grants if the children demonstrate native-level competency in Irish. In the 2006-07 school year, 2,216 families received the full grant of €260 p.a., 937 families received a reduced grant and 225 families did not meet the criteria. This payment scheme is called Scéim Labhairt na Gaeilge, the first example in Europe where citizens are paid to speak their first official language.
In contrast to the situation in the Gaeltacht, urban Irish speakers represent a minority growing in numbers, influence and cohesiveness, and may in another generation become a language-based elite, particularly in Dublin. Their bilingualism, however, tends to obscure this.
The Official Languages Act
Official Languages Act 2003
The Official Languages Act 2003 is an Act of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The Official Languages Act sets out rules regarding use of the Irish language by public bodies, establishes the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga to monitor and enforce compliance by public bodies with the provisions of the...
of 2003 gave people the right to interact with state bodies in Irish, but it is too early to assess how well this is working in practice.
On 19 December 2006 the government announced a 20-year strategy to help Ireland become a fully bilingual country. This involved a 13 point plan and encouraging the use of language in all aspects of life. It aims to strengthen the language in both the Gaeltacht and the Galltacht.
Claimed percentage of Irish speakers by county
This is a List of Irish counties by the percentage of those professing some ability in the Irish language in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the 2006 Irish census. The census did not record Irish speakers living outside of the Republic of Ireland.
| County | Irish % |
|---|---|
| County Carlow County Carlow County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county... |
39.5 |
| County Dublin County Dublin County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the... |
37.2 |
| County Kildare County Kildare County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county... |
42.4 |
| County Kilkenny County Kilkenny County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of... |
43.5 |
| County Laois County Laois County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council... |
42.6 |
| County Longford County Longford County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county... |
41.2 |
| County Louth County Louth County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county... |
36.7 |
| County Meath County Meath County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county... |
40.1 |
| County Offaly County Offaly County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is... |
39 |
| County Westmeath County Westmeath -Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar... |
41.5 |
| County Wexford County Wexford County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local... |
37.4 |
| County Wicklow County Wicklow County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county... |
38 |
| County Clare County Clare -History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones... |
48.8 |
| County Cork County Cork County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county... |
46.6 |
| County Kerry County Kerry Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective... |
47.2 |
| County Limerick County Limerick It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC... |
46.2 |
| County Tipperary County Tipperary County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local... |
45 |
| County Waterford County Waterford *Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,... |
44.2 |
| County Galway County Galway County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county... |
49.8 |
| County Leitrim County Leitrim County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county... |
43.1 |
| County Mayo County Mayo County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552... |
47.2 |
| County Roscommon County Roscommon County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county... |
45 |
| County Sligo | 43.9 |
| County Cavan County Cavan County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county... |
38 |
| County Donegal County Donegal County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county... |
39.6 |
| County Monaghan County Monaghan County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county... |
39.6 |
Irish speakers outside Ireland
Irish is no longer used as community language outside Ireland, but has retained a certain status abroad as an academic subject. It is also used as a vehicle of journalism and literature. A small number of activists teach and promote the language in all the countries to which Irish speakers migrated in the nineteenth century.Irish is taught as a degree subject in a number of tertiary institutions in North America and northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
teaches it as an extension course.
The organisation Coláiste na nGael plays a major part in fostering the Irish language in Britain. North America has several groups and organisations devoted to the language. Among these are Daltaí na Gaeilge
Daltaí na Gaeilge
Daltaí na Gaeilge is an organization that operates Irish language immersion programs in the American states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It also serves as a resource for Irish language students from across the English-speaking world to connect with qualified instructors.The...
and the North American Gaeltacht. In the Antipodes the main body is the Irish Language Association of Australia, based in Melbourne. The websites maintained by these groups are supplemented by a number of sites and blogs maintained by individuals.
Irish-language publications outside Ireland include two on-line publications: a quarterly American-based journal called An Gael, and a fortnightly newsletter from Australia called An Lúibín.
Placenames
The Placenames Order (Gaeltacht Districts)/ (2004) requires the original Irish placenames to be used in the Gaeltacht on all official documents, maps and roadsigns. This has removed the legal status of those placenames in the Gaeltacht in English. Opposition to these measures comes from several quarters, including some people in popular tourist destinations located within the Gaeltacht (namely in DingleDingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
) who claim that tourists may not recognise the Irish forms of the placenames.
Following a campaign in the 1960s and early 1970s, most road-signs in Gaeltacht regions have been in Irish only. Most maps and government documents did not change, though Ordnance Survey (government) maps showed placenames bilingually in the Gaeltacht (and generally in English only elsewhere). Most commercial map companies retained the English placenames, leading to some confusion. The Act therefore updates government documents and maps in line with what has been reality in the Gaeltacht for the past 30 years. Private map companies are expected to follow suit.
Beyond the Gaeltacht only English placenames were officially recognised (pre 2004). However, further placenames orders have been passed to enable both the English and Irish placenames to be used. The village of Straffan
Straffan
Sruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...
is still marked variously as and , even though Irish has not been the spoken widely there for two centuries. In the 1830s John O'Donovan
John O'Donovan (scholar)
John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...
listed it as "Srufáin" The nearby village of Kilteel
Kilteel
Kilteel is a small village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is located south of Naas at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains. Being 800 feet above sea level it holds the title of Kildare's highest village...
was "Cill tSile" for centuries, meaning "The church of Saint Síle", but since 2000 it is shown as "Cill Cheile", which does not carry the same meaning. There are numerous other examples.
Irish vehicle registration plates
Irish vehicle registration plates
Registration marks on number plates in Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are:* YY — a 2-digit year * CC — a 1- or 2-character county identifier Registration marks on number plates in Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where...
are bilingual: the county of registration is shown in Irish above the plate number as a kind of surtitle, and is encoded from English within the plate number. For example, a Dublin plate is surtitled Baile Átha Cliath and the plate number includes D.
Conradh na Gaeilge
Conradh na Gaeilge
Conradh na Gaeilge is a non-governmental organisation that promotes the Irish language in Ireland and abroad. The motto of the League is Sinn Féin, Sinn Féin amháin .-Origins:...
has expressed concern over the proposed introduction of postcodes, which, similarly, may use abbreviations based on English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
place names, although people sending mail would still be able to use addresses in Irish. It has advocated that postcodes should either consist solely of numbers, as in many other bilingual countries, or be based on Irish language names
Place names in Irish
The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. However, some names come directly from the English language, and a handful come from Old Norse and Ulster Scots...
instead.
Companies using Irish
Tesco IrelandTesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland is the Irish arm of supermarket group Tesco. It was formed in Tesco plc's 1997 takeover of the Irish retailing operations of Associated British Foods, namely Powers' Supermarkets Limited and its subsidiaries, trading as Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices.Tesco operates supermarkets under...
and some Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
stores have in-store Irish signage. Several companies (mostly current and ex-semistate bodies) publish their yearly reports in both Irish and English. These include Eircom
Eircom
Eircom Group LTD is a telecommunications company in the Republic of Ireland, and a former state-owned incumbent. It is currently the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland and operates primarily on the island of Ireland, with a point of presence in Great Britain.As Bord...
, An Post
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
and the ESB
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
. Other companies have Irish language options on their websites. Examples of these include Bord Gáis
Bord Gáis
Bord Gáis Éireann , normally branded as Bord Gáis, is the main supplier and distributor of pipeline natural gas in the Republic of Ireland. The company has built an extensive network across Ireland. The company supplies gas to domestic and industrial customers on a fully regulated basis...
, Meteor, and An Post
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
. Bank of Ireland ATM's and Samsung phones have an Irish Language option and meteor has also begun to offer an Irish language voicemail option to its customers. People corresponding with bodies like the Revenue and the ESB
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
can also send and receive correspondence in Irish or English. The ESB have Irish-speaking customer support representatives and offer both Irish and English language options on their phone lines, along with written communication in both languages. The Emergency response number 112 or 999 also have agents who deal with emergency calls in both languages. Bank of Ireland have an Irish language option on their ATM's and Fuji Film have introduced an Irish language interface option to the thousands of Fuji Film kiosks around the world.
Daily life
Several computer software products have the option of an Irish-language interface. Prominent examples include KDEKDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
,
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
,
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
,
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
,
and Microsoft Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
.
Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English is the dialect of English written and spoken in Ireland .English was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of the late 12th century. Initially it was mainly spoken in an area known as the Pale around Dublin, with Irish spoken throughout the rest of the country...
has been heavily influenced by the Irish language, and words derived from Irish, including whole phrases, continue to be a feature of English as spoken in Ireland: ("goodbye"), ("get home safely"), ("good health"; used when drinking like "bottoms up" or "cheers"). The term craic
Crack (craic)
"Craic" or "crack" is a term for fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. It is often used with the definite article – the craic. The word has an unusual history; the form craic was borrowed into Irish from the English crack in the mid-20th century, and the...
has been popularised in a Gaelicized spelling: "How's the craic?" or "What's the craic'?" ("how's the fun?"/"how is it going?").
Many public bodies have Irish language or bilingual names, but some have downgraded the language. An Post
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
, the Republic's postal service, displays Irish place names in both Irish and English with equal prominence outside its offices and continues to have place names in Irish
Place names in Irish
The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. However, some names come directly from the English language, and a handful come from Old Norse and Ulster Scots...
on its postmarks as well as recognising addresses. Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
also recognises Irish language place names in Northern Ireland. Traditionally, the private sector has been less supportive, although support for the language has come from some private companies. For example, Irish supermarket chain Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
introduced bilingual signs in its stores in the 1980s, a move which was followed more recently by the British chain Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
for its stores in the Republic. Woodies DIY now also have bilingual signs in their chain of stores. In contrast, the "100% Irish" SuperValu
SuperValu (Ireland)
SuperValu is a supermarket chain in Ireland and Spain, owned by the Musgraves wholesaler firm. Its headquarters is located in Cork and has stores across the entirety of Ireland.-Company structure:...
has few if any Irish signs, and the German retailers Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
and Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
have none at all.
Signage in Irish may be viewed as a gesture of goodwill towards the language. It does not imply that any of the staff in a particular establishment can speak Irish.
Thanks in large part to Gael-Taca and Gaillimh le Gaeilge and two local groups a significant number of new residential developments are named in Irish today in most of the Republic of Ireland. In several counties there are a large number being named in Irish. Over 500 new residential developments were named in Irish during the property boom in Ireland. It is now council policy in Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Galway City Council, Shannon Town Council and Navan Town Council for all new residential areas to be named in Irish.
In an effort to increase the use of the Irish language by the State, the Official Languages Act
Official Languages Act 2003
The Official Languages Act 2003 is an Act of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The Official Languages Act sets out rules regarding use of the Irish language by public bodies, establishes the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga to monitor and enforce compliance by public bodies with the provisions of the...
was passed in 2003. This act ensures that state bodies have to have services through the medium of Irish for Irish speakers; bilingual signage, websites and stationery. Major publications issued by issued by state and semi-state bodies must be available in both official languages. In addition, the office of Language Commissioner has been set up to act as an ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
with regard to equal treatment for both languages. The Official Languages Act is being implemented on a phased basis.
Modern Literature in Irish
Though Irish is the language of a small minority, it has a distinguished modern literature. The foremost prose writer is considered to be Máirtín Ó CadhainMáirtín Ó Cadhain
Máirtín Ó Cadhain was one of the most prominent Irish language writers of the twentieth century.-Career:Born in Connemara, he became a schoolteacher but was dismissed due to his IRA membership. In the 1930s he served as an IRA recruiting officer, enlisting fellow writer Brendan Behan...
(1906–1970), whose dense and complex work has been compared to that of James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
. Two outstanding poets are Seán Ó Ríordáin
Seán Ó Ríordáin
-Life:He was born in Baile Mhúirne, County Cork, the eldest of three children of Seán Ó Ríordáin of Baile Mhúirne and Mairéad Ní Loineacháin of Cúil Ealta....
(1907–1977) and the lyricist and scholar Máire Mhac an tSaoi
Máire Mhac an tSaoi
-Background:Mhac an tSaoi was born as Máire MacEntee in Dublin in 1922. Her father, Seán MacEntee, a native of Belfast, was a founding member of Fianna Fáil, a long-serving TD and Tánaiste in the Dáil and a participant in the Easter Rising of 1916. Her mother, County Tipperary-born Margaret Browne...
(b.1922). There are many less notable figures who have produced interesting work.
In the first half of the 20th century the best writers were from the Gaeltacht or closely associated with it. Remarkable autobiographies from this source include An tOileánach (“The Islandman”) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain
Tomás Ó Criomhthain
Tomás Ó Criomhthain was a native of the Irish-speaking Great Blasket Island off the coast of County Kerry in Ireland. He wrote two books, Allagar na h-Inise written over the period 1918–23 and published in 1928, and , completed in 1923 and published in 1929...
(1856–1937) and Fiche Bliain ag Fás (“Twenty Years A’Growing”) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin
Muiris Ó Súilleabháin
Muiris Ó Súilleabháin became famous for his memoir of growing up on the Great Blasket Island off the western coast of Ireland, Fiche Bliain ag Fás , published in Irish and English in 1933...
(1904–1950).
Irish has also proved to be an excellent vehicle for scholarly work, though chiefly in such areas as historical studies and literary criticism.
There are several publishing houses which specialise in Irish-language material and which together produce scores of titles every year.
Cost
In a 2011 comment on Irish education, Professor Ed WalshEdward M. Walsh
is the Founding President of the University of Limerick, the first new university established by the Republic of Ireland. He held that post from its inception as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick,when he was appointed as Chairman of the Planning Board and Director in 1970,...
deplored the fact that the State spends about €1,000,000,000 p.a. on teaching Irish. He called for a:
- ".. phased reallocation of part of the €1 billion committed each year to teaching Irish is a good place to start. All students should be introduced to the Irish language at primary level, but after that resources should be directed only to those who have shown interest and commitment. The old policies of compulsion that have so inhibited the restoration of the language should be abandoned."
Professor Walsh's remarks provoked further comment for and against his suggestion.
Religious texts
The Bible has been available in Irish since the 17th century. In 1964 the first Roman Catholic version was produced at MaynoothMaynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
under the supervision of Professor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta and was finally published in 1981. The Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
of 2004 is available in an Irish-language version.
Media
Radio
Irish has a significant presence in radio and television, as evidenced by RTÉ Raidió na GaeltachtaRTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta , abbreviated RnaG, is the Irish-language radio service of the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station is available on FM in Ireland and via satellite and on the Internet.- History :...
(Gaeltacht radio) and Teilifís na Gaeilge (Irish language television, initially abbreviated to 'TnaG', now renamed TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
). There are also the community stations Raidió na Life
Raidió Na Life
Raidió na Life 106.4FM is an Irish-language radio station founded in 1993 and broadcasting to the Greater Dublin area, Ireland. In addition to being transmitted on FM, the station's output is available worldwide via the internet at .- History :...
in Dublin and Raidió Fáilte
Raidió Fáilte
Raidió Fáilte is an Irish language community radio station, broadcasting from Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It started broadcasting under its current licence on 15 September 2006....
in Belfast, the former being an important training station for those wishing to work in radio professionally. There is also a internet radio station for young people called Raidió Rí-Rá
Raidió Rí-Rá
Raidió Rí-Rá, founded in 2008, is an Irish language chart music radio station broadcasting on the Internet and, for approximately one month a year, on FM radio.-Information:...
.
Community radio stations in Ireland try to have at least one Irish language programme per week, depending on the number of employees or volunteers who speak it. Near90fm, the community radio station covering north-east Dublin, broadcasts "Ar Muin na Muice" five days a week, and a current affairs programmes called "Between The Lines" is also broadcast in Irish on occasion. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
offers an Irish-language service called called Blas ("a taste"). 14% of the population of the Republic of Ireland listen to Irish radio programming daily, 16% listen 2-5 times a week, while 24% listen to Irish programming once a week.
Television
TG4TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
has offered Irish-speaking young people a forum for youth culture as Gaeilge (in Irish) through rock and pop shows, travel shows, dating games, and even a controversial award-winning soap opera in Irish called Ros na Rún
Ros na Rún
Ros na Rún is an Irish soap opera produced for Irish language TV channel TG4. It broadcasts for 35 weeks of the year, airing 2 episodes each week.It airs in Ireland, Scotland and the United States.-Show history:...
(with 160,000 viewers per week) and comedy-drama Rásaí na Gaillimhe, with 223,000 viewers tuning in on its opening night. In 2007 TG4 reported that overall it "has a share of 3% (800,000 daily viewers) of the national television market". This market share is up from about 1.5% in the late 1990s. TG4 delivers 16 hours a day of television from an annual budget of €35 million, which is widely judged to be relatively efficient. The budget has the full support of all political parties in parliament. TG4 is the most successful and high-profile government initiative for the Irish language for the past fifty years.
Cúla 4
Cúla 4
Cúla 4 is branded children's block on Irish language public broadcaster TG4. The strand was first established in 1996 as Cúlabúla; with the rebrand of TnaG to TG4 in 1999 Cúlabúla was renamed as "Cúla 4"....
is a children's channel. As of 1 September 2009, a children's channel available on Chorus NTL digital (Channel 602) television with the majority of programmes in Irish, with a range of home-produced and foreign dubbed programmes. Programmes are broadcast Mondays-Sundays from 7am - 10am, then from 2.30pm-7pm.
RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now
RTÉ News Now is a 24-hour news television network in the Republic of Ireland operated byIrish public service broadcaster RTÉ. The channel launched as RTÉ News Now available exclusively online on June 12, 2008. The channel began broadcasting as a free-to-air channel on October 29, 2010 on...
is a 24 hour live news service available on the RTÉ website featuring national and international news. It offers a mix of Irish language, English language and Irish sign language TV news bulletins and political programmes. It broadcasts the following programmes: Cinnlínte Nuachta, Nuacht RTÉ
Nuacht RTÉ
Nuacht RTÉ is one of two Irish language television news services broadcast by RTÉ News and Current Affairs in Ireland...
, Nuacht an Lae, Nuacht TG4
Nuacht TG4
Nuacht TG4 is a daily half-hour Irish language TV news bulletin produced by RTÉ News and Current Affairs for the Irish language Television station TG4. The programme is broadcast weekday evenings at 19:00, live from the studios of TG4 in Baile na hAbhann, County Galway...
, Pobal
Pobal
Pobal is a bilingual English-Irish current affairs programme broadcast each Sunday evening at 17:30 on RTÉ One. It acts as the bilingual sister to Nationwide. It has been presented by Síle Seoige, now one half of Seoige. Each show is filmed from a different location in rural Ireland and it is now...
, Timpeall na Tíre and 7 Lá
7 Lá
7 Lá is an Irish-language weekly current affairs show. All topics are discussed but particular focus is given to regional and Gaeltacht affairs....
.
Foinse
-History:Foinse was first published in October 1996 as a weekly Saturday newspaper. It was published in Carraroe, County Galway and printed in Tralee. It was first published in October 1996....
is published as a supplement with the Irish Independent. This gave it a potential readership of 152,000 as of 18 November 2009, though it is likely that only a small percentage would be able to read it with ease. Another paper, Saol
Saol
Saol is an Irish language newspaper released on a monthly basis.It is printed by Connacht Tribune.Its headquarters are in Dublin.- External links :*...
, concentrates on the Irish-language scene. Until December 2008 there was an Irish-language daily newspaper called Lá Nua, which came out five days a week and had a circulation of several thousand. The Irish News has two pages in Irish every day. The Irish Times had up until recently one article in Irish every week. Now it has several articles with short lists giving the meaning in English of some of the words used. The immigrants’ magazine Metro Éireann
Metro Éireann
Metro Éireann is Ireland's multicultural newspaper. It is published by Metro Publishing and Consultancy Limited.-History:The tabloid-format paper was established by two Nigerians , Chinedu Onyejelem and Abel Ugba in April 2000...
also has articles in Irish every issue, as do local papers throughout the country.
Several magazines are published in the language. These include the two "flagship" reviews Feasta and Comhar, both with an interest in new writing.
There are several internet-based publications. These include the magazines Beo, An Gael (American but with international scope) and the very contemporary nós* (the last also being available in print). Nuacht24 and Gaelscéal are presented in a news format, the latter competing in print with Foinse.
Contemporary music and comedy
The revival of Irish traditional folk music in the sixties may initially have hindered the creation of contemporary folk and pop music in Irish. Traditional music, though still popular, now shares the stage with modern Irish-language compositions, a change due partly to the influence of Seachtain na GaeilgeSeachtain na Gaeilge
Seachtain na Gaeilge is a non-profit organisation which aims to promote the Irish language during a two week festival held at the beginning of March every year...
. Yearly albums of contemporary song in Irish (the latest being Ceol '10) now appear. The artists have included Mundy, The Frames, The Coronas, The Corrs, The Walls, Paddy Casey, Kíla, Luan Parle, Gemma Hayes, Bell X1 and comedian/rapper Des Bishop.
There are two Irish-language radio programmes specialising in popular music, both created by Digital Audio Productions: Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann
Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann
Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann is the PPI award winning official Irish music sales chart.It is broadcast on a weekly basis on eight stations across Ireland, the show is presented in the Irish language by Daithi O'Daibhin....
and Giotaí. Top 40 Oifigiúil na hÉireann (Ireland's Official Top 40) was first broadcast in 2007.
It has become increasingly common to hear Irish top 40 hits presented in Irish by radio stations normally associate with English: East Coast FM, Flirt FM, Galway Bay FM, LM FM, Midwest Radio, NEAR FM 101.6FM, Newstalk, Red FM, Spin 1038, Spin South West and Wired FM.
Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
, a music festival attended by thousands, features DJs from the Dublin-based Irish language radio station Raidió na Life, as well as celebrities from Irish language media doing sketches and comedy. Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
and Des Bishop
Des Bishop
Des Bishop is an Irish comedian and was brought up in New York. He is now primarily based in Ireland, after moving to County Wexford in 1990 at the age of 14.-Approach to Comedy:...
are among the latter, Bishop (an American by origin) having spent a well-publicised year in the Conamara Gaeltacht to learn the language and popularise its use.
Irish in English-medium Schools
The Irish language is a compulsory subject in government-funded schools in the Republic of Ireland and has been so since the early days of the state. At present the language must be studied throughout secondary school, but students need not sit the examination in the final year. It is taught as a second language (L2) at second level, to native (L1) speakers and learners (L2) alike. English is offered as a first (L1) language only, even to those who speak it as a second language. The curriculum was reorganised in the 1930s by Father Timothy Corcoran SJ of UCDUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, who could not speak the language himself.
In spite of the strong emphasis on the teaching of Irish, the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
's 2006 conference on "Language Policy and Language Planning in Ireland" found that the study of Irish and other languages is declining in Ireland. To reverse this decline, it was recommended that training and living for a time in a Gaeltacht area should be "compulsory" for teachers of Irish. No reference was made in this connection to the decline of the language in the Gaeltacht.
In March 2007, the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála for Dún Laoghaire from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip , Minister for Education and Science , Minister for Social and Family Affairs , Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and Minister for Enterprise,...
, announced that more attention would be given to the spoken language, and that from 2012 the percentage of marks available in the Leaving Certificate Irish exam would increase from 25% to 40% for the oral component. This increased emphasis on the oral component of the Irish examinations is likely to change the way Irish is examined. At secondary school level, however, students must analyse literature and poetry, and write lengthy essays, debates and stories in Irish for the (L2) Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
examination. Extra marks of 5-10% marks are awarded to students who take some of their examinations through Irish, though this practice has been questioned by the Irish Equality Authority.
The exemption from learning Irish on the grounds of time spent abroad, or learning disability, is subject to Circular 12/96 (primary education) and Circular M10/94 (secondary education) issued by the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
. Over half the students granted an exemption from studying Irish for the Leaving Certificate because of a learning difficulty in the three years up to 2010 sat or intended to sit for other European language examinations such as French or German.
Debate concerning compulsory Irish
The abolition of compulsory Irish in English-medium (mainstream) schools has been a policy advocated by Fine GaelFine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
, a major Irish party which won power in the 2011 general elections as part of a coalition. This policy was the cause of disapproving comment by language activists before the election.
In 2005 Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, leader of Fine Gael, called for the language to be made an optional subject in the last two years of secondary school. Mr Kenny, despite being a fluent speaker himself (and a teacher), stated that he believed that compulsory Irish has done the language more harm than good. The point was made again in April 2010 by Fine Gael's education spokesman Brian Hayes, who said that forcing students to learn Irish was not working, and was actually driving young people away from real engagement with the language. The question provoked a public debate, with some expressing resentment of what they saw as the coercion involved in compulsory Irish. The party now places primary emphasis on improved teaching of Irish, with greater emphasis on oral fluency rather than on the rote learning that characterises the current system. It is intended that Irish will become optional after ten years' experience of the new curriculum.
In 2009 almost 14,000 Leaving Certificate students chose not to sit Irish exams, and the numbers opting out are increasing by 600 a year.
In 2007 the Government abolished the requirement for barristers and solicitors to pass an Irish examination. A Government spokesman said it was part of a move to abolish requirements which were no longer practical or realistic.
Irish-medium education (outside the Gaeltacht)
There has been rapid growth in an alternative school system (mostly urban) in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools (known as gaelscoilGaelscoil
A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....
eanna at primary level) enjoy strong support from elements of the urban professional class, but are also found in disadvantaged areas. Their success is due to limited but effective community support and a very professional administrative infrastructure.
In 1972, outside the Irish-speaking areas, there were only 11 such schools at primary level and five at secondary level. Now there are 172 at primary level and 39 at secondary level. These schools educate over 37,800 students and there is now at least one in each of the 32 traditional counties of Ireland. There are also over 4,000 children in Irish-medium preschools.
These schools have a high academic reputation, thanks to committed teachers and parents. Their success has attracted other parents who seek good examination performance at a moderate cost. The result has been termed a system of “positive social selection,” with such schools giving exceptional access to tertiary education and commensurate employment. An analysis of “feeder” schools (which supply students to tertiary level institutions) has shown that 22% of the Irish-medium schools sent all their students on to tertiary level, compared to 7% of English-medium schools.
Irish-medium education (Gaeltacht)
There are 127 Irish-language primary and 29 secondary schools in the Gaeltacht regions, with around 9,000 pupils at primary level and 3,030 at secondary. There are also 1,000 children in preschools.In Gaeltacht areas the education has been through Irish since the foundation of the State. A certain number of Gaeltacht students are L1 (first language) Irish speakers, but even in the Gaeltacht areas the language is taught as an L2 (second) language while English is taught as an L1 language. Professor David Little has commented:
- "..the needs of Irish as L1 at post-primary level have been totally ignored, as at present there is no recognition in terms of curriculum and syllabus of any linguistic difference between learners of Irish as L1 and L2."
Irish summer colleges
There are 47 Irish-language summer colleges. These supplement the formal curriculum, providing Irish language courses, and giving students the opportunity to be immersed in the language, usually for a period of three weeks. Some courses are college-based, others make use of host families in GaeltachtGaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
areas under the guidance of a bean an tí
Bean an tí
is an Irish phrase meaning "woman of the house". With the rise of Irish language education in the Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking areas of Ireland, it has come to refer to a landlady who takes in students who wish to learn Irish in a family setting, providing lodging and meals as well as education...
. Students attend classes, participate in sports, art, drama, music, go to céilithe
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
and other summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
activities through the medium of Irish. As with conventional schools, the Department of Education establishes the boundaries for class size and teacher qualifications.
Northern Ireland
Minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities.-International politics:...
in Northern Ireland, known in Irish as .
Attitudes towards the language in Northern Ireland have traditionally reflected the political differences between its two divided communities. The language has been regarded with suspicion by Unionists, who have associated it with the Roman Catholic-majority Republic, and more recently, with the Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
movement in Northern Ireland itself. Erection of public street signs in Irish were effectively banned under laws by the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
, which stated that only English could be used. Many republicans in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
President Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
, learned Irish while in prison, a development known as the jailtacht. Although the language was taught in Catholic secondary schools (especially by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
), it was not taught at all in the controlled sector, which is mostly attended by Protestant pupils. Irish-medium schools, however, known as gaelscoil
Gaelscoil
A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....
eanna, were founded in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, and an Irish-language newspaper called Lá Nua ("New Day") was established in Belfast. BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
began broadcasting a nightly half-hour programme in Irish in the early 1980s called Blas ("taste, accent"), and BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
also showed its first TV programme in the language in the early 1990s.
The Ultach Trust
ULTACH Trust
The ULTACH Trust is a charitable trust established in 1989 aimed at promoting the Irish language in Northern Ireland. Its current director is Aodán Mac Póilin.-Name:...
was established with a view to broadening the appeal of the language among Protestants, although DUP
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
politicians like Sammy Wilson
Sammy Wilson
Samuel Wilson is a politician from Northern Ireland who is a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for East Antrim. He served as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1986 – 1987; and again from June 2000 to June 2001. He was the first person from the Democratic Unionist Party ...
ridiculed it as a "leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
language".
Ulster Scots, promoted by many loyalists
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
, was, in turn, ridiculed by nationalists (and even some Unionists) as "a DIY
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
language for Orangemen
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
".
Irish received official recognition in Northern Ireland for the first time in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
's provisions on "parity of esteem". A cross-border body known as Foras na Gaeilge
Foras na Gaeilge
Foras na Gaeilge is the governing body of the Irish language, responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island of Ireland. Its name can be translated into English as "The Irish Language Body", although the body has no official English-language name...
was established to promote the language in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, taking over the functions of the previous Republic-only . In 2001, the British government ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe...
in respect to Irish in Northern Ireland. In March 2005, the Irish-language TV service TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
began broadcasting from the Divis transmitter near Belfast, as a result of an agreement between the Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...
and the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
, although so far this is the only transmitter to carry it.
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
has designated the Falls Road area (from Milltown Cemetery to Divis Street) as the Gaeltacht Quarter of Belfast, one of the four cultural quarters of the city. There is a growing number of Irish-medium schools throughout Northern Ireland (see picture above).
Under the St Andrews Agreement
St Andrews Agreement
The St Andrews Agreement was an agreement between the British and Irish Governments and the political parties in relation to the devolution of power to Northern Ireland...
, the UK Government committed to introduce an Irish Language Act. Although a consultation document on the matter was published in 2007, the restoration of devolved government by the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
later that year meant that responsibility for language transferred from London to Belfast. In October 2007, the then Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
, Edwin Poots MLA
Edwin Poots
Alderman Edwin Poots MLA is a Northern Irish politician and a Democratic Unionist Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lagan Valley. He is one of three DUP MLAs for Lagan Valley.-Biography:...
announced to the Assembly that he did not intend to bring forward an Irish language Bill.
Irish at Tertiary Level in Ireland
There are third level courses offered in Irish at all universities (UCC, TCD, UCDUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, DCU
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
, UL
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
, NUIM, NUIG
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
, UU
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
, QUB
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
). Many of these universities also have thriving Irish language departments, such as the NUI
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
constituent universities, UL, TCD, UCC, DCU and UCD.
The national Union of Students in Ireland
Union of Students in Ireland
The Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...
has a full-time Irish language officer. Most universities in the Republic have Irish-language officers elected by the students.
University College Cork (UCC) maintains an unique site where old texts of Irish relevance in several languages, including Irish, are available in a scholarly format for public use.
Tertiary Level Abroad
In December 2009, the Irish government announced funding of 1 million euros for third-level institutions abroad who offer or wish to offer Irish language courses. There are thirty such universities where the Irish language is taught to students.Britain:
- Universities of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, Aberystwyth, LiverpoolUniversity of LiverpoolThe University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
and CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Continental Europe:
- Universities of OsloUniversity of OsloThe University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, Uppsala, FreiburgUniversity of FreiburgThe University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, BonnUniversity of BonnThe University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, Berlin, Innsbruck, ViennaUniversity of ViennaThe University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, LublinJohn Paul II Catholic University of LublinJohn Paul II Catholic University of Lublin is located in Lublin, Poland. Presently it has an enrollment of over 19,000 students...
, Moscow.
North America and Australia:
- Universities of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, OttawaUniversity of OttawaThe University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
, St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
, PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, California-BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, MarquetteMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, MarylhurstMarylhurst UniversityMarylhurst University is a private Catholic liberal arts university located in Marylhurst, Oregon, United States, nine miles south of Portland on the Willamette River. It is among the oldest collegiate degree-granting institutions in Oregon, awarding its first degree in 1897...
, BostonBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, Saint Thomas, New YorkNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
.
In May 2007, the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in Great Britain started offering courses in Modern Irish in addition to Medieval Irish. In the United States, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
offers courses in modern spoken Irish. Members of the general public may take Irish courses through the Harvard Extension School
Harvard Extension School
Harvard University Extension School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the thirteen degree-granting schools of Harvard University and is part of the Division of Continuing Education.-Origins:...
. In the Boston area non-credit courses in Irish are offered by the Irish Cultural Center.