“Irish Gaelic”, or just “Irish” (Gaeilge), is an autoctonous language spoken in Ireland. It has a Celtic origin and is related to Scottish Gaelic and Welsh. Irish and English are the official languages of Ireland. Irish is a compulsory subject from Primary education to the Leaving Certificate.
As a language, Irish is a very important part of the Irish identity. After a few decades, in the 20th century, in which it was falling into a lack of use, the attitude of the Irish towards their language has been improving and the successive governments of the country have been passing laws to promote the use of Irish and its teaching in schools. However, the promotion of Irish continues to face some difficulties. According to UNESCO, Irish is an endangered language, with only around 50,000 people speaking it as their first language.
In Ireland there are three areas in which a predominant use of Irish is appreciated: Ulster, in the northwest of the country (Donegal), Connacht, in the west (Connemara and Mayo) and Munster, in the southwest.
Would you like to know some words in Irish?
- Fáilte – Welcome
- Oíche – Night
- Sláinte! – ¡Cheers!
- Dia dhuit – Hello
- Chorcaí – Cork
- Baile Átha Cliath – Dublin
- Éire – Ireland
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