Get to Know the Irish language and Irish history

 

The Irish language is spoken as a first language by an estimated 170,000 people, although more than a million have some knowledge of it. 

In Irish, the Irish language is called Gaeilge.

Centuries of invasion, occupation, and persecution at the hands of the English have led to a significant fall in the number of people who speak Irish as a first language, but the advent of the internet and national Irish television and radio has breathed new life into the language, with many now seeking to reconnect with this crucial part of Irish culture.

 

Why learn the Irish language?

There are three main dialects of the Irish language - Munster, Connacht, and Ulster. Unlike most languages, Irish doesn’t have a particular dialect acting as a national standard. With the advent of national Irish television and radio, Irish speakers from each of the three main dialect regions have gained more exposure to one another’s dialects. 

Speakers of different dialects therefore have little problem understanding one another. You therefore shouldn’t worry about which dialect you learn, as people continue to speak their own regional dialect, and have enough exposure to the other dialects to be able to understand them.

A waterfall in a green forest in Ireland
Cliffs along the Irish coast on a sunny day

Speakers :

170,000

Where :

The island of Ireland

Dialects :

Munster (South), Connacht (West), Ulster (North)

Map of where the Irish language is most widely spoken on the island of Ireland
 

Cover Image

Glendalough Upper Lake, Wicklow, Ireland

Photo by Magdalena Smolnicka on Unsplash

Map

By SkateTier - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32006185

Resources for learning the Irish language

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