Language of Ireland

Irish or Gaeilge is a Celtic language of the Goidelic branch, one of a number of Celtic languages spoken throughout Britain and Ireland. Irish is the first official language of Republic of Ireland and was registered as an official language of the European Union in the year 2005. The language entered Ireland with the Celtic tribes around 600BC.

The most primitive form of Irish dating back to 4^th century AD can be read at Ogham stones. In 6^th Century AD after converting to Christianity, early Christian Irish began to be written alongside Latin. From the 10^th century AD onwards, Middle Irish began to appear, which gave way to Modern Irish by the 16^th Century AD. Earliest form of Irish literature comprises of the Book of Kells and the Annals of the Four Masters.

Irish has three main dialects, namely, Munster Irish, Connacht Irish and Ulster Irish. Munster Irish is spoken mainly in Co. Kerry and parts of Co. Cork while Connacht Irish is spoken in the western regions of Co. Galway, Connemara and parts of Co. Mayo. Ulster Irish, spoken predominantly on the north western coast of Co. Donegal and parts of Northern Ireland.

Irish language has seen several up and downs. It was the prevalent language until 18^th century in Ireland when the country was plagued by great Famine. Language fell into decline as several native speakers succumbed to famine and either died or migrated to other countries.

The number of Irish speaking people further declined during the Irish Diaspora. England was persistent on eradicating Irish language and passed several laws in favor of English language. English begun to be taught in schools while speaking Irish was prohibited. Irish was branded as the language of the backward while English was promoted as the language of the future.

During the 19^th century, Irish language saw a resurgence with the establishment of the Gaelic League by Douglas Hyde. In 1884, the Gaelic Athletics Association was founded, which established the sports such as Gaelic Football and Hurling. Literati like W.B. Yeats, J.M Synge and Sean O’Casey began praising the Irish language. This helped tremendously in reviving of the Gaelic language.

After the establishment of the independent Irish state in 1922, the status of language of Ireland has been elevated. In 2003, the Official Languages Act deemed that all official literature should be published in Irish as well as English. The street signs throughout Ireland are also bilingual.

By: Shuchita Bist

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