Languages of the Republic of Ireland

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There are a number of languages used in Ireland. Several have originated from within the island and others have been introduced through foreign settlement.

Contents 1 Pre-History 2 Irish 3 English 4 Ulster Scots 5 Irish Sign Language 6 Hiberno-Norman French 7 Immigrant languages

[edit] Pre-History

Many languages existed in Ireland before the Celts or Gaels first arrived, all of which are now unretrievable. Many of these languages were referred to as 'Béarla', which in modern Irish refers to the English language. Some say that the natives of the island before the Celts couldn't properly get to grips with the Irish language and that's why Irish has such strange phonemes.

[edit] Irish

Main article: Irish language

The ancestor of Primitive Irish was introduced by the Celts. This gradually evolved into Old Irish, a Q-Celtic language on Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man and Old Welsh, a P-Celtic language in Wales, Cornwall and later Brittany. Today, Irish is recognised as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland and is officially recognised in Northern Ireland and in the European Union. It is spoken in the Gaeltacht areas, mainly in secluded areas on Ireland's west coast. A government report found that 60,000 people speak Irish on a daily basis in the Gaeltacht. In the most recent census, 1.5 million people said they could speak Irish, with 350,000 saying they used it every day, 155,000 weekly, 585,000 less often, 460,000 never, and 30,000 didn't state how often. Since the independence of 26 counties, there have been efforts to revive Irish as the daily vernacular of most of the nation, so far these efforts have been met with difficulties. Although the use of Irish, in educational and broadcasting contexts has risen, English is still overwhelmingly dominant in almost all social, economic and cultural contexts. In the media, there is an Irish language TV station, TG4, a radio station, Radió na Gaeltachta and two newspapers, Foinse, a monthly and Lá, a daily. There are also occasional columns written in Irish in English-language newspapers, including The Irish Times and The Irish News. Similarly, RTÉ run Nuacht, a news show, in Irish and Léargas, a documentary show, in Irish with English subtitles. They also have a bi-lingual show aimed at learners called 'Seachtain' and formerly had a programme to help people learn the language called 'Turas Teanga', hosted by Sharon Ní Bheoláin. TV3 have a one minute round-up of goings on in the arts around the island, called 'Noiméad Amháin' meaning 'One Minute'. In 2006, the first Irish language charter was issued. In 2007, Irish will become the 21st official language of the European Union. As of 2007, "Éire Ireland" will be the official name of Ireland in all European Union meetings and procedures. Éire is the Irish spelling of Ireland, and is being used to promote the Irish language throughout Europe. The charter also detailed allowing all court procedures to occur in Irish if wanted, and a huge majority of all Dáil meetings to be recorded in Irish.

[edit] English

Main article: English language

English was first introduced by the settlers in the 12th century. It did not initially take hold as a widely-spoken language as the settlers assimilated into the Irish culture and became 'more Irish than the Irish themselves'. In later plantations, such as the Ulster Plantation of the 17th Century, settlers were forbidden to mingle with the natives. Through English rule, the language became that of power and that of the landed classes and since Irish speakers were generally poor and lived on the worst land, Irish was seen as a backward language, not fit for those who wanted to make something of themselves. Irish was not allowed to be taught in schools and often children would be humiliated in front of the class if they spoke a word of Irish. Even agitators for self-rule in Ireland held disdain for the language. Though a native speaker, Daniel O'Connell proclaimed himself "enough of a utilitarian not to lament its passing" while Charles Stewart Parnell who did not speak the language, looked down on it. Only Michael Davitt, of the Land League leaders, used and could speak Irish at rallies. Before and after independence, emigration was a big factor in life in Ireland. In order to ensure the best chance for their children to get a job abroad, parents often refused to speak Irish to their children, insisting they use only English. This was because the children were most likely to emigrate to Britain, the USA, Canada or Australia in order to find a job. This attitude often left parents unable to speak to their children. This attitude continued until the 1990s and Ireland's improved economy, however, parents in the Gaeltacht are often apathetic as to which language their children speak. English is seen as the fashionable language to speak and Irish is that of backward, old-fashioned people living in barren, remote areas.

[edit] Ulster Scots

Main article: Ulster Scots

Ulster Scots is a dialect of English spoken in some parts of County Donegal. It is promoted by the Ulster Scots agency, a cross-border body. This is because it is also spoken in parts of Northern Ireland.

[edit] Irish Sign Language

Main article: Irish Sign Language

Irish Sign Language is the sign language of Ireland. It has little relation to either spoken Irish or English, and is more closely related to French Sign Language than to British Sign Language.

[edit] Hiberno-Norman French

Norman settlers from England spoke Anglo-Norman French when they came to Ireland in the 12th century. It was spoken mainly in counties Wexford and Waterford and was spoken until the twentieth century. The Department of Irish Folklore in University College Dublin possesses recordings of these individuals http://www.ucd.ie/irishfolklore/.

[edit] Immigrant languages

Since the increase in immigrants into Ireland, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people speaking languages such as Polish, Romanian and Arabic.