Fáilte….. Welcome

Fáilte……Welcome.

Fáilte……Welcome.

There are many who believe that Gaelic is the native language of Ireland, however Gaelic is in fact the language of Scotland. The Irish language is known as “Gaeilge” or Irish to English speakers. Irish is one of the most historic written languages in the world and is often said to have a poetic flow. The Irish Language is not phonetic like most other languages, meaning that it cannot be sounded out like English can. The word Gaeltcht for example is pronounced “Gayle-taakt” with an emphasis on the “a” in tacht. And what does Gaeltcht mean you may wonder.

A Gaeltcht is an area in Ireland where Irish is the primary language spoken. In these areas you will find street signs written in Irish and most shops will also display their Irish names. These areas were officially recognized by the government of the Republic of Ireland to protect and foster the Irish language in 1926, just a few years after Ireland became an independent free state. There are not many Gaeltcht in Ireland even now. Before Irish independence the Irish language was on the verge of being lost forever.

English became the primary language of Ireland when the Catholic church built schools throughout Ireland and didn’t include Irish in the curriculum. Catholicism spread from the east coast of Ireland to the west, which is why you will find most of the Gaeltcht regions on the west coast. This combined with the Irish Potato Famine, which wiped out many of Ireland’s poorest citizens, who were coincidentally also those who still spoke Irish as their first language.

Efforts were made after Ireland gained her independence to revitalize and protect the Irish language. It is now taught in schools across the country as part of the national curriculum and the Gaeltcht are becoming thriving locations of Irish culture and Arts. English is still spoken in the Gaeltcht, though Irish is the primary language of those who live there. The best ways to experience the Irish language is to visit the Gaeltcht or tune into Raidió na Gaeltachta, the Irish radio station which can be heard all across Ireland and specializes in traditional Irish tunes and songs. Ireland also has a TV station TG4 which is broadcast in Irish.

The Irish are very proud of their language and you will find it on many souvenirs including the famous phrase póg mo thóin. Do you know what it means? Because I won’t tell you.