Gaeltacht - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

(ˈɡeːɫ̪t̪ˠəxt̪ˠ; plural ) is the Irish language

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language

Irish language

is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular

Vernacular

A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...

spoken at home. These districts were first officially recognised during the early years of the Irish Free State

Irish Free State

The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...

, after the Gaelic Revival

Gaelic Revival

The Gaelic revival was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language and Irish Gaelic culture...

, as part of government policy to restore the Irish language.

Boundaries

Although the Gaeltacht came into being in 1926 after the report of the first Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

Coimisiún na Gaeltachta , abbreviated CnaG, was an Irish government agency which worked from 2000 to 2002 to draft recommendations to strengthen the role of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht, the Irish-language-speaking area of Ireland...

, the exact boundaries of that region were never accurately defined. The quota at the time was 25%+ Irish-speaking, though in many cases status was given to areas that were linguistically weaker than this. The Irish Free State

Irish Free State

recognised that there were Irish-speaking or semi-Irish-speaking districts in 15 of its 26 counties. Although there were areas of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

that would have qualified as being Gaeltacht districts (in 4 out of its 6 counties) the Government of Northern Ireland

Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland

The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...

did not pass any such legislation, and indeed behaved in a way that was very hostile towards the language. (The language was proscribed in state schools within a decade of partition, and public signs in Irish were effectively banned under laws by the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...

, which stated that only English could be used. These were not formally lifted by the British government until the early 1990s.)

Another Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

was established in the early 1950s, and it concluded that the Gaeltacht boundaries were ill-defined

Well-defined

In mathematics, well-definition is a mathematical or logical definition of a certain concept or object which uses a set of base axioms in an entirely unambiguous way and satisfies the properties it is required to satisfy. Usually definitions are stated unambiguously, and it is clear they satisfy...

and recommended that the admittance of an area should be based solely on the strength of the language in the area. The Gaeltacht districts were initially defined precisely in the 1950s. Many areas which had witnessed a decline in the language ceased to be part of the Gaeltacht. This left Gaeltacht areas in 7 of the state's 26 counties (nominally Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Galway

County Galway

County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

, Mayo

County Mayo

County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

, Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

, Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, and Waterford

County Waterford

*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

). The Gaeltacht boundaries have not officially been altered since then, apart from minor changes:

The inclusion of Clochán-Bréanann in Co. Kerry in 1974;
The inclusion of a part of West Muskerry, in Co. Cork (although the Irish-speaking population had seriously decreased from what it had been before the 1950s); and
The inclusion of Baile Ghib and Rath Chairn in Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

in 1967.

It is widely believed that, both in 1926 and 1956, many areas were added to the official Gaeltacht on a political, not a linguistic, basis.

In 2002 the third Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

Coimisiún na Gaeltachta

published its report in which it was recommended, among many other things, that the boundaries of the official Gaeltacht should be redrawn. The Coimisiún recommended a comprehensive linguistic study of the Gaeltacht be established to accurately assess the vitality of the Irish language in the remaining Gaeltacht districts.

The study was undertaken by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge

Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge

Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge was established under the auspices of the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2004, to develop Gaelic-medium education...

(part of the National University of Ireland, Galway

National University of Ireland, Galway

The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...

), and "Staidéar Cuimsitheach Teangeolaíoch ar Úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht" ("A Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Usage of Irish in the Gaeltacht") was published on 1 November 2007. Concerning Gaeltacht boundaries, it suggested creating three linguistic zones within the Gaeltacht region;

A - 67%/+ daily Irish speaking - Irish dominant as community language
B - 44%-66% daily Irish speaking - English dominant, with large Irish speaking minority
C - 43%/- daily Irish speaking - English dominant, but with Irish speaking minority much higher than the national average

The report continued, suggesting Category A districts should be the State's priority in relation to providing services through Irish and development schemes, and that those areas which fell into Category C which would witness a further decline in the usage of Irish should lose their Gaeltacht status. The entire idea was thwarted by the Ireland's Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is a senior minister at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is Frances Fitzgerald, TD.-Overview:...

, Éamon Ó Cuív

Éamon Ó Cuív

Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann.-Early life:...

Teachta Dála

A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

, saying that the Gaeltacht could not legally be split into zones. However the Minister failed to provide reasons why such legislation was out of the question.

Demographics

At the time of the 2006 census of the Republic of Ireland, the population of the Gaeltacht was 91,862, approximately 2.1% of the state's 4,239,848 people, with major concentrations of Irish speakers located in the western counties of Donegal

County Donegal

, Mayo

County Mayo

, Galway

County Galway

, Kerry

County Kerry

, and Cork

County Cork

. There were smaller concentrations in the counties of Waterford

County Waterford

in the south and Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

in the east. The Meath Gaeltacht, Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn is a small Gaeltacht in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 55 km northwest of Dublin....

, came about when the government provided a house and 9 hectares (22.2 acre) for each of 41 families from Connemara

Connemara

Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

and Mayo in the 1930s, in exchange for their original lands. It was not recognised as an official Gaeltacht area until 1967.

The Gaeltacht districts have historically suffered from mass migration, be that to Dublin, Belfast, Cork, or further afield. Being at the edge of the island they always had fewer railways and roads, and poorer land to farm. This has changed somewhat in the past 20 years due to the change in the economic landscape of Ireland and the development of the Celtic tiger

Celtic Tiger

Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...

. The Gaeltacht population structure is not significantly different from other districts in Ireland in terms of age distribution. However, Gaeltacht areas are among the most remote in the state. They also tend to be areas of natural beauty, which precipitated the current period of immigration. This is having a negative impact on the vitality of Irish in the area, as many of the people moving into the Gaeltacht cannot or do not speak Irish.

This is particularly the case in the Gaeltacht districts of County Galway, no more so than in the immediate vicinity of Galway city itself where the English-speaking

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

city has extended into the surrounding Gaeltacht area. Many outsiders also have bought holiday homes in the area, resulting in an increase in the cost of property, which has subsequently priced many young Irish-speaking locals out of the market, forcing many of them to settle away from home (almost always in an English-speaking area).

Donegal Gaeltacht

The Donegal

County Donegal

(or Tyrconnell) Gaeltacht ( or Gaeltacht Thír Chonaill) has a population of 22,877 (Census 2006) and represents 25% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Donegal Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 1502 km² (579.9 sq mi). This represents 26% of total Gaeltacht land area. The three parishes of Na Rosa

The Rosses

The Rosses is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, centred around the town of Dungloe, which acts as the educational, shopping and civil centre for the area...

, Gaoth Dobhair

Gweedore

Gweedore is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 16 miles from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 9 miles from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and...

and Cloch Cheannfhaola

Cloughaneely

Cloughaneely is a district in the west of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. This is a mainly coastal area centred on the town of Falcarragh, and it is a Gaeltacht area, meaning the Irish language is spoken as the primary language...

constitute the main centre of population of the Donegal Gaeltacht and with a population of just over 16 000, is considered to be the most rurally populated area in Europe. In 2006 there were 2 436 people employed in a full time capacity in Údarás na Gaeltachta

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Údarás na Gaeltachta , abbreviated ÚnaG, is a regional state agency which is responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of nominally Irish-speaking regions of the Republic of Ireland...

client companies in the Donegal Gaeltacht. This region is particularly popular with students of the Ulster dialect

Ulster Irish

Ulster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the Province of Ulster. The largest Gaeltacht region today is in County Donegal, so that the term Donegal Irish is often used synonymously. Nevertheless, records of the language as it was spoken in other counties do exist, and help provide...

, each year thousands of students visit the area from Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. Donegal is unique in the Gaeltacht regions, as its accent and dialect is unmistakably northern in character. The language has many similarities with Scottish Gaelic, not evident in other Irish dialects.

Gaoth Dobhair in County Donegal is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland, which is home to regional studios of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta , abbreviated RnaG, is the Irish-language radio service of the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station is available on FM in Ireland and via satellite and on the Internet.- History :...

and world-class musicians, such as Proinsias Ó Maonaigh

Proinsias Ó Maonaigh

Proinsias Ó Maonaigh or Francie Mooney was a fiddler from Gweedore , County Donegal, Ireland. He is known for his distinguished fiddle playing and his unique and vast contribution to Irish music and culture....

, Altan, Moya Brennan

Moya Brennan

Moya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...

(Máire Ní Bhraonáin), Enya

Enya

Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...

(Eithne), and Clannad, who were all raised with Irish as their first language

First language

A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...

Meath Gaeltacht

The Meath

County Meath

Gaeltacht is the smallest Gaeltacht area and consists of two adjacent villages of Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn is a small Gaeltacht in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 55 km northwest of Dublin....

and Baile Ghib

Baile Ghib

Baile Ghib is a small Gaeltacht in County Meath, Ireland. It is one of two villages, the other being Ráth Cairn, which make up the Meath Gaeltacht. The Meath Gaeltacht has 1,591 inhabitants, representing 2% of the total population of Ireland's Gaeltachts...

. Navan

Navan

-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....

, 8 km (5 mi) from Baile Ghib, is the main urban centre within the region, with a population of more than 20,000. The Meath Gaeltacht has a population of 1,603 and represents 2% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Meath Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 44 km² (17 sq mi). This represents 1% of the total Gaeltacht land area.

The traditional view of the Gaeltacht of "Royal Meath" is that it has a slightly different history than that of the country’s other Irish speaking regions. The two Gaeltachtaí of Baile Ghib and Ráth Cairn are resettled communities, where the Irish government of the 1930s redistributed the vast estates of absentee landlord

Absentee landlord

Absentee landlord is an economic term for a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region. This practice is problematic for that region because absentee landlords drain local wealth into their home country, particularly that...

s as small farm holdings to poor farmers from the Gaeltacht areas of Connemara

Connemara

Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

, Mayo

County Mayo

and Kerry

County Kerry

.

In fact, the first community comprised impoverished families from west Galway that first arrived in April 1935, who had no known ancestral links to County Meath, and were described as "colonists". Forty-nine families were moved to Ráth Cairn, and each was given 9 hectares (22.2 acre) to farm. In 1937, Baile Ghib (formerly Gibbstown) and Baile Ailin (formerly Allenstown) were established, but the latter settlement failed. In the early years, a large percentage of the population returned to Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, or emigrated, but finally Ráth Cairn and Baile Ghib were awarded Gaeltacht status in 1967. The original aim of spreading the Irish language into the local community had little effect, and the colonists had had to learn English to farm effectively.

Mayo Gaeltacht

The Mayo

County Mayo

Gaeltacht has a total population of 10,523 and represents 11.5% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Mayo Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 905 km² (349.4 sq mi). This represents 19% of the total Gaeltacht land area and comprises three distinct areas – Iorrais

Erris

Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...

, Acaill

Achill Island

Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní . A bridge was first...

and Tuar Mhic Éadaigh. Béal an Mhuirthead (Belmullet

Belmullet

Belmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...

) is the main town in the Mayo Gaeltacht and is 72 km (44.7 mi) from Ballina

Ballina, County Mayo

Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...

, 80 km (49.7 mi) from Castlebar

Castlebar

Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...

and 110 km (68.4 mi) from Ireland West Airport Knock

Ireland West Airport Knock

-Ground transport:BusBus Éireann currently provide services from the Airport on the Derry-Sligo-Galway and Galway-Sligo-Derry Route 64, Ireland West Airport Knock - Castlebar - Westport - Achill Island route 440, Dublin - Athlone - Ireland West Airport Knock - Westport route 21, and connects with...

Galway Gaeltacht

The Galway County

County Galway

and Galway City

Galway

Gaeltachtaí have a combined population of 43,184 and represent 47% of total Gaeltacht population. The Galway Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 1225 km² (473 sq mi). This represents 26% of total Gaeltacht land area. The largest settlement areas are An Spidéal

Spiddal

Spiddal is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. It is west of Galway city on the R336 road. Spiddal is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht near Connemara, and is a tourist centre with a scenic beach, harbour, and shore fishing.-The village:The Mac...

and An Cheathrú Rua

Carraroe

An Cheathrú Rua is a village in County Galway, Ireland. The village is within the Irish-speaking region of Connemara, and is famous for its traditional fishing boats known as Galway Hookers. Its population is widely dispersed over Carraroe peninsula between Greatman's Bay and Casla Bay...

. An Cheathrú Rua is 48 km (29.8 mi) west of Galway City, while An Spidéal is 19 km (11.8 mi) west of Galway City.

Kerry Gaeltacht

The Kerry

County Kerry

Gaeltacht consists of two areas – the western half of Corca Dhuibhne

Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...

(Dingle Peninsula) and central and western parts of Uíbh Ráthach

Iveragh Peninsula

The Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...

(Iveragh Peninsula). The largest settlement in Corca Dhuibhne is An Daingean

Dingle

Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....

and the largest in Uíbh Ráthach is Baile an Sceilg

Ballinskelligs

Baile an Sceilg , anglicised as Ballinskelligs, is a Gaeltacht village in the south-west of the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland....

. The Kerry Gaeltacht has a population of 8,446 and represents 9% of total Gaeltacht population. The Kerry Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 642 km² (247.9 sq mi). This represents 9% of the total Gaeltacht area.

Cork Gaeltacht

The Cork

County Cork

Gaeltacht consists of two areas – Múscraí

Muskerry

Muskerry is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West and Muskerry East. It is located along the vallley of the River Lee and is bounded by the Boggeragh Mountains to the north and the Shehy Mountains to the south. The region is named after the...

and Oileán Chléire. The Múscraí Gaeltacht has a population of 3,660 people and represents 4% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Cork Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 262 km² (101.2 sq mi). This represents 6% of the total Gaeltacht area. The largest Múscraí settlements are the villages of Baile Mhic Íre (Ballymakeera), Baile Bhuirne (Ballyvourney) and Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary).

Waterford Gaeltacht

The Waterford

County Waterford

Gaeltacht is ten kilometres (six miles) west of Dungarvan

Dungarvan

Dungarvan is a town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford. The town's Irish name means "Garbhan's fort", referring to Saint Garbhan who founded a church there in the seventh century...

. In embraces the Parish of Rinn Ua gCuanach (Ring) and An Sean Phobal (Old Parish). The Waterford Gaeltacht has a population of 1,569 people and represents 2% of total Gaeltacht population. The Waterford Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 62 km² (23.9 sq mi). This represents 1% of total Gaeltacht area.

Clare Island

Clare Island is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It is famous as the home of the pirate queen, Gráinne O'Malley...

in County Mayo has been earmarked as a testing ground for the reintroduction of the Irish language. With a small population that reaches 160 in the summer, already has an Irish speaking school principal, and intend to turn the local school into a Gaelscoil. The local residents are all for the experiment, and believe it is an achievable goal. The island is ideally situated near the present Mayo Gaeltacht.

Dublin

In a special report on Nuacht TG4

Nuacht TG4

Nuacht TG4 is a daily half-hour Irish language TV news bulletin produced by RTÉ News and Current Affairs for the Irish language Television station TG4. The programme is broadcast weekday evenings at 19:00, live from the studios of TG4 in Baile na hAbhann, County Galway...

news on 13 January 2009, it was confirmed that a group in Ballymun

Ballymun

Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...

, in conjunction with the local branch of Glór na Gael have received planning permission

Planning permission

Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...

to build 38 homes for people who want to live in an Irish-speaking community in the heart of the city. There are 4 Gaelscoil

Gaelscoil

A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....

eanna and Naíonraí creches in the area, as well as a shop where Irish is spoken. Deposits have been paid by those who want to live in such a community. Irish language classes will be organised for those who want to improve their Irish. Completion of the project was initially estimated to happen by the end of 2009. The project is now set to begin by the end of 2011 with completion coming in 2012.

North America

The Permanent North American Gaeltacht

Permanent North American Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht Bhaile na hÉireann or the Permanent North American Gaeltacht is a designated Irish speaking area in the town of Tamworth, Ontario, along the Salmon River. The nearest main township is Erinsville, Ontario....

is an area near Erinsville, Ontario in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

which has been designated a permanent Gaeltacht area.

Belfast

There is an area in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, known as the Gaeltacht Quarter

Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast

The Gaeltacht Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is an area surrounding the Falls Road in the west of the city. A Gaeltacht is an area where the Irish language is widely spoken. The area aims to promote the Irish language and provide tourist attractions associated with it, as well as Irish...

(An Cheathrú Ghaeltachta), where the Irish language is actively promoted. It has Gaelscoileanna (primary schools), Gaelcholáistí (secondary schools), Naíonraí (crèches), an Irish language restaurant and agencies as well as the Cultúrlann, a cultural centre which also houses Raidió Fáilte

Raidió Fáilte

Raidió Fáilte is an Irish language community radio station, broadcasting from Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It started broadcasting under its current licence on 15 September 2006....

(Northern Ireland's only full-time Irish language radio station). This has grown from the Shaw's Road

Shaw's Road

, also known as both and The Irish Houses is a small Gaeltacht in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.-History:The Gaeltacht was founded in 1969 when five families from Belfast built their houses together in a new development on the street...

(Bóthar Seoighe) urban Gaeltacht in the southwest of Belfast.

County Londonderry

An area in southern County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

centred on Slaghtneill (Sleacht Néill) and Carntogher (Carn Tóchair), which had gone from being 50% Irish-speaking in 1901 to having only a few speakers by the end of the century, has seen a language revival since the setting up of a naíscoil

Naiscoil

Naiscoil is preschool education through the medium of the Irish language. The same teaching and regulations apply to this medium of education as with their English counterparts. The only difference is that all actions within the setting are performed in Irish....

in 1993 and a gaelscoil in 1994. In 2008 two local organisations launched a "strategy for the rebirth of the Gaeltacht", based on Irish-medium primary and secondary education. Announcing the launch, Éamon Ó Cuív

Éamon Ó Cuív

Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann.-Early life:...

, the Republic's Minister for the Gaeltacht, said that the area was "an example to other areas all over Ireland which are working to reestablish Irish as a community language".

Administration

The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.-Departmental team:...

, under the leadership of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

, is responsible for the overall Irish Government policy with respect to the Gaeltacht, and supervises the work of the Údarás na Gaeltachta

Údarás na Gaeltachta

and other bodies. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

is the RTÉ

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...

radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

serving the Gaeltacht and Irish speakers generally. TG4

TG4

TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....

is the television station

Television station

A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...

which is focused on promoting the Irish language and is based in the County Galway

County Galway

Gaeltacht.

In March 2005, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Éamon Ó Cuív

Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann.-Early life:...

announced that the government of Ireland would begin listing only the Irish language

Irish language

versions of place names in the Gaeltachtaí as the official names, stripping the official Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey Ireland

Ordnance Survey Ireland is the national mapping agency of the Republic of Ireland and, together with the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland , succeeded, after 1922, the Irish operations of the United Kingdom Ordnance Survey. It is part of the Public service of the Republic of Ireland...

of their English equivalents, to bring them up to date with roadsigns in the Gaeltacht, which have been in Irish only since 1970. This was done under a Placenames Order made under the Official Languages Act.

Irish colleges

Irish colleges are residential Irish language

Irish language

summer courses that give students the opportunity to be totally immersed in the language, usually for periods of three weeks over the summer months. During these courses students attend classes and participate in a variety of different activities games, music, art and sport. Not only do these courses provide students with the ability to improve their language skills but they have also proved to be a vehicle for introducing traditional cultural activities (céilís, Irish traditional music etc.) to a new generation.

As with the conventional school set-up The Department of Education establishes the boundaries for class size and qualifications required by teachers. Some courses are college based and others are based with host families in Gaeltacht areas such as Ros Muc in Galway and Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn

Ráth Cairn is a small Gaeltacht in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 55 km northwest of Dublin....

in Co. Meath, http://www.colaistecillchartha.com/ Coláiste Cill Chartha in Co. Donegal receiving instruction from a bean an tí
Bean an tí
is an Irish phrase meaning "woman of the house". With the rise of Irish language education in the Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking areas of Ireland, it has come to refer to a landlady who takes in students who wish to learn Irish in a family setting, providing lodging and meals as well as education...

, or Irish-speaking landlady.

Gaeltacht towns and villages

County	English name	Irish name
County Donegal County Donegal County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...	Annagry Annagry Anagaire is a Gaeltacht village in the Rosses area of County Donegal, Ireland. It has a population of around 249.-Name:The Irish and official name for Annagry is Anagaire, which in turn derives from Áth na gCoire....
	Arranmore Arranmore Árainn Mhór is the largest inhabited island of County Donegal, and the second largest in all of Ireland, with a population of 528 in 2006, down from 543 in 2002, and over 600 in 1996. The island is part of the Donegal Gaeltacht...
	Burtonport Burtonport Ailt an Chorráin or Ailt a' Chorráin is a Gaeltacht fishing village about 7 km northwest of Dungloe in County Donegal, Ireland....
	Carrigart Carrigart Carraig Airt is a small Gaeltacht village in the Barony of Kilmacrenan to the north of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.The village is on the R245 route between Letterkenny and Creeslough...
	Kincasslagh Kincasslagh Cionn Caslach or Ceann Caslach is a small Gaeltacht seaside village in the Rosses area of County Donegal, Ireland...
	Dungloe Dungloe Dungloe is a Gaeltacht town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the main town in the Rosses and the largest in the Donegal Gaeltacht...
	Doochary Doochary An Dúchoraidh , meaning "the black weir", is a small village in the Rosses area of County Donegal, Ireland. Doochary is within the Gaeltacht, meaning the Irish language is the main language used there, but concern has been expressed regarding the decline of the language in the area...
	Falcarragh Falcarragh An Fál Carrach , sometimes called Na Crois Bhealaí is a small Gaeltacht town and townland in northwest County Donegal, Ireland. The settlement is in the old parish of Cloughaneely.-Etymology:...
	Fintown Fintown Baile na Finne is a small village and townland on the banks of Lough Finn in County Donegal, Ireland. It is within the Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking area, in the west of the county...
	Kilcar Kilcar Cill Charthaigh is a small Gaeltacht village on the R263 regional road in the south west of County Donegal, Ireland.-The Village:...
	Gweedore Gweedore Gweedore is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 16 miles from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 9 miles from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and...
	Glencolmcille Glencolmcille Gleann Cholm Cille is a coastal town in the southwest Gaeltacht of County Donegal, Ireland...
	Gola Gola Island Gola is a small island off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland.Gola island is one kilometre off the coast of Gweedore. Its many beaches and secluded bays attract visitors throughout the year. The island was populated up until the mid 1960s...
	Gortahork Gortahork Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce is a village and townland in the northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. It is a lively Gaeltacht community, where the Irish language is still the main language of the area...
	Downings Downings Na Dúnaibh is a Gaeltacht townland and village on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland.-Name:...
	Loughanure Loughanure Loch an Iúir , anglicised as Loughanure, is a village in the north-west of County Donegal, Ireland. It is halfway between Gweedore and Dungloe, on the N56 road, in the Gaeltacht area of the Rosses...
	Magheraroarty
	Tory Island Tory Island Toraigh is an inhabited island 14.5 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraigh, Oileán Thoraí or Oileán Thúr Rí.-Language:The main spoken language on the island is Irish, but English is also understood...
	Rannafast
	Teelin Teelin Teileann is a Gaeltacht village in County Donegal, Ireland. It is near Slieve League, at the northwest end of Donegal Bay. Its population is about 250–300....
County Mayo County Mayo County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...	Carrowteige Carrowteige Ceathrú Thaidhg is a Gaeltacht village and townland on the Dún Chaocháin peninsula in northwestern County Mayo, Ireland. It is within Kilcommon parish in the barony of Erris...
	Aughleam Aughleam Eachléim is a Gaeltacht village and townland in County Mayo, Ireland. It lies on the Mullet Peninsula in Erris, on the R313 regional road. It has a total area of 2.96 km²...
	Tourmakeady Tourmakeady Tuar Mhic Éadaigh is a small village in County Mayo, Ireland. It has a population of about 1000 people. It is located on the shores of Lough Mask. Part of Tourmakeady was originally in neighbouring County Galway, but was placed under the administration of County Mayo in 1898...
County Galway County Galway County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...	Inishmore
	Costelloe Costelloe Casla is a Gaeltacht village between Indreabhán and An Cheathrú Rua in western County Galway, Ireland. It lies on the R336 road beside Clynagh Bay. Casla is the headquarters of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Casla means " creek" or "inlet from the sea" in Irish.It is served by Bus Éireann route ...
	Carraroe Carraroe An Cheathrú Rua is a village in County Galway, Ireland. The village is within the Irish-speaking region of Connemara, and is famous for its traditional fishing boats known as Galway Hookers. Its population is widely dispersed over Carraroe peninsula between Greatman's Bay and Casla Bay...
	Kilkieran Kilkieran Cill Chiaráin is a village in County Galway, Ireland. The R340 road along the coast from Galway city passes through Cill Chiaráin.Cill Chiaráin is a Gaeltacht area of Ireland...
	Kilronan Kilronan Cill Rónáin is the main settlement on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. The ferries serving the island call at Doolin, County Clare and also Rossaveal, County Galway. The main industries are fishing and tourism. School children also visit to improve their Irish at...
	Cornamona Cornamona Corr na Móna is a village and townland in County Galway, Ireland. It is part of the Gaeltacht of North Connemara....
	Inverin Inverin Indreabhán is a Gaeltacht village between Spiddal and Casla in County Galway, Ireland. Inverin is more strongly Irish-speaking than Spiddal, partly due to fewer commuters from Galway living there. There are a number of Irish-language summer colleges in the area, most notably Coláiste Lurgan and...
	Inishmaan Inishmaan Inishmaan is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a population of about 160, making it the smallest of the Aran Islands in terms of population. It is also quieter and less...
	Inisheer Inisheer Inisheer is the smallest and most eastern of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland.-Naming:The official name, , was brought into usage by the Ordnance Survey Ireland. It may be a compromise between the traditional local name and the previous official name . There is no Irish word...
	Lettermore Lettermore Leitir Móir is a Gaeltacht village in County Galway, Ireland. It is also the name of an island, linked by road to the mainland, in which the village of Lettermore is situated. The name derives from the Irish Leitir Móir meaning great rough hillside . The main spoken language of the area is Irish...
	Lettermullen Lettermullen Lettermullen is a small island on the west coast of Ireland in Connemara, County Galway situated approximately 36 miles from Galway city...
	Aran Islands Aran Islands The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...
	Rossaveal Rossaveal Ros an Mhíl or Ros a' Mhíl is a Gaeltacht village in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It is the main ferry port for the Aran Islands in Galway Bay...
	Rosmuck Rosmuck Rosmuc or Ros Muc is a village in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht of County Galway, Ireland. It lies halfway between the town of Clifden and the city of Galway. It is estimated that people first settled in Rosmuc in 400, one hundred years before Naomh Briocán brought Christianity to the area...
	Spiddal Spiddal Spiddal is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. It is west of Galway city on the R336 road. Spiddal is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht near Connemara, and is a tourist centre with a scenic beach, harbour, and shore fishing.-The village:The Mac...
County Kerry County Kerry Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...	Ballyferriter Ballyferriter Baile an Fheirtéaraigh ), also known as An B[h]uailtín, is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is in the west of the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula and according to the 2002 census, about 75% of the town's population speak the Irish language on a daily basis...
	Ballinskelligs Ballinskelligs Baile an Sceilg , anglicised as Ballinskelligs, is a Gaeltacht village in the south-west of the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland....
	Ventry Ventry Ceann Trá is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. Located on the Dingle Peninsula, 7 kilometres west of Dingle, the village of Ventry was once the main port of the peninsula...
	Lispole Lispole Lispole is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the Dingle Peninsula 5 miles east of the town of Dingle and 25 miles west of Tralee on the N86 National Secondary Route.-Transport:...
	Dingle Dingle Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
	Dunquin Dunquin Dún Chaoin , meaning "Caon's stronghold", is a Gaeltacht village in west County Kerry, Ireland. Dunquin lies at the Western tip of the Dingle Peninsula, overlooking the Blasket Islands. At 10°27'16"W, it is the most westerly settlement of Ireland...
	Feothanach Feothanach Feothanach or an Fheothanach is a small townland in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht, located north-west of An Daingean on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. It is at the foot of Mount Brandon....
County Cork County Cork County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...	Ballyvourney Ballyvourney Baile Bhuirne , anglicised as Ballyvourney is a Gaeltacht village in south-west County Cork, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the barony of Muskerry West and is also one half of the Ecclesiastical parish of Baile Bhuirne agus Cúil Aodha in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne-Location and...
	Ballymakeera Ballymakeera Baile Mhic Íre is a small Gaeltacht village in the valley of the River Sullane in County Cork, Ireland. It is on the N22 national primary road and forms part of the twin villages of Ballymakeery and Ballyvourney...
	Ballingeary Ballingeary Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh is a village in the Shehy Mountains in County Cork, Ireland.The village is within the Gaeltacht and has an active Irish-language summer school, Coláiste na Mumhan...
	Coolea Coolea Cúil Aodha is a townland and village in the Gaeltacht region of Muskerry in County Cork, Ireland. It is near the River Sullane's source, high in the Derrynasaggart Mountains.-Townland:Most of the inhabitants live on the south side of the valley...
	Kilnamartyra Kilnamartyra Cill na Martra —anglicised as Kilnamartyra, Kilnamartery or Kilnamartra—is a small village in west County Cork, Ireland. It is close to Macroom and is within the Muskerry Gaeltacht....
	Cape Clear Island
County Waterford County Waterford Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, ArdmoreBallinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...	Ring Ring, County Waterford Ring is a Gaeltacht region on a peninsula in the western half of County Waterford, Ireland, approximately seven miles south of Dungarvan town.Ring has many town lands but the main village is situated in Baile na nGall...
County Meath County Meath County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...	Rathcarne
	Gibbstown

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Boundaries

Demographics

Donegal Gaeltacht

Meath Gaeltacht

Mayo Gaeltacht

Galway Gaeltacht

Kerry Gaeltacht

Cork Gaeltacht

Waterford Gaeltacht

Clare Island

Dublin

North America

Belfast

County Londonderry

Administration

Irish colleges

Gaeltacht towns and villages

See also

External links