Languages Spoken in Ireland - Lexiophiles Languages Spoken in Ireland English There appears to be a common misconception abroad, that the Irish language is a dialect of English. Some people don’t realise that Ireland has 2 official languages. The principal functional language of most residents is English, though most of the population has the ability to use some Irish. Under the Irish constitution, both languages have official status, with Irish being the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. It is recognised as a minority language in Northern Ireland. Irish is also an official language of the European Union. Here are some examples of Irish and English phrases to show how different the two languages are! Irish: Cén t-am é? What time is it? The Irish language is one of several Celtic languages which were once widely spoken across Western and Northern Europe. In later years, the Celtic languages died out in most areas. However, they survived up to the present in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Nowadays, English is the mother tongue of most Irish people. Irish is a compulsory subject at school and students must study it from the age of 4 when they begin school through until the end of secondary school.

Areas where Irish is the vernacular, are called Gaeltacht areas. Major concentrations of Irish speakers are in the western counties of Donegal Mayo, Galway, Kerry and Cork. There are smaller concentrations in the counties of Waterford in the south and Meath in the east. Complete monolingualism of Irish is now restricted to a handful of elderly within more isolated Gaeltacht areas, as well as among mother-tongue speakers of Irish under school age. It is estimated that about 80,000 people (3% of the population) are native speakers of Irish, with many more who are reasonably fluent second-language speakers. An estimated 400,000 people (10% of the population) are classed as fluent speakers of the language. The Irish language started to decline in the seventeenth century. Its reversal was a complex phenomenon and it is not easy to describe or analyze the processes involved. Irish was the most widely spoken language on the island of Ireland until the 19th century. The influence of the English government played a part in the decline of the language. Ireland and England had an uneasy, conflict-driven relationship starting in 1171 when King Henry II of England invaded Ireland.

The combination of the introduction of a primary education system (the ‘National Schools’) in 1831, in which Irish was prohibited and only English taught by order of the British Government in Ireland, and the Great Famine (1845-1852), which hit an extremely high number of Irish language speakers (who lived in the poorer areas heavily hit by famine deaths and emigration), hastened its rapid decline. Irish political leaders, such as Daniel O’Connell (Dónall Ó Conaill), too were critical of the language, seeing it as ‘backward’, with English the language of the future. Children were not allowed to speak Irish and were severely beaten if they did so, as there was a stigma attached to it. English became the language which was associated with prosperity and employment. The Irish language began to experience a revival in the late 19th century, when the Gaelic League, or Conradh na Gaeilge, was formed to promote it. This coincided with a revival of Irish Nationalist sentiment and traditional Irish Culture. During this time period William Butler Yeats and others wrote poems and plays in English about traditional Irish heroes and myths.

After the Irish republic gained independence in 1922, Irish was declared the first official language of the Republic. However, the new government still continued to use English as its primary language and the percentage of native Irish speakers continued to fall. For example, since Ireland gained independence the number of fluent Irish speakers has fallen from 250,000 to 80,000. The government of the Republic of Ireland has made many attempts to preserve the language, including requiring it as a school subject. Some people feel that the way Irish is taught in schools has actually contributed to the decline of the language, as students see it as a difficult and boring subject instead of an exciting part of their heritage. Although there are not as many fluent speakers of Irish as there was in the past, the language has continued to defy the odds and survive into the twenty-first century, despite its often-prophesied demise. Recent developments and modern technologies have promoted the use of the Irish language. In particular the establishment of TG4, the Irish language television station, has contributed to a rejuvenation of the image of the language, particularly among young people.

Over 270,000 people, for example, watch Ros na Rún, TG4’s popular soap opera, on any given week. The Irish language also has a highly visible presence on the internet. Every effort is being made to promote the Irish language and I am confident that the number of speakers will start to grow. There are many young Irish people, myself included, who understand the importance of keeping our fantastic language alive. As long as we keep speaking it, and encouraging other generations to use it, then it will remain at the core of our diverse cultural heritage. In the words of the Irish proverb Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam (a country without a language, is a country without a soul.) BBC - Languages - Languages Languages Contact Us Ireland Irish Gaelic is recognised as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. The other official language, which is more commonly used, is English . Around 30% of the 3.5m population are able to speak Irish, and 5% use it regularly. Languages of Ireland: from Irish to Ullans | Ireland.com Home Travel essentials Languages of Ireland That gift of the gab rumour you heard about Ireland? Well, it’s true.

English and Irish (Gaeilge) are the two official languages in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is where you’ll hear the soft strains of Ullans. We’ve got plenty to talk about Mourne Mountains, County Down Everyone on the island of Ireland speaks English, but such is our cosmopolitan way, in our cities and towns, you’re also likely to hear chatter in a variety of accents from Polish and Korean to Japanese and Brazilian – all you have to do is keep your ears open. Languages in the Republic of Ireland The Gaelic language in Ireland – Gaelige, or Irish as it’s known locally – is a Celtic language and one of “the oldest and most historic written languages in the world” according to Foras na Gaeilge . Its poetic flow can be heard in schools across the country and throughout the shops, pubs, streets, fairs and festivals of the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) regions. Keep your eyes open because you’ll be introduced to Irish almost as soon as you arrive, with all street and road signs in the Republic of Ireland in both English and Irish.

Kinsale, County Cork The Irish language English remains the primary language on the island of Ireland, but in true Irish fashion we’ve put our own twist on it and developed what’s known as Hiberno-English. Hiberno-English blends the grammatical styling of Irish into the English language. Here’s are a few phrases you might hear along your travels: “C’mere till I tell you” – “Could you come within an audible distance? I have something to tell you” “You never asked if I’d a mouth on me” – “You do not ask whether I was hungry” Most people you’ll meet will have a cúpla focal (a few words) of Irish and locals, especially in Gaeltacht areas, always appreciate any effort to speak the local language. If you feel like having a go, here are a few phrases to get you started… Ar maith leat damhsa? (Would you like to dance). Phonetically: air-wai-lat-dowsa. Dha Guinness le do thoil (Two Guinness, please).Phonetically: gaw-Guinness-leh-duh-hull. Nach bhfuil an aimsir go h-álainn?!

(Isn’t the weather gorgeous?) Phonetically: knock-will-on-iym-shur-guh-hawling Dia duit (“God be with you”) means hello. Phonetically, it sounds like dee-ya-gwitch. Conas ata tú? (“How are you?”) can also be used as a greeting. Phonetically, it sounds like cunus-ataw-two. Sláinte (“cheers” or “good health”) is usually used when raising a glass. Phonetically, it sounds like slawn-cha. Like a local Author Felicity Hayes-McCoy who lives in the Gaeltacht area of Dingle, has this advice for visitors wanting to tune into the language: "Sit in a corner and hear Irish spoken by the locals in most Gaeltacht pubs. Or tune your car radio to Raidió na Gaeltachta anywhere in the country and hear traditional tunes and songs. Or switch on TG4 , the Irish language television station, in your hotel room or B&B, and watch programmes with English subtitles.

You can even sign up for a language course or check out one of the online sites like Bitesize Irish before you get here, just to give yourself a flavour of what to expect". Fun Ireland Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Ireland Ireland Facts for Kids Learn some interesting information about Ireland while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! Read about the national symbols, Irish novelists, its national holiday, major cities, language, favorite sport and much more. Ireland is called Éire in Irish and is also known as the Republic of Ireland. Ireland covers five-sixths of the island of the same name, the remaining one-sixth of the island is Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Irish, or Irish Gaelic is the country's first official language, however the second official language English is more commonly spoken. There are over 4.75 million people living in Ireland as of July 2013. The Irish capital, Dublin is home to over one quarter of the total population. Other Irish cities of note include Cork, Limerick and Galway. Irish novelists have made major contributions to world literature.

Famous writers include Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels, Bram Stoker - Dracula and James Joyce - Ulysses. Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest a record seven times. A number of multinational technology corporations have setup European headquarters in Ireland helping to make it one of the largest exporters of hardware and software-related goods and services in the world. Ireland was one of the initial 12 European Union nations that began using the euro currency in 2002. Saint Patrick's Day is Irelands official national holiday. The 17th of March holiday is celebrated in Ireland and also embraced by many other countries around the world. The world famous Guinness beer is from Ireland, it originated in the Dublin brewery of Arthur Guinness. Gaelic football and hurling are traditional sports of Ireland and remain the most popular sports in the country. At the Olympics, boxing is Ireland's most successful sport. In 2002 Ireland was the first country in the world to have an environmental tax for plastic shopping bags and in 2004 it was the first to introduce a public smoking ban.

Shamrock (type of clover) is the national symbol of Ireland and along with the harp it is a registered trademark of the country. For more information, check out maps of Ireland or take a closer look at the Irish flag . More Country Facts! Questions About Ireland - Are the Irish Speaking Irish? Are the Irish Speaking Irish? Are the Irish Speaking Irish? The Irish Language - Going Down the Drain?. © 2006 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc. By Bernd Biege The Irish constitution states that "the Irish language as the national language is the first official language" and "the English language is recognized as a second official language" (Bunreacht na hÉireann, Article 8) . But what is the truth? Irish is in fact a minority language. Despite the best efforts of the state. The Irish Language Irish, or gaeilge in Irish, is part of the Gaelic group and one of the still existing Celtic languages in Europe. Other remnants of the Celtic heritage are Gaelic (Scots), Manx, Welsh, Cornish and Breize (spoken in Brittany).

Of these Welsh is the most popular, actually being used on a day to day basis in wide parts of Wales. Old Irish was the lingua franca of Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman conquest, then went into a slow decline. Later the language was actively suppressed and English became the main means of communication. Only remote communities, mainly on the west coast, managed to keep a living tradition. continue reading below our video Beware! The 5 Most Common Travel Scams This was later documented by scholars, the oral tradition making it into the academic world. And once the academics had re-discovered Irish the nationalists followed, making a revival of the native language part of their programme. Unfortunately Irish had developed into so many dialects that the "revival" was more of a reconstruction, some modern linguists even calling it a re-invention. After independence was gained the Irish state made Irish the first language - especially de Valera was at the forefront of this movement, trying to undo nearly 800 years of English cultural influences. Special areas were designated as gaeltacht , and in a misguided attempt to spread the Irish language plantations of natives from the west were established in the east.

Irish became mandatory in all schools and was for the vast majority of students the first foreign language they learned. To this day all schoolchildren in Ireland have to learn Irish and English, then they graduate to "foreign languages". Reality In fact either Irish or (in a lesser degree) English is a foreign language to most students. Only in the gaeltacht areas Irish might actually be the mother tongue, for the vast majority of Irish children it is English. The Irish state has, however, committed itself to providing each and every piece of official writing in English and Irish. This is a million-Euro-industry and benefits mainly translators and printers - Irish versions of documents tend to gather dust even in gaeltacht areas. Statistics differ, but the reality of Irish is depressing for its supporters and laughable for critics - it is estimated that millions of Irish have "knowledge" of Irish, but only significantly less than one percent use it on a daily basis! For the tourist all this might be irrelevant - just be assured that you will not have to speak or understand the "first language" of Ireland, a few essential words of Irish will do.

Ireland Guide: Language, Languages spoken in Ireland: According to the 1937 Constitution, Irish (or Gaelic Articles According to the 1937 Constitution, Irish (or Gaelic from the Irish word Gaelige) is still “the first official language” of Ireland, yet only 1 per cent of the population claims to speak Irish daily (although 30 per cent can speak it). Ireland’s second official language, English, on the other hand, is spoken by almost everyone and in most situations it isn’t necessary to know a word of Gaelic whereas proficiency in English is virtually essential, particularly if you have a job which requires a lot of contact with others or involves speaking on the telephone or dealing with other foreigners who may speak their own ‘dialect’ of English. It’s especially important for students to have a high standard of English, as they must be able to follow lectures and take part in discussions in the course of their studies. This may also require a much wider and more technical or specialised vocabulary. For this reason, most universities and colleges won’t accept students who aren’t fluent in English and many require a formal qualification, e.g. a pass at GCSE or the Cambridge proficiency examination.

Prospective students can assess their English fluency by taking the English Language Testing Service (ELTS) test at British Council offices in over 80 countries. Whether you speak British or American English (or some other form) is usually irrelevant, although some Irish people will have difficulty understanding strong non-Irish accents and you may find Irish pronunciation takes some getting used to. There are also one or two other words and phrases deriving from Gaelic with which you’ll need to be familiar. Most important perhaps is the word garda (pronounced ‘gorda’), which is what a policeman is called (the police are collectively called the Garda Síochána, although this is often abbreviated to Garda, and policemen are gardaí, pronounced ‘gordee’). Then there are words such as ben for mountain, glen for valley, knock (or cnoc) for hill, lough for lake or inlet and strand for beach. Mór (or more) means big, wee is little, a wean (pronounced ‘wain’) is a child. If your car won’t go, it’s said to be banjaxed and if it’s mizzlin (as it often is in Ireland) it’s raining gently.

Other words that sound familiar are used in strange contexts: if something is clever it fits well; a chick isn’t a young woman but a child, who, if he is naughty, is said to be bold; if someone is brave he is a worthy sort, but if he is a caution he is a devil-may-care fellow; to be cut is to be insulted, to be destroyed is to be exhausted, and to be scalded is to be vexed; if you’re feeling unwell, you might be said to look well shook; fairly means excellently; fierce and terrible mean extremely; a skiff is a shower of rain; and if it’s soft – you’ve guessed it – it’s raining! If you’re a homeowner, you’ll be known as a blow-in, if you’re in fiddler’s green, you’re in a mess, and if an Irishman says to you, “I’m after meeting your wife,” he doesn’t mean he would like to meet her – he already has!

If you wish to improve your English before starting work or a course of study in Britain, there are English-language schools throughout the country where you can enrol in a full or part-time course lasting from a few weeks to a year. Ireland’s second official language, English, on the other hand, is spoken by almost everyone and in most situations it isn’t necessary to know a word of Gaelic whereas proficiency in English is virtually essential, particularly if you have a job which requires a lot of contact with others or involves speaking on the telephone or dealing with other foreigners who may speak their own ‘dialect’ of English. It’s especially important for students to have a high standard of English, as they must be able to follow lectures and take part in discussions in the course of their studies. This may also require a much wider and more technical or specialised vocabulary. For this reason, most universities and colleges won’t accept students who aren’t fluent in English and many require a formal qualification, e.g. a pass at GCSE or the Cambridge proficiency examination. Prospective students can assess their English fluency by taking the English Language Testing Service (ELTS) test at British Council offices in over 80 countries.

Whether you speak British or American English (or some other form) is usually irrelevant, although some Irish people will have difficulty understanding strong non-Irish accents and you may find Irish pronunciation takes some getting used to. There are also one or two other words and phrases deriving from Gaelic with which you’ll need to be familiar. Most important perhaps is the word garda (pronounced ‘gorda’), which is what a policeman is called (the police are collectively called the Garda Síochána, although this is often abbreviated to Garda, and policemen are gardaí, pronounced ‘gordee’). Then there are words such as ben for mountain, glen for valley, knock (or cnoc) for hill, lough for lake or inlet and strand for beach. Mór (or more) means big, wee is little, a wean (pronounced ‘wain’) is a child. If your car won’t go, it’s said to be banjaxed and if it’s mizzlin (as it often is in Ireland) it’s raining gently.

Other words that sound familiar are used in strange contexts: if something is clever it fits well; a chick isn’t a young woman but a child, who, if he is naughty, is said to be bold; if someone is brave he is a worthy sort, but if he is a caution he is a devil-may-care fellow; to be cut is to be insulted, to be destroyed is to be exhausted, and to be scalded is to be vexed; if you’re feeling unwell, you might be said to look well shook; fairly means excellently; fierce and terrible mean extremely; a skiff is a shower of rain; and if it’s soft – you’ve guessed it – it’s raining! If you’re a homeowner, you’ll be known as a blow-in, if you’re in fiddler’s green, you’re in a mess, and if an Irishman says to you, “I’m after meeting your wife,” he doesn’t mean he would like to meet her – he already has!

If you wish to improve your English before starting work or a course of study in Britain, there are English-language schools throughout the country where you can enrol in a full or part-time course lasting from a few weeks to a year. And "Gaelige" is a slip too: the correct spelling is "Gaeilge" real paddy 30 Jun 2012, 03:56 word in use Are you talking about schotland nearly all these words are not used by the Irish, ben for mountain mostly scotchish, glen for valley is only used in names not anywhere else, knock (or cnoc) for hill again isonly used in names of place, "If you said I walked up the knock" people would not understand you, lough for lake or inlet and strand for beach is mostly used in England ,,SORRY Northern IRE and Scotland.

Mór (or more) means big is used in Gaelige class not any where else,wee is little, a wean (pronounced ‘wain’) is a child is again used in Scotland and the british part of Ireland "N.Ire" not in the South and banjaxed is slang and was used 30 years ago,, mizzlin is again used in that part of Britian thay call Scotland not in Ireland ,,But thanks you have made me laugh so much ,,hey next time try visiting Ireland before you give advice Thank you. Your comment will be published once it has been approved by the moderators. Subject: Republic of Ireland The population of Ireland is predominantly of Celtic origin. No significant ethnic minorities exist. Population Characteristics For more up to date statistics see Central Statistics Office more specifically for population statistics and overall statistics. 3,978,900 (April 2003 est.).

Click here to get a 78KB PDF document of the 2003 population & migration statistics Northern Ireland's population The 1991 census of Northern Ireland puts the population at 1,577,836, broken down into the following religious demominations: Presbyterians - 336,891; Church of Ireland - 279,280; Methododists - 59,517, members of 'other denominations' (mainly protestant) was 122,448; Catholics - 605.639; no religion 59,234 and 114,829 did not state a religion. The population of the Irish Republic (1986 census) was 3,540,643. The population was estimated in 1990 at 3,509,000, giving the country an overall population density of about 50 persons per sq km (about 129 per sq mi).

The population decreased from the 1840s, when about 6.5 million persons lived in the area included in the republic, until about 1970, largely because of a high emigration rate. From 1980 to 1988 the population increased at an annual rate of only 0.5%. About 57% of the population lived in urban areas in the late 1980s. Political Divisions and Principal Cities For administrative purposes, Ireland (republic of) is divided into 26 counties, most of which are described in separate articles, and 5 county boroughs, which are coextensive with the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford.

The following counties are in Ireland: Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois (Laoighis), Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow, in Leinster Province; Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary North Riding, Tipperary South Riding, and Waterford, in Munster Province; Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo, in Connaught (Connacht) Province; and Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, in Ulster Province. The capital and largest city is Dublin, with a population (1986, greater city) of 920,956. Cork is the second largest city and a major port, with a population of 173,694. Other cities and towns, important primarily as trading centers for produce, with their population figures in the 1986 census, include Limerick (76,557), and Waterford (41,054).

Religion and Language About 94% of the people of Ireland are Roman Catholics, and less than 4% are Protestants. Protestant groups include the Church of Ireland (Anglican) and the Presbyterian and Methodist denominations. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution. Almost all the people speak English, and about one-fourth also speak Irish, a Gaelic language that is the traditional tongue of Ireland. Irish is spoken as the vernacular by a relatively small number of people, however, mostly in areas of the west. The constitution provides for both Irish and English as official languages. Education Irish influence on Western education began 14 centuries ago. From the 6th to the 8th century, when western Europe was largely illiterate, nearly 1000 Irish missionaries travelled to England and the Continent to teach Christianity. During the early Middle Ages, Irish missionaries founded monasteries that achieved extensive cultural influence; the monastery at Sankt Gallen (Saint Gall), Switzerland, is especially famous for its contributions to education and literature. Classical studies flowered in ancient Ireland.

Distinctive also at the time were the bardic schools of writers and other learned men who traveled from town to town, teaching their arts to students. The bardic schools, an important part of Irish education, were suppressed in the 16th century by Henry VIII, king of England. University education in Ireland began with the founding of the University of Dublin, or Trinity College , in 1592. The National University of Ireland, established in 1908 in Dublin, has constituent university colleges in Cork, Dublin, and Galway, another leading college is Saint Patrick's College (1795), in Maynooth, affiliated with the National University. The Irish language has been taught in all government-subsidised schools since 1922, but fewer than 10,000 pupils speak it as their first language. Ireland has a free public school system, with attendance compulsory for all children between 6 and 15 years of age. In the late 1980s some 574,000 pupils were enrolled annually in about 3440 elementary schools.

Secondary schools, primarily operated by religious orders and largely subsidised by the state, numbered nearly 600, with an annual enrolment of approximately 234,000. Yearly enrolment at universities and colleges totalled about 59,500. Ireland also has several state-subsidised training colleges, various technical colleges in the larger communities, and a network of winter classes that provide agricultural instruction for rural inhabitants. Culture It is probable that Ireland was first occupied by Neolithic people, users of flint, and then by the small, dark, warlike people from the Mediterranean, users of bronze, who are known in legend as the Firbolgs. Later came the Picts, also an immigrant people of the Bronze Age. Extensive traces of the culture of this early period survive in the form of stone monuments (menhirs, dolmens, and cromlechs) and stone forts, dating from 2000 to 1000 bc. During the Iron Age, the Celtic invasion (circa 350 bc) introduced a new cultural strain into Ireland, one that was to predominate.

The oldest relics of the Celtic (Gaelic) language can be seen in the 5th-century Ogham stone inscriptions in county Kerry. Ireland was Christianised by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The churches and monasteries founded by him and his successors became the fountainhead from which Christian art and refinement permeated the crude and warlike Celtic way of life. Ireland is famous for its contributions to world literature. Two great mythological cycles in Gaelic "the Ulster (Red Branch) and the Fenian (Ossianic)" tell the stories of such legendary heroes as C� Chulainn (Cuchulain), Maeve (Medb), Finn mac Cumhail (Finn MacCool), and Deirdre. After a long and bitter colonisation by England, Ireland gave the world some of the greatest writers in the English language, including Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, and George Bernard Shaw. Associated with the struggle for independence in this century is the Irish literary revival, which produced the works of William Butler Yeats and Sean O'Casey. James Joyce was a formative influence on much of later 20th-century European literature.

Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, is the most important national holiday in Ireland. Sports - Gaelic Football Gaelic Football, is a type of football played principally in Ireland, where it originated and where it became popular in the 16th century. At that time a team consisted of all the able-bodied men of a town or parish; the number of players on each team ranged from 25 to 100. Frequently the game started at a point midway between two towns or parishes and ended when one team had driven the ball across a boundary line into its opponent's town or parish. The rules of the modern game were promulgated in 1884 by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA); that body still controls and regulates the sport. Fifteen players constitute a team in Gaelic football. The players may kick, punt, or punch the ball; or they may "hop" or dribble it, that is, keep bouncing it while advancing. Throwing or carrying the ball is not allowed. At each end of the field is a goal consisting of two vertical posts and a horizontal crossbar; behind the goal, under the crossbar, is a net.

Kicking or punching the ball over the crossbar counts one point; punching or kicking it into the net counts three points. The game is popular in Ireland today and is also played in large cities in Canada and the United States, principally in New York City, which has a club that competes in Ireland's National League. For more information about Gaelic Football or for an external link to a page with many links to various Irish sports links . Sports - Hurling Hurling, traditional Irish field sport in which a ball, called a sliothar, is caught on a hurley, or stick, and carried or hurled to the goal. Irish mythology has tales of the warrior Cuchulainn and other legendary heroes who were expert hurlers. The rules of play were standardized in 1884 when the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded. Today the game is almost entirely restricted to the Republic of Ireland, where the All-Ireland championship competition has been held since 1887. Regulation hurling is played by two 15-member teams on a field measuring 82 m (90 yd) in width and 137 m (150 yd) in length.

The hurley is a narrow-shafted stick about 1 m (3.5 ft) long, ending in a curved blade about 8 cm (3 in) wide. The slitter has a cork center and a leather cover; it is between 23 and 25 cm (9 and 10 in) in circumference, and weighs between 100 and 130 g (3.5 to 4.5 oz). The goals at each end of the field are formed by two posts, which are usually 6 m (21 ft) high, set 6 m (21 ft) apart, and connected 2 m (8 ft) above the ground by a crossbar. A net extending back of the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts. The object of hurling is to catch the slitter on the blade of the hurley, carry it, and then hurl it into the goal. The slitter may be picked off the ground only with the hurley; the player may pick the slitter off the hurley with his hand, provided he does not throw it or run with it.

Three points are scored when the slitter is hurled into the net and one point when the slitter is hurled over the crossbar between the goal posts. Although hurling, the fastest of all team sports, is a rough game, serious injuries are rare. For more information about hurling or for an external link to a page with many links to various Irish sports links or Sports web for a commercial link by Reuters. Art From the 5th to the 9th century the Irish monasteries produced artworks of world renown, primarily in the form of illuminated manuscripts. The greatest such work is the Book of Kells, which has some of the most beautiful calligraphy of the Middle Ages (see Celts: Art). Native art seems to have disappeared during the period of English domination, but after the 17th century a number of Irish painters and sculptors achieved fame. The Irish painters George Barret (1732-84), James Barry (1741-1806), and Nathaniel Hone (1718-84) were cofounders, with Sir Joshua Reynolds, of the Royal Academy in 1768.

James Arthur O'Connor (1791-1812) was a noted landscape artist of his period, and Daniel Maclise (1806-70) painted the magnificent frescoes in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords. Notable among Irish painters of the 19th century were Nathaniel Hone, Jr. (1831-1917), and Walter F. Osborne (1859-1903). More recently, the expressionist painter Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957), the cubist painter Mainie Jellett (1897-1944), and the stained-glass artist Evie Hone (1894-1955) have achieved widespread recognition and acclaim for their work. Music Irish harpers were known throughout Europe as early as the 12th century. The most celebrated of these was the blind harper Torlogh O'Carolan, or Carolan (1670-1738), who composed about 200 songs on varied themes, many of which were published in Dublin in 1720.

About the same time, an annual folk festival called the feis was instituted, devoted to the preservation and encouragement of harping. Irish folk music ranges from lullabies to drinking songs, and many variations and nuances of tempo, rhythm, and tonality are used. At the Belfast Harpers' Festival in 1792, Edward Bunting (1773-1843) made a collection of traditional Irish songs and melodies, which he published in 1796. Thomas Moore, the great Irish poet, made extensive use of Bunting's work in his well-known Irish Melodies, first published in 1807. Classical forms of music were not widely known in Ireland until the 18th century. Pianist John Field was the first Irish composer to win international renown, with his nocturnes. Michael William Balfe (1808-70) is well known for his opera The Bohemian Girl. Among the most prominent of Irish performing artists was the concert and operatic tenor John McCormack. A good reference site for Celtic music at Celtic Note .

Some of our modern musicians include (with external links) are Official U2 , Chris De Burgh , Christy Moore , WestLife , Boy Zone , Sinead O'Connor , Enya , Cranberries , Enya Mary Black, Van Morrison, Hot House Flowers... Cultural Institutions The most important Irish libraries and museums are in Dublin. The National Library of Ireland, with more than 500,000 volumes, is the largest public library in the country. Trinity College Library , founded in 1601, contains about 2.8 million volumes, including the Book of Kells. Together with exhibits in the fields of art, industry, and natural history, and representative collections of Irish silver, glass, textiles and lace, the National Museum houses outstanding specimens of the remarkable metal craftsmanship of the early Christian period in Ireland, including the Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Chalice, and the Moylough Bell Shrine (all dating from the 8th century), as well as the Lismore Crozier and the Cross of Cong (both 12th century). The National Gallery in Dublin has an admirable collection of paintings of all schools. Most cities have public libraries and small museums.

Interest in the theatre is strong in Ireland. The famed Abbey Theatre and the Gale Theatre, both in Dublin, receive government grants. The Arts Council, a body appointed by the prime minister, gives grants to arts organisations and publishers; the Gael-Linn promotes the Irish language and culture. Economy The economy of Ireland has been traditionally agricultural. Since the mid-1950s, however, the country's industrial base has expanded, and now mining, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities account for approximately 37% of the gross domestic product and agriculture for only about 12%. Private enterprise operates in most sectors of the economy. Annual budget figures in the late 1980s showed approximately $14.4 billion in revenue and $14.8 billion in expenditure. Agriculture Almost 81% of the total area of Ireland is devoted to pasture and cropland. The agricultural enterprise producing the most income is animal husbandry. In the late 1980s livestock included some 5.6 million cattle, 4.3 million sheep, 960,000 hogs, and 55,000 horses. Poultry production is also important.

The principal field crops are wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. Among other important crops are hay, turnips, and sugar beets. The best farmlands are found in the east and southeast. Forestry and Fishing The government of Ireland has undertaken extensive schemes of reforestation in an effort to reduce the country's dependence on timber imports and to provide raw material for new paper mills and related industries. In the late 1980s forestland occupied nearly 5% of Ireland's total area; the annual output of roundwood was 1.2 million cu m (42.3 million cu ft). The fishing industry, which has traditionally been underdeveloped, is expanding; the annual catch in the late 1980s was some 247,400 metric tons. Deep-sea catches include herring, cod, mackerel, whiting, and plaice. Crustaceans, particularly lobsters, crawfish, and prawns, and such mollusks as oysters and periwinkles, are plentiful in coastal waters and form the bulk of the country's seafood exports.

The inland rivers and lakes provide excellent fishing for salmon, trout, eel, and several varieties of coarse fish. Mining Although mining plays a relatively minor role in the Irish economy, discoveries of new deposits in recent decades have led to a considerable expansion of mineral production. Annual mineral output in the late 1980s included about 45,000 metric tons of coal, 177,000 metric tons of zinc, and 33,800 metric tons of lead. Ireland is one of the leading exporters of lead and zinc in Europe. Natural gas is extracted off the southwestern coast; yearly output in the mid-1980s was 1.6 billion cu m (56.5 billion cu ft). Peat is dug in large quantities for domestic and industrial fuel and also for horticultural purposes; annual output in the late 1980s was 6.3 million tons. Manufacturing Ireland has diversified manufacturing, most of it developed since 1930. Among the food-processing industries, the most important are meat packing, brewing and distilling, grain milling, sugar refining, and the manufacture of dairy products, margarine, confections, and jam.

Other important manufactured articles include office machinery and data-processing equipment; electrical machinery; tobacco products; woolen and worsted goods; clothing; cement; furniture; soap; candles; building materials; footwear; cotton, rayon, and linen textiles; hosiery; paper; leather; machinery; refined petroleum; and chemicals. In the computer Industry, Ireland currently has the Eurpean headquarters or European technical support centres for Microsoft , Intel , Dell , Lotus, Compaq , Apple , IBM , Creative Labs , Hewlett Packard, Digital and Seagate among others. Currency and Banking The Euro is the basic unit of currency. Before March 1979, the Irish pound was exchangeable at a par with the British pound sterling. The Central Bank of Ireland, established in 1942, is the bank of issue. Associated with the Central Bank are the leading commercial (or associated) banks with their networks of local branches. Mergers have reduced the number of these associated banks. On the other hand, the number of merchant banking houses has increased, and leading North American and continental European banks now have offices in Dublin. Trustee banks and the Post Office Savings Bank mainly serve small individual accounts.

Commerce and Trade Dublin and Cork are the manufacturing, financial, and commercial centres of Ireland. Dublin is the most important seaport; Cork is the main port for transatlantic passenger travel. Other significant ports include D�n Laoghaire, Waterford, Rosslare, and Limerick. Ireland became a member of the European Community (EC) in 1973, thus expanding the market for the country's important agricultural exports. Imports in the late 1980s totalled about $14.6 billion annually, and exports, including reexports, about $18.4 billion. The major trading partners of Ireland include Great Britain, Germany, the United States, France, and Japan. The most important exports include electric and electronic equipment, livestock, meat, dairy products, chemicals, and textiles and clothing; about two-thirds of all exports are to EC countries. Imports are primarily machinery, transport equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, cereals and foodstuffs, textiles, and iron and steel. Tourism has been effectively promoted and has increased steadily in importance.

By the late 1980s, some 2.7 million tourists annually generated approximately $1 billion for the economy of Ireland. Transportation and Communications Ireland has 2700 km (1680 mi) of railway track, all operated by the state-owned Irish Transport Company and linking all important points on the island. The highway system totals about 92,300 km (about 57,350 mi), of which about 94% was paved. Navigable inland waterways total about 435 km (about 270 mi). International airports are located at Shannon, Dublin, and Cork, and several international air-transport systems provide regular service between Ireland and major cities throughout the world. All postal, telegraph, telephone, and broadcasting services are operated by government agencies or statutory bodies. In the mid-1980s about 942,000 telephones were in use. Radio Telef�s �ireann, the public broadcasting authority, operated three radio channels and two television channels. In the late 1980s radios in use numbered about 2.1 million and television receivers, approximately 937,000.

Labour In the late 1980s the total labour force was about 1.3 million, of which approximately 13% was engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Some 667,000 workers in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are members of unions affiliated with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Government The government of Ireland is based on the constitution of 1937, as amended. This document proclaims Ireland a sovereign, independent, democratic state. The constitution also defines the national territory as the whole of Ireland. The country became a republic in 1949. See How Ireland became a republic and Irish Politics. Executive Executive power under the Irish constitution is vested in the government (cabinet), consisting of about 15 members. The government, responsible to the lower house of the national legislature, is headed by the Taoiseach, or prime minister. This official is nominated by the lower house and appointed by the president. The members of the government head the various administrative departments, or ministries. They are nominated by the prime minister and, subject to the approval of the lower house, appointed by the president.

The president of Ireland is the head of state and is elected by direct popular vote for a 7-year term. Legislature Legislative authority is vested in a bicameral legislature known as the Oireachtas. This is composed of a 166-member lower house, or D�il �ireann (Irish, "Assembly of Ireland"), Irish legislative body. It was established as a revolutionary congress in 1919, when 73 members of the D�il �ireann, and a 60-member senate, or Seanad �ireann. The members of the D�il are elected for terms of up to five years by proportional representation. Eleven members of the senate are selected by the prime minister and six members are elected by the universities. The remaining 43 members of the senate are elected by an electoral college consisting of about 900 members from the county borough councils, county councils, the D�il, and the senate. The elected members of the senate are chosen from candidates representing national culture, labour, agriculture and fisheries, public administration and social services, and commerce and industry. The senate may not veto legislation enacted by the D�il and is otherwise restricted in authority.

Judiciary Judicial authority in Ireland is vested in a supreme court, a high court, a court of criminal appeal, and circuit and district courts. All of the judges of these courts are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the government. Political Parties The system of proportional representation by which members are elected to the D�il favors a multiplicity of political parties representing special interests. In recent years, however, four parties have emerged as the most powerful: Fianna F�il, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats and Labour. For more on political parties see Politics . Local Government County councils, county borough corporations, borough corporations, urban district councils, and town commissioners are charged with responsibility for most locally administered services, including health and sanitation, housing, water supply, and libraries. Members are elected to these local bodies by popular vote, generally for 5-year terms. Local executive organisation is based on the manager system. A central appointments commission in Dublin chooses the executive manager of local authorities by examination. Local government generally is supervised by the department of local government. Health and Welfare Most health services are provided free of charge for low-income groups and at moderate charges for others, through local and national agencies. The department of health administers all official health services.

A non-profit, contributory voluntary health insurance scheme is administered by an independent statutory agency. The department of social welfare administers the official compulsory insurance and assistance programs, which include pensions for the aged, widows, and orphans; children's allowances; unemployment benefits; and other social security schemes. Defence The total strength of the permanent Irish defence force, including all army, navy, and air corps personnel, is about 13,000. The reserve defence force numbers about 16,100. Enlistment for all services is voluntary. Also see Irish Government homepage for further information about Ireland defence force. Irish Gaelic | About World Languages February 15, 2014 good day, i want to learn more about the language of gaelic/irish so that i can communicate to my friend thank you Irene Thompson February 17, 2014 Do you mean you want to learn to speak the language? If so, you should be looking for Gaelic courses, maybe there are some online. Alexander Dietz May 26, 2014 I am myself a learner of Irish and a friend of Ireland and Irish culture.

I have been in Ireland a number of times and befriended to a family of mothertongue speakers whose roots are in the Dingle and Muskerry Gaeltacht. Yes, the old, small-swathe Gaeltacht dialects handed down within families may vanish in the coming years for more English-influenced, great-regional forms of the tongue. You can make out some changes in the Gaeltacht between younger and older speakers on the one hand and between speakers from the strongest and the other Gaeltacht swathes on the other hand. For byespell, the rolled r has often changed to an English-like r. The rolled r can still be heard from some older speakers and those from the Central Donegal and Central Conamara Gaeltacht. Beside the folks of the Gaeltacht and with Gaeltacht roots, the drive to ednew Gaelic culture led to a small, slowly rising lot of folks brought up with so-called urban Irish from birth. Some purists call it bad Irish, but it will have to be worthed as soon as its mothertongue and day-to-day speakers will rise beyond an utmost small share of Ireland’s folkset. Dublin might unwrap its own, newly raising dialect.

The former Irish around Dublin might be seen as a fourth, oldtime main dialect which has died out and is tried to be brought back by a small lot of folks: Leinster Irish. The other shares of Leinster have had dialects that may belong to the main dialects of the neighbouring provinces. In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Irish as found in the Donegal Gaeltacht and quite unsame to Galway and Munster Irish, has gained ground over time. East Ulster Irish had been a kind of link between Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Alex Mike Banahan June 11, 2014 With barely any Irish at all yet, I’d make some corrections to your vocabulary section, as it’s actually wrong even for a beginner. Get rid of Yes and No: sea is actually a contracted form of ‘is ea’ (it is); c.f.’ni hea’ (not it is). Both are only appropriate answers to specfic forms of copula-based questions and other similar but notably different answers would be used for other forms of question.

Irish just doesn’t have a yes/no construct, questions can only be constructed by using a verb and the appropriate response is always a positive or negative answer, always including the verb again. For example ‘do you speak/have Irish’ ‘an bhfuil tú Gaeilge agat’, lit. ‘is Irish at you’, is answered either ‘tá (is)’ or ‘níl (is not)’. For the grammaropaths, ‘níl’ is actually a contracted form of ‘ní bhfuil’. Tá and (bh)fuil are both forms of the irregular verb of existence ‘bí’, ‘to be’ is the closest English form, Irish having two independent verb-like constructs that deal with existence and identity. It’s probably no accident that Irish ‘bí’ and English ‘be’ are pronounced very similarly and the other Irish pseudoverb is ‘is’; however the similarity apparently stops at the pronunciation. Thank you is ‘go raibh maith agat’ (lit. may there be good at you). ‘Go raibh’ is meaningless stand-alone, it’s a subjunctive form of ‘bí’ with a possible English translation of ‘may there be’.

Often shortened to ‘grma’ online or in text messages the full four-word form is a standard basic phrase. The word for thousand ‘míle’ sometimes doubles as an intensifier in Irish so you also see ‘go raibh míle maith agat’ – a thousand good to you – as ‘thank you very much’. The same intensifier is also found in ‘céad míle fáilte’ (a hundred thousand/big welcomes) and ‘is tú mo mhíle grá’ literally ‘is/are you my thousand love’ but in practice something like ‘you are my great love’ or thereabouts. That latter example uses ‘is’ and is not related to ‘bí’. Notice the mutation of the initial consonant in ‘mhíle’ caused by the preceding ‘mo’. This is a central feature of the language and is a challenge for the complete beginner. The pronunciation changes from something roughly like English ‘meal-uh’ to ‘veal-uh’. And ‘an bhfuil’ is pronounced something like ‘on wool’ since bhf comes out approximately as a ‘w’ sound (bh => w, f silenced grammatically).

Irish orthography takes some time to wrap your head around, but once you get there it is at least mostly consistent. Words with initial mutations makes using dictionaries interesting until you learn the simple rules to get back to the root. Thank you for the corrections. We will make the appropriate changes. May 30, 2015 Charlie’s message of 02/10/14 translates as: In my opinion, Irish is a difficult language, but I love it. If you are not from Ireland, there is no point in learning it because you will not use it. There is a couple mistakes in the Irish: 1. ‘an Ghaeilge’ and not ‘an nGaeilge 2. Mona should be Muna 3. ‘O Eire’ should be ‘on Eirinn’ with a fada on the ‘o’ and the ‘E’ 4. ‘Aon phionte’ should be ‘Aon phionte’ 5 ‘an’ after ‘phionte’ should be ‘ann’ 6. ‘ag foghlaim e’ should be ‘ a foghlaim’ with a fada on the ‘a’ 7.

‘ ni bheith’ should be ‘ ni bheidh’ with a fada on the ‘I’ in ‘ni’ 8. A no of fadas have been left out. I hope I have made all of the corrections. renato September 25, 2015 I love Irish language, since I was a little boy I wanted to learn the language. but I see it is too difficult for a Brazilian, I only know few words and sentences September 27, 2015 Dia Dhuit I’m living in Australia and learning Irish from Bitesize Irish Gaelic which is an online learning program with wonderful podcasts that cover Irish history, music, writing and culture and of course links to their native language. Through that program I’ve hooked up with Facebook groups that Skype across the world, translate books into Irish, and promote the language through snippets of Irish with pronunciations and meanings. Now, I’ve met people living in Australia who speak some Irish who I’m trying inspire to talk to me in Irish 🙂 All in all, the more I learn and look for avenues to learn Irish, the more I find. And what is most wonderful is the emerging international community of speakers who are lovely people.

It turning out to be an amazing journey! Go raibh maith agat (thank you)! Ireland Facts, Ireland Flag -- National Geographic Ireland Facts Flag Map An island in the North Atlantic, Ireland features coastal mountains in the west and interior agricultural lowlands, with numerous hills, lakes, and bogs. The Republic of Ireland occupies about 83 percent of the island of Ireland—Northern Ireland, in the northeast, is part of the United Kingdom. Irish, or Irish Gaelic (a Celtic language), is the country's first official language and is taught in schools, but few native speakers remain. Éire (AIR-uh) is the Irish name for the Republic of Ireland. English is the second official language and is more common. The object of waves of invasion from Europe, the Emerald Isle has been inhabited for 7,000 years. Celtic invaders from Europe came in the sixth century B.C. Tradition holds that, in A.D. 432, St. Patrick began converting the Irish to Christianity. England began seizing land in the 1100s, but many areas remained in Irish hands until the 16th century.

In the 19th century Ireland's growing population was becoming ever more dependent on the potato for sustenance. The potato crop could not withstand the large amount of precipitation that fell year after year in the 1840s, causing blight and rotting the harvest. Death and emigration reduced the population from eight to six million by 1856, and it would fall further—today is about 5.9 million residents (4.2 million in the Republic of Ireland). Eventually, in 1922, the Roman Catholic counties won independence, while mostly Protestant Northern Ireland remained under British control. Since independence, forces for and against uniting the island have claimed thousands of lives. In 1998 a peace agreement was signed by the Northern Ireland parties, Britain, and Ireland—with Ireland giving up its territorial claim to Northern Ireland. The country's robust growth promotes trade, foreign investment, and industries such as electronics. In the south, the Waterford area enjoys a slightly sunnier climate and is a growing area for business and retirement.

ECONOMY Industry: Food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Agriculture: Turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets; beef Exports: Machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, live animals —Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Question: What is the "national" and "first official" language of The Republic of Ireland?
Answer: Irish