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Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland, and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union.
Oct 26, 2024 · Irish language, a member of the Goidelic group of Celtic languages, spoken in Ireland. As one of the national languages of the Republic of Ireland, Irish is taught in the public schools and is required for certain civil-service posts.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The official status of the Irish language has remained high in the Republic of Ireland from foundation. This reflects the dominance of the language in Irish cultural and social history until the nineteenth century and its role in Irish cultural identity. In 2022, strong recognition was added in Northern Ireland also.
“The Irish language as the national language is the first official language”, states article 8 of the Irish constitution. Over 80 years later, in 2022, it gained full recognition as one of the 24 official and working languages of the European Union.
Today, Irish is recognized as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland and is officially recognized in the European Union. Communities that speak Irish as their first language, generally in sporadic regions on the island's west coast, are collectively called the Gaeltacht.
Irish is a Celtic language which is closely related to Scottish and Manx Gaelic. It is also related to Welsh, Cornish and Breton. The first speakers of Irish probably arrived on these shores from mainland Europe over 2,500 years ago.
Article 8.1 of the Irish Constitution avows that "the Irish language as the national language is the first national language" although the situation remains that Irish is spoken in Ireland as a minority language. A new Language Act aims at giving more legislative rights to Irish speakers.
