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Gaeltacht regions in Ireland

Gaeltacht (pronounced [ˈɡeːɫ̪t̪ˠəxt̪ˠ]; plural Gaeltachtaí) is an Irish word for an Irish-speaking region. In the Republic of Ireland, The Gaeltacht, or An Ghaeltacht, refers to any of the regions where the government recognizes that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home. These regions were first officially recognised during the early years of the Irish Free State, after the Gaelic Revival, as part of government policy to restore the Irish language.

The comparable Goidelic-speaking areas of Scotland are referred to as the Gàidhealtachd.

The Gaeltacht boundaries were initially set in the 1950s. Since then, they have been updated once; the first time in 1974, with Clochán-Bréanann in Co. Kerry and part of West Muskerry, in Co. Cork, being added to the Gaeltacht, although the Irish-speaking population had seriously decreased from what it had been prior to the 1950s.

The current population of the Gaeltacht regions is approximately 85,000 with major concentrations of Irish speakers 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. The Meath Gaeltacht, Ráth Cairn, came about when the government provided a house and 9 hectares (22 acres) for each of 41 families from Connemara and Mayo in the 1930s, in exchange for their original lands. It was not recognised as an official Gaeltacht area until 1967.

The Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, under the leadership of the Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, is responsible for the overall Irish Government policy with respect to the Gaeltacht, and supervises the work of the Údarás na Gaeltachta and other bodies. Raidió na Gaeltachta is the RTÉ radio station serving the Gaeltacht and Irish speakers generally. TG4 is the television station which is focused on promoting the Irish language and is based in the County Galway Gaeltacht.

Traffic sign, meaning "Give Way" or "Yield", in County Waterford

In March 2005, Irish Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív announced that the government of Ireland would begin listing only the Irish language versions of place names in the Gaeltachts as the official names, stripping the official Ordnance Survey of their English equivalents, to bring them up to date with roadsigns in the Gaeltacht, which have been in Irish only since 1970.

Ireland has also negotiated with other European Union member states and made Irish an official language of the EU. This came into effect on 1 January 2007, but with a derogation.

Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair), in County Donegal is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland, which is home to regional studios of Raidió na Gaeltachta and world-class musicians, such as Proinsias Ó Maonaigh, Altan, Moya Brennan, Enya, and Clannad, who were all brought up with Irish as their first language.

• Gaeltarra Éireann
• Gàidhealtachd - equivalent region for Scottish Gaelic
• Ó Siochfhradha - Brothers from the Dingle Gaeltacht who taught and wrote in Irish.
• Ulster Irish
• Connacht Irish
• Munster Irish
• Údarás na Gaeltachta
• Y Frô Gymraeg- equivalent region for Welsh
• Permanent North American Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht Bhaile na hÉireann)

• Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
• http://www.beo.ie/
• http://www.gaeilge.ie/
• http://www.foinse.ie/
• http://www.forasnagaeilge.ie/
• Údarás na Gaeltachta
• Map of the Gaeltachts
• RTE News Report issued on Gaeltacht school Irish levels
• Gaelgeoir group to start new Gaeltacht near city