The Irish Language
The Irish language, also known as Irish Gaelic has a fascinating history and is experiencing a revival despite challenges.
The Irish Language
Celtic Origins
The Irish language, also known as Irish Gaelic, is descended from the branch of Common Celtic known as the Goidelic branch. Closely related languages include Scottish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic which is spoken on the Isle of Man.
Dublin
Custom's House at ni...
Old Money, New Money
Merrion Sq
Dundrum Town Centre
Dundrum Town Centre
The Official Language of the Republic of Ireland
The Irish language is constitutionally established as the national language of the Republic of Ireland, despite the varying distribution and fluency among the population of the country. It is however, an official language of the European Union. It is also recognized as an official minority language in Northern Ireland.
New Flickr Photos on Ireland
Custom's House at ni...
Old Money, New Money
Merrion Sq
Ahí va el pibe
Blarney Castle
The Gaeltacht Irish Language Speaking Regions
Although Irish was once spoken across Ireland, it exists today as a minority language in Ireland, spoken in specific communities and in officially-recognized Gaeltachtaí, Irish-speaking regions. The Gaeltacht refer to any regions where the government recognizes the Irish language as being the predominant language at home.
These regions were first governmentally recognized during the early stages of the Irish Free State. The recognition of these areas was part of governmental policy seeking to restore fluency in the Irish language. These regions include County Galway, Connemara , the Aran Islands, Carraroe and Spiddal; on the west coast of County Donegal; in the part which is known as Tyrconnell; and Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.
Even in the Gaeltacht areas, however the Irish-speaking populations have declined. A major cause in the decline of natively-spoken Irish has been the movement of English speakers into the Gaeltacht and the influx of native Irish-speakers who have returned with English-speaking families. Mandatory education in the school system seeks to address this phenomena and add to the proliferation of new Irish speakers.
These regions were first governmentally recognized during the early stages of the Irish Free State. The recognition of these areas was part of governmental policy seeking to restore fluency in the Irish language. These regions include County Galway, Connemara , the Aran Islands, Carraroe and Spiddal; on the west coast of County Donegal; in the part which is known as Tyrconnell; and Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.
Even in the Gaeltacht areas, however the Irish-speaking populations have declined. A major cause in the decline of natively-spoken Irish has been the movement of English speakers into the Gaeltacht and the influx of native Irish-speakers who have returned with English-speaking families. Mandatory education in the school system seeks to address this phenomena and add to the proliferation of new Irish speakers.
A Quick View of Limerick
Bunratty Castle Cott...
Limerick, Saskatchew...
Limerick, Saskatchew...
Limerick, Saskatchew...
Limerick, Saskatchew...
Irish Language Dialects
There are a number of distinct dialects of Irish. Roughly speaking, the three major dialect areas coincide with the provinces of Munster), Connacht and Ulster. Ulster Irish sounds very different and shares several unusual features with Scottish Gaelic, as well as having lots of characteristic words and shades of meanings.
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Irish Culture
Some popular Irish related websites to help you on your Irish quest.
Blog Posts from Google
All Things Irish!
Some popular Irish related blogs to boost your Irish savvy.
- SAOIRSE32 :: Mum angry as son denied Irish-language school place ...
- Ms McConville said Eoin-Roe's whole educational experience had been through the medium of the Irish...
- Irish Election » Journalism in Irish: Waste of Time
- I see that the major universities are still busy running Cúrsaí san Iriseoireacht (Irish language...
- Slugger O'Toole
- Above all the finger is being pointed at the Catholic Church, the most capable of all the Irish lang...
- From the Balcony, A Publisher's Blog: Chance for a new start with ...
- I believe Foras na Gaeilge needs to adopt a strategy which has as its core objective the creation of...
FIND A TRUSTED SOURCE TO PURCHASE FROM!
Learn a Language with a Trusted Retailer
Don't be fooled. Find a trusted resource to learn with. The recommended resources below are from the only online retailer registered and on good terms with the Better Business Bureau.www.ultimatelanguagestore.com is the only online Pimsleur retailer that is a member of the Better Business Bureau. Check out their Better Business Bureau Membership
Call them at 1-888-310-3643
Vocabulary Builder Irish
An Excellent Way for Children and Adults to Start Learning Irish
Primarily aimed to meet the requirements of children from 4-12, Vocabulary Builder Irish has proved popular with adults too!* Speech recording the chance to record cartoons and play them back in your own "cinema".
* Nine games of varying difficulty, with points awarded for correct answers.
* 3 Options learn, games and record
* Beautiful illustrations to reinforce your learning.
* Gold award for completing all of the language games.
* Over 100 words including colors, numbers, actions and simple sentences.
* Help from the friendly tiger he speaks over 50 languages!
If you're interested in learning Irish, then check out Irish Vocabulary for Children At $29.99, the program is inexpensive, easy, and fun to use.
Learn Irish for Beginners with Talk Now!
Speak Irish for Less!
Get started today with Talk Now! Irish, the fast and easy way to learn a new language. Perfect for all ages, the CD teaches basic Czech vocabulary and phrases, and then tests what you have learned with fun games and quizzes.* Nine useful topics - first words, food, colors, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.
* Speech recording - compare your pronunciation with the native speakers'.
* Intelligent Software - remembers words you get wrong and targets your weaker points.
* Automatic Localization - learn from your own native language (more than 100 available).
* Awards - collect points and gain bronze, silver and gold certificates.
* Learn on the move - with the printable dictionary and new iPod feature!
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista
Only $29.99 Checkout Learn Irish for Beginners
World Talk Irish Software Course
Intermediate Irish Course
World Talk Irish is aimed at intermediate level learners who have already built up some confidence listening to and speaking Irish. The interactive games and quizzes will help to further develop fluency and understanding of the language.* 10 Irish language games including 'Lottery numbers', 'What did you say', 'Sentence building', 'Out to dinner' and others to help you learn, test and practice your Irish language skills.
* Quickfire - TV quiz challenge a friend, or the computer to improve your Irish skills.
* Recording - studio gain confidence in speaking Irish. Take the part of an actor and record yourself!
* Dictation - six stories to give you practice in dictation and comprehension at your own pace!
* Automatic Localization - lets you choose the language you learn from (more than 50 available).
* Printable worksheets that you can take anywhere.
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista
Only $29.99 Checkout Intermediate Irish Course
Pimsleur Irish Compact CDs
Compact Irish, a stand-alone 10-lesson (5 hours) program, teaches beginning language strategies for essential communication and traveling needs.WITH PIMSLEUR YOU GET:
* Grammar and vocabulary taught together in everyday conversation,
* Interactive audio-only instruction that teaches spoken language organically,
* The flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere,
* 30-minute lessons designed to optimize the amount of language you can learn in one sitting.
Millions of people have used Pimsleur to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without books, written exercises, or drills.
Product Details
Pimsleur, February 2007
5 Compact Disks (Unabridged)
Check out the Irish Pimsleur Language Course
Recommended Resources for Learning Irish Gaelic
These are highly recommended inexpensive resources for learning Irish Gaelic.
- Talk Now Irish
- Designed for beginners who want to start learning the Irish language as soon as possible. Whether on business, vacation, or perhaps meeting a foreign visitor, Talk Now! is the disc to get you started.
- World Talk Irish
- The next level up from Talk Now Irish!, and takes you on to the next stage with new activities, added dictation, and a brand new recording section. You'll cover topics including the calendar year, building sentences, asking directions, and using numbers.
- Irish Vocabulary Builder
- An interactive flash card system for parents and teachers to help teach basic language, and for children to play games and record their own words and sentences.
- Irish Product Reviews
- The Language Chronicle is the ultimate resource for all things related to foreign languages, including product reviews, history of languages, trends, and more.
- Talk the Talk Irish Gaelic Software
- Learn words and phrases that matter to you with this new language learning CD ROM for under eighteens. From "I'll send you a text message later" to "we won the game on penalties", Talk The Talk Irish really gets you talking. Aimed at people who are beginning to get to grips with Irish or preparing for school exams. It provides you with more than 200 Irish phrases.
- Talk Business Irish
- f you want to succeed in business abroad, then Talk Business Irish is for you. Aimed at people who already know the basics, it gives the specialized language you need for doing business abroad. Must-know language ranges from basics like 'what is your website address?' to more advanced discussion of exchange rates, product guarantees and marketing budgets.
Videos on Irish Language and Irish Cultural
A Touch of Irish Culture and Language.
Great Irish Stuff on Amazon
The Course of Irish History, 4th Edition
Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/04/2009) 
Hidden History of the Boston Irish: Little-Known Stories from Ireland's "Next Parish Over"
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/04/2009)
New Flickr Photos from Ireland
Custom's House at ni...
Old Money, New Money
Merrion Sq
Ahí va el pibe
Blarney Castle
New YouTube vids on Learning Irish Gaelic Resources
Learning Irish Gaelic Resources
This video discusses different learning resources available for the Irish Gaelic.
Runtime: 4:28
2068 views
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New YouTube vids for Learning Irish
Irish Vocabulary Builder for Children & Adults
Learning Irish with Vocabulary Builder Irish
This video reviews the Vocabulary Builder Irish program produced by EuroTalk and available from www.ultimatelanguagestore.com
Runtime: 7:38
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