Irish Language

Celtic · language · Ireland · history

Ancient Celtic tongue. Irish is a Celtic language, which means it's part of a family of languages that goes way back in European history. It was the main language spoken by people living in Ireland for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Majority language until 1800s. For most of Ireland's history, Irish was the language nearly everyone spoke. But during the 1800s, English gradually became more common and took over as the main language people used every day.

Part of Indo-European family. Irish belongs to the Indo-European language family, which includes languages spoken across Europe and beyond. This connection shows how languages can be related across vast distances and time periods.

Still spoken today. Even though English is now the dominant language in Ireland, Irish is still alive and learned in schools. Many Irish people can speak both Irish and English as part of their heritage.

Native to the island. Irish is indigenous to Ireland, meaning it developed naturally among the people who lived there. It's the official language of Ireland and an important part of Irish culture and identity.