Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht is the collective name for areas where Irish is spoken. In 1922 Irish was still the general medium of communication in parts of Cos. Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Mayo, and Donegal. Scattered pockets of Irish speakers in Cos. Louth, Kilkenny, and Clare were not considered true Gaeltacht. Native governments have given the Gaeltacht preferential treatment, including grants for Irish‐speaking children, employment schemes, and since 1979 a development authority. In 1970 a radiostation for the Gaeltacht was established with headquarters in Costelloe, Co. Galway. The decline in the numbers of Irish speakers continued, however, and by the 1980s the actual areas of Irish speech were considerably less than the official Gaeltacht. Indeed many now fear that the true Gaeltacht is on the verge of extinction.

The Irish of the Gaeltacht has been studied in detail by Finck (1899), Quiggin (1906), Sommerfelt (1922), Sjoestedt‐Jonval (1931), Wagner (1958–69), and others. The Gaeltacht has produced many writers in Irish, for example, Tomás ÓCriomhthain (1856–1937) from Kerry, Máirtín Ó Cadhain (1907–70) from Galway, and Seosamh Mac Grianna (1901–93) from Donegal.

In the 1930s some Gaeltacht families were resettled in Leinster. The Irish‐speaking community in Rath Carn, Co. Meath, is still fairly vigorous.

Nicholas Williams