An Ghaeilge: the Lazarus of the language world

As an Irishman living abroad on and off for about five years, I am often surprised by how little is known about certain aspects of my culture: our sports, our politics and especially our language. 

One of the most common refrains that I get asked is ‘but is it not just English with an accent?’ I’ve often found this amusing, as I will never turn down the opportunity to talk about the Irish language. There are many aspects of the Irish language I could delve into for pages on end, from grammatical inflections to funny memes that I see on social media, but here I think it’s best to stick to a general overview.

A brief history

The Irish language, also known as ‘Gaeilge’, is a Celtic language that has been spoken on the island of Ireland for centuries. It is one of the oldest living languages in the world, and has seen various highs and lows during its history.

The earliest evidence of Irish being spoken in Ireland dates back to the early fifth century, when the Celts invaded the country. This marks the beginning of Irish as a spoken language, although it developed from earlier proto-Celtic languages. Over the centuries, Irish spread throughout the island, with different dialects emerging in different regions. The modern version of the language was cultivated during the 12th to 16th centuries; however, it was also during this period that the language started to lose its influence on the island.

Decline of the language

The gradual decline of the Irish language began with the English invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. The English invasion of Ireland attempted to suppress the use of Irish in education, law and other aspects of everyday life. This, along with the mass exodus and death caused by the Great Famine in the 19th century, caused a severe decline in the use of Irish. And by the mid-18th century, its use as a native language was largely limited to the west coast of the island.

Rebirth

In my opinion, the rebirth of the Irish language is one of the fascinating aspects of Irish culture. It is a movement that has been ongoing since the Great Famine, when Irish emigrants arrived in countries around the world and began to spread the language to their new neighbourhoods.

On the island of Ireland, the Irish language saw a resurgence in the 19th century, when the Irish people began to reclaim their language and culture. The Gaelic League was founded in 1893 to promote the use of Irish, and the Irish Free State (which would become the Republic of Ireland) declared Irish its official language in 1922.

All of this has led to Irish being the most widely spoken Celtic language in the world. It is an official language in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and is also spoken in parts of Scotland, Wales, the United States and Canada.

The Irish language today

Today, the official statistics for the Irish language are alarmingly low, with figures estimating that less than ten per cent of the Irish population can speak Irish fluently. I find myself, however, giddily optimistic for the future of my language. The end of derogation on its official EU status at the start of 2022 has increased the need for official documentation to be translated into Irish all across the continent. As a result, requests for Irish translation in my inbox through the Irish Translators and Interpreters Association have gone through the roof. Last year, an estimated 17,000 people marched through the streets of Belfast as part of a demonstration in support of official and equal status for the Irish language (in a part of the United Kingdom). The Identity and Language Bill (granting this status) was subsequently passed in the British parliament. Discussions are currently ongoing on the floor of the houses of the Irish parliament regarding mandatory bilingual packaging on all products sold in Ireland, as is currently done with French and English in Canada. 

Irish is not, however, being confined to the realms of legislation and political discourse. Music acts like Seo Linn and KNEECAP, who perform solely in Irish, regularly sell out venues across the country. While actual Gaeltacht – that is, Irish-speaking – areas may be in decline, ‘pop-up Gaeltachts’ (events creating a space for Irish to be spoken) have become a feature of the Irish pub scene. The other week at the BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards), Paul Mescal and Brendan Gleeson both gave interviews in Irish, following the success of their films Aftersun and The Banshees of Inisherin respectively. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, An Cailín Ciúin, an Irish-language screen adaptation of the book Foster by Claire Keegan, was nominated for a range of awards, including an Oscar for best international film. These are massive cultural milestones, and I can’t help but beam with pride that my language is blossoming in a way that I have never seen before. I can’t help but feel like there is something in motion, and that we are about to enter into a new era of the Irish language resurgence.