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Irish is the oldest surviving of the Celtic languages and the father to Scots Gaelic and Manx. The language is rich with literature, folklore and proverbs so learning Irish will be a treat with access to so many old stories only available in Irish. And what great stories they are too.
Irish is the national language of the Republic of Ireland and is the officially recognised language of the six counties of Northern Ireland. A third of Irish adults speak Irish and about 2 million Irish people outside of Ireland. Apparently 40 million people in the US describe themselves as Irish or an estimated total worldwide of 70 million Irish. Ireland is now part of the EU and seeks to maintain its identity through it language and unite in so doing the enormous Irish national identity throughout the world. So we shall see more Irish language resources available and more opportunities to speak Irish as the country forges international relationships with businesses all over the world. Ireland is a beautiful country, free now from the troubles that blighted it for so many years. It attracts thousands of visitors a year for holidays, sporting events, and business congresses and arts festivals. If you go to Ireland, wouldn't you like to be able to talk to the locals in Irish and share a pint of Guinness in the local pub? Listen to the old Gaelic songs and be able to understand them. Irish is experiencing something of a renaissance in fact, with more people being able to speak and write Irish today than 150 years ago. There are more books, magazines and newspapers published in Irish than ever there have been and daily broadcasts in Irish of news, documentaries, children's shows and soap operas. There are numerous Irish websites, chat rooms and online language courses |
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