Is Irish a Language?

Irish. The Gaelic language in Ireland – Gaeilge, or Irish as it's known locally – is a Celtic language and one of “the oldest and most historic written languages in the world” according to Foras na Gaeilge.

Is the Irish language still spoken?

Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland and is an officially recognised minority language in Northern Ireland. ... The modern-day areas of Ireland where Irish is still spoken daily as a first language are collectively known as the Gaeltacht.

Is Irish considered a language?

The Irish language is sometimes referred to as “Gaeilge” (pronounced Gwal-gah), but it is not Gaelic; Gaelige is the name of the Irish language in Irish. Like its Gaelic cousin, both are Indo-European languages, but Irish is actually a language unto its own.