A look at conditions and events that have contributed to a decline in the numbers speaking Irish.
The 19th century in Ireland saw a dramatic decline in the use of the Irish language. Around the year 1800, more people spoke Irish than Dutch, Swedish, Danish or Finnish. In the mid 19th century there was a slump in the number of people who spoke Irish while other European languages grew in use.
In 1840, there were over four million people speaking Irish. By 1870, this had dropped to less than a million, a phenomenon largely ignored by historians. For this programme, three historians were asked to name the most notable events in Irish history over the last century. They pointed to The Great Famine, Catholic Emancipation, The Fenians and The Land League with no mention of the decline in the Irish language.
Patrick Corrigan from County Monaghan describes what happened to the Irish language in and around Carrickmacross. Death and emigration were the two major factors in the decline of the language. As people emigrated and trade with English speakers grew, more and more people had to speak English.
The people who spoke it died off. Their families had to emigrate.
Patrick Corrigan also points out that while the priests in the parish were enthusiastic about the language, no sermons were delivered in Irish.
Joseph Neilan recalls areas of County Sligo where every household spoke Irish. He believes that there was not much Irish spoken in Sligo as it was a garrison town.
Micheál Ó Citín, says that Clonmel was an Irish speaking town 50 years ago. While older people spoke Irish, they refused to speak the language to younger people. Many of the institutions of the state were managed in English. People believed that in order to progress in life, they had to speak English.
If you knew English, one time when I was a very young fellow, you were away with it.
This episode of 'Watch Your Language' was broadcast on 17 February 1970. The presenter is Jim Sherwin.
