Areass of Ireland where Irish is predominantly spoken are undergoing change what will this mean for the language?
New industries and factories are part of modern developing Gaeltacht areas. The change in how people traditionally lived and worked in these areas presents challenges for the preservation of Irish as a living language.
The Gaeltacht is a place where Irish remains a living, spoken language, where you eat and drink as well as speak in Irish.
For the Irish language to survive in the rest of the country, the Gaeltacht has a vital role to play.
In 1791, most of Connacht and Ulster were totally Irish speaking. One hundred years later, the Irish speaking areas had receded towards the west coast. By 1961 districts where Irish is the predominant langauge spoken had reduces even further. Today, Gaeltacht areas in Donegal, Galway and Kerry are less extensive than the official maps indicate.
Bord na Gaeilge was set up in 1978 to extend the use of the Irish language across the country. The publication of an 'Action Plan for Irish 1983-1986' calls for greater use of Irish in the community.
The largest surviving Gaeltacht is in Connemara, where Irish is still the language of the community. The local priest is from Connemara and Irish is his native language.
He's as fluent in it as the Pope would be in Polish.
People use the langauge in all aspects of their lives. Irish is spoken in the home, the pub, and at the fair. One local man describes how the Gaeltacht has changed and he has seen the use the Irish language decline.
This episode of 'Today Tonight' was broadcast on 5 November 1985. The reporter is Joe Carroll.
