Everyday use of Irish growing, with 18-24 year olds most regular speakers, survey shows

Foras na Gaeilge said study finding that half of respondents said they had little to no ability in Irish 'reflects an urgent need to improve the learning outcomes for Irish in our schools'.

Everyday use of Irish has increased over the last 13 years, with people speaking the language more frequently in Munster, Connacht and Ulster, according to recent findings.

The Irish Language Attitudes Survey from Foras na Gaeilge was launched in Dublin on Tuesday. It is the longest-running survey series on attitudes to the Irish language on the island.

Based on interviews with 1,498 adults, the study found 78% supported the language in the Republic, and 55% in Northern Ireland.

The largest age cohort among regular speakers across both jurisdictions was 18-24 year olds. 

More than half of respondents in the Republic said the preferred future of the language would be using it bilingually, with English as the main language.  

The report also highlighted opposition towards the Irish language was lower across all sectors.

Foras na Gaeilge chief executive Seán Ó Coinn said the research demonstrated a “strong base of support for the Irish language across the island”. 

“Foras na Gaeilge will be working closely with our partners in both governments and the Irish-language lead organisations to strengthen this progress, and to expand the daily use of the language,” he said.

“The research shows a positive snapshot of public attitudes towards the Irish language in the South and among respondents who identify as British in the North — a group that generally identify with the Protestant, unionist and loyalist community.

“A positive finding that has improved significantly since the 2013 survey,” Mr Ó Coinn added.

He said there were challenges faced by the south, with more than half of respondents self-assessing themselves as “having little to no ability in Irish, a concerning finding that is 7% higher than reported in 2013".

“This reflects an urgent need to improve the learning outcomes for Irish in our schools,” Mr Ó Coinn said.

Launching the survey, Gaeltacht minister Dara Calleary said the survey would be a “valuable source of information and evidence” for his department as it plans for the Irish language over the next 10 years.

“These results will also be a valuable resource in developing the next Government strategy as the current 20-year strategy for the Irish language comes to a close in 2030,” Mr Callery added.