ABSTRACT

Using a blend of statistical analysis with field survery among native Irish speakers, Reg Hindley explores the reasons for the decline of the Irish language and investigates the relationships between geographical environment and language retention. He puts Irish into a broader European context as a European minority language, and assesses its present position and prospects.

part 1|42 pages

Background

chapter Chapter one|10 pages

Irish before 1800

chapter Chapter three|22 pages

The twentieth century: survival, revival, and metamorphosis

part 2|118 pages

Locating the living language

chapter Chapter four|20 pages

The uses and snares of official language statistics

chapter Chapter five|15 pages

Gaeltachtaí of Ulster

chapter Chapter six|28 pages

Gaeltachtaí of Connacht (Connaught)

chapter Chapter seven|23 pages

Gaeltachtaí of Munster

chapter Chapter eight|6 pages

Gaeltachtaí of Leinster

part 3|94 pages

Can Irish Survive?

chapter Chapter ten|16 pages

Aids to survival

chapter Chapter eleven|42 pages

Causes of decline

chapter Chapter twelve|27 pages

Irish as a West European minority language: some comparisons

chapter Chapter thirteen|7 pages

Conclusion