ABSTRACT
The Irish language planning process has been successful in nurturing positive attitudes towards the language among the population at large. It has also succeeded in developing an educational process which can replicate the reproduction of second language Irish-speakers on an intergenerational basis. What it has not succeeded in achieving is sustainable language planning outcomes – an increase in Irish language usage among the populace in general and, more importantly, intergenerational increases in the number of first language Irish-speakers, as a result of parents who have learned Irish as a second language and who opt to bring their own children up through the medium of Irish. Thus, despite a significant number of people living outside the traditional Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) districts being able to speak Irish to various levels of competence, Irish has not taken hold again as a social and community language in any place outside of the Gaeltacht. Because of this, the future of Irish as a living community language is inextricably linked to the sustainability of Irish-speaking communities in the Gaeltacht regions of the republic of Ireland (RoI).
