ABSTRACT
It is at first sight odd but nevertheless understandable that locating the last outposts of native and habitual use of Irish as the first language of area-defined communities is exceedingly difficult. This results in part from the degree of success achieved by the teaching and use of Irish in the schools, which have spread a moderate knowledge of the language to far more than are ever inclined to make use of it and which therefore confuse all data concerning the speaking of Irish. It also results from benevolent state policies in support of the language, for a wide range of grants now make it financially rewarding to exaggerate the degree of use of Irish both individually within families and in whole communities where unannounced observation shows it to be disused or very little used.
