Irish

The Irish language, also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language spoken in Ireland, as well as parts of Scotland, the United States, and Canada. Irish is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, and is thus related to Scottish Gaelic and Manx. It is the first official language of Ireland, and is recognised as a minority language in Northern Ireland. The Irish Constitution recognises both English and Irish as the official languages of the Republic of Ireland, and the European Union recognises Irish as a minority language. Irish is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary schools in the Republic of Ireland, and there are a number of Irish-language television and radio stations. The vast majority of Irish speakers in Ireland live in the Gaeltacht, which is an area where the Irish language is the predominant language. The Gaeltacht covers approximately 5% of the country, and is predominantly located in the west of Ireland. Despite its decline in recent years, Irish is still the first language of a significant minority of the population in Ireland, and is an important part of the country's culture and heritage.