79-566: Donegal ( / ˌ d ʌ n i ˈ ɡ ɔː l , ˌ d ɒ n -/ DUN -ee- GAWL , DON - ; Irish : Dún na nGall [ˈd̪ˠuːnˠ n̪ˠə ˈŋal̪ˠ] , "fort of the foreigners") is a town in County Donegal in Ulster , the northern province in Ireland. Although Donegal gave its name to the county, now Lifford is the county town . From the 15th until the early 17th century, Donegal was
158-547: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
237-717: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
316-575: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
395-478: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
474-553: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
553-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
632-568: A member of the Irish Parliament for Donegal Borough and was one of the original sixteen Knights of the Order of St Patrick . Lord Arran had sixteen children, and one of his daughters was Cecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness , second wife of the Duke of Sussex, son of King George III. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Earl. He represented Baltimore and County Donegal in
711-585: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
790-575: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
869-470: A pivotal role in Irish history. Their original homeland lay further to the north in the area of Kilmacrennan . From the 15th to the 17th century, they were an important part of the opposition to the colonisation of Ireland by England. The town itself contains Donegal Castle , on the banks of the River Eske , and the remains of Donegal Abbey , a Franciscan abbey which dates back to the 15th century on
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#1732771788814948-625: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1027-492: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
1106-508: A stop in Donegal. Private bus operator, Feda O'Donnell Coaches (also known as Bus Feda), operates 2 Donegal/Galway routes: a regular from Crolly to Galway via Letterkenny and Donegal, and a Monday/Sunday service from Glenties to Galway that stops in Donegal. Bus Feda has also operates 2 services to Limerick via Letterkenny and Donegal, with stops in Sligo, Knock and Tuam . On Fridays during
1185-545: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
1264-603: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
1343-755: Is a title in the Peerage of Ireland . It is not to be confused with the title Earl of Arran in the Peerage of Scotland . The two titles refer to different places: the Aran Islands in Ireland, and the Isle of Arran in Scotland. The Irish earldom is held by the Gore family. The Scottish earldom is a separate title, held as a subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton . The first Irish creation came in 1662 when Lord Richard Butler, younger son of The 1st Duke of Ormond ,
1422-452: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
1501-539: Is based in Letterkenny , can also be received in the town. Historical Modern Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is " Cfb " (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate ). Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
1580-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
1659-481: Is home to many amateur sports clubs. The most popular sport in the area is Gaelic football and the local GAA club is Four Masters . The club also has been developing hurling . Other popular sports include association football , rugby union , basketball and track and field . Donegal Town was host to the final stage of the World Rally Championship on 1 February 2009. The town is home to
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#17327717888141738-587: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
1817-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
1896-666: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
1975-590: The Baronetage of Ireland in 1662 for Major Arthur Gore , who represented County Mayo in the Irish House of Commons . He was the second son of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg . He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baron. He sat as Member of the Irish Parliament for Donegal Borough and County Mayo. On his death the title passed to his son, the aforementioned third Baronet, who
2054-703: The British House of Commons . He was childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the fourth Earl. He was the son of Colonel the Hon. William John Gore. Lord Arran was a diplomat. His son, the fifth Earl, was also in the Diplomatic Service. In 1884 he was created Baron Sudley , of Castle Gore in the County of Mayo, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom . This peerage gave the earls an automatic seat in
2133-529: The Four Masters in the centre of the Diamond. There is archaeological evidence for settlements around the town dating to prehistoric times , including the remains of ringforts and other defensive earthworks. Donegal Town itself is famous for being the former centre of government of the O'Donnell dynasty, the great Gaelic royal family who ruled Tyrconnell in west Ulster for centuries and who played
2212-631: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
2291-1800: The University of Notre Dame and the White House . On 1 December 2016, National Geographic Traveller named Donegal as the number 1 coolest destination of 2017. According to Pat Riddell, editor of the UK magazine, "It's a warm-hearted place, but wilderness always feels just a stone's throw away. And it is wilderness . . . world-class wilderness. We think it's due a big year." The Bus Éireann service number 64 Derry / Galway route: this makes several other stops including Letterkenny and Sligo (which allows for rail connections by Iarnród Éireann , from Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo to Dublin Connolly railway station ). This route also allows for rail connections from Waterside Railway Station in Derry to Belfast Grand Central , via Coleraine . The number 30 Donegal Town/ Dublin route which makes stops at other key towns such as Enniskillen (which provides connections to Belfast via Ulsterbus ). The number 490 Glencolmcille /Donegal route which makes stops in Carrick, Kilcar , Killybegs and Mountcharles . The number 492 Dungloe/Donegal route connects Dungloe to Donegal, with stops in Glenties , Ardara and Killybegs. The other public bus service, TFI Local Link , provides numerous routes for Donegal, including Route 292 to Ballyshannon , Route 293 to Glencolmcille and Route 994 to Portnoo. Route 264 from Ballyshannon to Letterkenny also has
2370-411: The earldom of Temple of Stowe . Also, Sir Booth Gore, 1st Baronet, of Artarman, was a descendant of Sir Francis Gore, fourth son of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg. The family seat is Castle Hill House , near Filleigh , North Devon . The heir presumptive to the earldom is the present holder's third cousin once removed William Henry Gore (b. 1950) The heir presumptive's heir apparent
2449-671: The "capital" of Tyrconnell , a Gaelic kingdom controlled by the O'Donnell dynasty of the Northern Uí Néill . The town is in a civil parish of the same name. Donegal is in South Donegal and is located at the mouth of the River Eske and Donegal Bay , which is overshadowed by the Blue Stack Mountains ("the Croaghs"). The Drumenny Burn , which flows along the eastern edge of Donegal Town, flows into
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2528-634: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
2607-725: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
2686-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
2765-571: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
2844-471: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
2923-546: The House of Lords. His son, the sixth Earl, was a soldier and also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal . At his death in December 1958, he was succeeded by his elder son, the seventh earl, who died only nine days after his father and was succeeded by his younger brother, the eighth earl. In 1967, the eighth earl was a sponsor of the private member's bill which decriminalised homosexuality in England and Wales . As of 2016
3002-549: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
3081-620: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
3160-688: The River Eske on the north-eastern edge of the town, between the Community Hospital and The Northern Garage. The Ballybofey Road (the R267 ) crosses the Drumenny Burn near where it flows into the River Eske. The town is bypassed by the N15 and N56 roads . The centre of the town, known as The Diamond , is a hub for music, poetic and cultural gatherings in the area. There is a memorial to
3239-519: The Rt. Rev. Charles Gore (1853–1932), Bishop of Oxford . Spencer William was also a founding partner of the surveying firm Smiths Gore . His younger son, the noted Post-Impressionist artist Spencer Frederick Gore (1878–1914), was the first president of the Camden Town Group and the father of painter Frederick Gore . John Gore, 1st Baron Annaly , and Henry Gore, 1st Baron Annaly , were
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3318-876: The Southern shore of the Bay. The Annals of the Four Masters may have been partially written in the old abbey in the 1630s. The story of Hugh Roe O'Donnell , Lord of Tyrconnell , was the inspiration behind many books and films, not least, Disney's The Fighting Prince of Donegal . In 1601 the Siege of Donegal took place during the Nine Years' War . After the Flight of the Earls from near Rathmullan in September 1607,
3397-746: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
3476-405: The castle and its lands were seized by the English Crown and given to an Englishman, Captain Basil Brooke, as part of the Plantation of Ulster . Captain (later Sir ) Basil Brooke (ancestor of the Viscounts Brookeborough ) was granted the castle around 1611 and he proceeded to carry out major reconstruction work and added a wing to the castle in the Jacobean style . The current plan of the town
3555-440: The college term it has a regular service to Limerick City , and on Sundays during term it also has stops at University of Limerick , TUS Limerick Moylish Campus and Mary Immaculate College . Donegal railway station opened on 16 September 1889 and finally closed on 1 January 1960. The site of the old station is now used by CIÉ as a bus depot while the actual building is the home of the Donegal Railway Centre . Donegal town
3634-664: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
3713-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
3792-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
3871-498: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
3950-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
4029-425: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
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#17327717888144108-445: The lower house of the Parliament of Ireland , until the Acts of Union 1800 came into force in January 1801. Evidence of the Great Famine still exists, including a workhouse , whose buildings are now part of the local hospital, and many famine graves. Donegal Castle was the stronghold of the O'Donnells. It has been restored by the Office of Public Works . Dedicated to Saint Patrick and "the Four Masters" , this Catholic church
4187-399: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
4266-497: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
4345-409: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
4424-522: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
4503-448: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
4582-415: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
4661-455: The regional newspapers Donegal Democrat and Donegal Post , and previously the local Donegal Times newspaper. The Northwest Express regional newspaper is also distributed throughout the town and surrounding county, as is The Derry Journal . Ocean FM , an independent local radio station from Collooney in County Sligo , has one of its three studios in the town, which broadcasts to most of south County Donegal. Highland Radio , which
4740-436: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
4819-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
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#17327717888144898-452: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
4977-496: The size of the workforce has been in decline for many years. Some of the clothing manufacturers have survived by focusing on one particular item of clothing. For example, tailor David Hanna, who started making suits for the locals in 1924, switched to making only hats in 1964 and is now shipping them all over the world. Donegal also has a long tradition of weaving carpets. Donegal Carpets have been made in Killybegs for over one hundred years and have been found in Áras an Uachtaráin ,
5056-422: The sons of George Gore, second son of Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet. The latter's third son William Gore was the ancestor of the Barons Harlech (the present holder of this title is also in remainder to the baronetcy of Newtown). Sir John Gore, brother of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg, was Lord Mayor of London in 1624 and is the ancestor of the branch of the family which later inherited through marriage
5135-403: The titles are held by his son, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1983. Lord Arran is a Conservative politician and one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 . He is also in remainder to the Gore Baronetcy of Magherabegg (see below). The Baronetcy , of Newtown in the County of Mayo, was created in
5214-536: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
5293-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
5372-601: Was added in 1890. The chancel of 1890 was designed by the office of J. Guy Ferguson in Derry and built in a neo-Gothic style by James McClean builders from Strabane . There are many sandy beaches in the area of Donegal, such as Murvagh beach, and some boasting good surfing conditions, such as Rossnowlagh . Donegal is also used as a base for hill-walking in the nearby Blue Stack Mountains . The town has many hotels catering for visitors, and nearby towns such as Letterkenny offer public swimming pools, cinemas and large shopping centres. Like most clothing manufacturers in Ireland,
5451-414: Was also laid out by Brooke, including an attractive town square known as The Diamond . From the late 17th until the early 20th centuries, Donegal Town formed part of the vast estates of the Gore family (from 1762 Earls of Arran in the Peerage of Ireland ) and it was during their ownership that the town took on its present appearance. Donegal Borough returned two members to the Irish House of Commons ,
5530-431: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
5609-432: Was built in the early 1930s and was completed in 1935. Known locally as "the Chapel" or "the Town Chapel", it was designed by Ralph Byrne, the famous Dublin architect, in a mixed neo-Irish Romanesque and neo-Gothic style. This Church of Ireland church was built in a simple Gothic style mainly in the late 1820s and was completed in 1828. The main church appears to have been designed by a Mr Graham of Donegal Town. A chancel
5688-451: Was created Baron Butler of Cloughgrenan , Viscount Tullough and Earl of Arran . However, the titles became extinct on his death in 1686 as he left no heirs. The next creation came in 1693 for his nephew Charles Butler (who was also created Baron Butler of Cloughgrenan and Viscount Tullough). These titles became extinct on his death in 1758. The final creation in the Peerage of Ireland came in 1762, when Sir Arthur Gore, 3rd Baronet ,
5767-514: Was created Earl of Arran , of the Aran Islands in the County of Galway . He had previously represented Donegal Borough in the Irish House of Commons and had already been created Viscount Sudley , of Castle Gore in the County of Mayo , in 1758, and Baron Saunders , of Deeps in the County of Wexford , in 1758, in the Peerage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He sat as
5846-668: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
5925-512: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Earl of Arran (Ireland) Earl of Arran
6004-420: Was later elevated to the peerage. Several other members of the Gore family have also gained distinction. Hon. Charles Alexander Gore (1811–1897), the youngest brother of the fourth earl, was the father of barrister Sir Francis Charles Gore (1846–1940); Spencer William Gore (1850–1906), a noted cricketer and tennis player who won the first Wimbledon tournament in 1877; and the distinguished Anglican theologian
6083-474: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
6162-637: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
6241-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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