113-521: The Iveagh Gardens ( / ˈ aɪ v iː / ; Irish : Gairdíní Uí Eachach ) is a public park located between Clonmel Street and Upper Hatch Street, near the National Concert Hall in Dublin , Ireland. It is a national, as opposed to a municipal park, and designated as a National Historic Property. The gardens are almost completely surrounded by buildings making them less noticeable and
226-547: 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
339-717: 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
452-575: 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
565-558: A construction management system for National Monuments sites. Major works were also completed at Clonmacnoise and the Hill of Tara, and 230 bridges were repaired or replaced. The National Procurement Service continued to operate within the OPW, and the Government appointed its first Chief Procurement Officer. In 2014, visitor numbers to major OPW-managed heritage sites passed 4 million, while
678-478: 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,
791-553: 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
904-460: 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
1017-530: A little hard to find, unlike other green spaces in Dublin. The site of the gardens was shown in 1756 as Leeson's Fields after Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown . In the late 18th century Lord Milltown leased the land to John Hatch, the principal developer of Harcourt and Hatch Streets. Hatch sold it to The 1st Earl of Clonmell (also known as "Copper-Faced Jack") as his private gardens. The gardens then became known as "Clonmell Lawns" Located on Harcourt Street
1130-655: A mass decentralisation programme, in addition to which it completed a new Garda Siochana command centre at Harcourt Square, and a passport production facility in Balbriggan . In 2004–2005, projects included the construction of new staff offices, a restaurant and entrance facilities at Dublin Zoo , and the completion of a multi-year restoration of the Victorian Palm House at the Botanic Gardens and of
1243-487: A new act of parliament in 1842, which expanded the OPW's remit around fisheries considerably, and was followed by further related acts over the following five years, which also added a role in the promotion of deep-sea fishing. The Office of the Postmaster General had responsibility for several hundred miles of road built from the 1820s on by county Grand Juries , mostly in more remote parts of Ireland, while
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#17327918383471356-585: 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
1469-575: 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
1582-530: A public-private partnership, and a major wave of flood risk mamagement studies got underway, including reviews of Cork's River Lee, and Dublin's River Dodder. In 2011, the OPW noted that visitor numbers to its managed properties exceeded 3.5 million, and it managed aspects of the State visits of both Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama . In 2012, the Office set up a central IT system for its libraries, and
1695-625: 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
1808-545: 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
1921-522: Is Clonmell House that faces on to Clonmell Street which leads into the Iveagh Gardens. A subterranean passage brought the Earl from his house to the gardens without him having to walk over the street. The Wide Streets Commission had planned for Clonmell Street to run through what is now the gardens thereby linking Harcourt Street to the then newly constructed Earlsfort Terrace . However, this passage
2034-452: 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
2147-511: 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
2260-634: Is formally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland , though the full title is rarely used, other than in legislation, with Office of Public Works the main working title, even in parliamentary documents and accounts, and Board of Works also used. Legally the Office's powers are vested in its three commissioners, though operationally it has a broader management team. Until the late 17th century, public buildings in Ireland were financed, constructed and maintained by Royal officials, most notably
2373-587: 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
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#17327918383472486-412: 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
2599-666: 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
2712-530: The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland ) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of owned and rented Government offices and police properties, oversees National Monuments and directly manages some heritage properties, and is the lead State engineering agency, with a special focus on flood risk management . It lies within
2825-560: The Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in 2011). From the 1980s, the OPW led work on Dublin Castle, the former College of Science on Merrion Street turned Government Buildings, and the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. The original Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal having failed, and been transferred to the relevant local authorities, the canal and associated waters were transferred back to
2938-596: The Engineer General of the Board of Ordnance , raised some concerns about the potential interference of the new commissioners with his role, and in 1761, responsibility for fortifications was moved from the Barrack Board and Board of Works to the Board of Ordnance . However, in 1762, it was decided to abolish the office of Surveyor General, and this was completed by 1763, with most of its work transferred to
3051-755: The Island of Ireland Peace Park in Mesen , Belgium, and in 2002, projects included civic offices, laboratories, the completion of a new wing at the National Gallery of Ireland , the erection of new exhibitions at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks , and the launch of an online version of the State gazette. In 2003, the OPW was assigned the task of locating and contracting, fitting-out or adapting offices for 10,000 civil servants scheduled to move out from Dublin to various other urban areas in
3164-582: The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform . This authority has largely been delegated to the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, to whom the Office's annual report is submitted. The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform remains responsible to Dáil Éireann for
3277-776: The National Botanic Gardens , the completion of work on Rathfarnham Castle , two projects at the Irish Museum of Modern Art , and the beginning of work to make Farmleigh usable as the State's premium accommodation for visiting dignitaries. The OPW also delivered projects outside Ireland, at the United Nations Plaza in New York, and for Expo 2000 . From 2000, the OPW assumed responsibility for acquisition of sites for both primary and post-primary schools. The OPW had general responsibility for
3390-631: 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 ")
3503-642: The River Boyne and the Tyrone Navigation . In 1839, the Shannon Commission, a body of three officials, was created to take responsibility for the whole Shannon Navigation system, but this body was dissolved already in 1846, and its functions transferred to the Office of Public Works, which was assigned two additional commissioners to take account of the increased workload. The navigation work employed considerable numbers of people during
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3616-536: The Royal Hospital Kilmainham , and the new Smithfield Prison, were also taken in hand, followed in 1845 by the Queen's Colleges at Cork, Galway and Belfast - which later became University College Cork , University College Galway and Queen's University Belfast - and Maynooth College . Management of coast guard and customs facilities was also assumed in 1845, and by 1857 properties concerned with
3729-656: The Surveyor General of Ireland , without any involvement of parliamentary authorities, but in 1700, the Irish Parliament created two bodies, a set of land trustees (the Trustees of Barracks ), and the Commissioners and Overseers of Barracks (informally known as the Barrack Board ) to handle military accommodation, using funds allocated by parliamentary vote. In 1759, the role of the Barrack Board
3842-589: The 'French Formal' and the 'English Landscape' styles. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ), 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
3955-634: 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
4068-789: 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
4181-524: The 19th century, the OPW was further given the power to fund railway construction in congested districts in the western side of Ireland, and it was involved with at least one such project, in County Donegal. The OPW assumed powers over some heritage properties from 1869, with transfers of historic buildings formerly vested in the Church of Ireland taking place over following years. These included
4294-400: 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
4407-403: 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
4520-571: 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
4633-517: The Barrack Board and Board of Works, and the remainder was continued by the staff of the Board of Ordnance, within which a reduced version of the role was created. The office of was created on 15 October 1831 by the Public Works (Ireland) Act 1831 , which provided for a body of three commissioners, with powers to employ staff, pay for works, and make loans to other bodies, accountable quarterly to
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4746-719: The Commissioners and Overseers of Barracks (commonly known as the Barrack(s) Board), and the Directors-General of Inland Navigation (which had taken on the work of the former Fisheries Commissioners). The office also took on functions from other bodies, most specifically concerned with Ireland, including the Postmaster General and the Public Works Loan Commissioners, which continued to operate for several decades alongside
4859-466: The Comptroller and Auditor-General annually. The Commissioners of Public Works published an annual report from 1832 and 1939, halting during The Emergency , as World War II was known in Ireland. The report was resumed by the OPW in 1990, and continues to issue annually, with an electronic archive online holding reports since 2000. The OPW also publishes a range of internal documents, including
4972-578: The Directors of Inland Navigation had also grant-funded the development of hundreds of miles of roads, and all of these were transferred to the Commissioners of Public Works. Inland navigation responsibilities transferred from the Directors General of Inland Navigation were initially focused on the upper River Shannon , including two of its major lakes and estuarine tributary the Maigue , and
5085-563: The Drainage (Ireland) Act, 1842, after which large-scale drainage schemes followed, and extended further after the passage of the Drainage (Ireland) Act of 1846, which enabled the OPW to fully fund works. The Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, codified the work of the OPW in this area, and required the elaboration of a national drainage plan. From 1948 to 1992 works were carried out on more than 30 rivers, protecting 647,050 acres of land. The Commissioners were asked to provide work to help mitigate
5198-471: 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
5311-610: The Great Famine, and over half a million pounds was spent on channel deepening, and the building of piers, embankments and bridges by 1850. Later works included the construction of the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal, and further major developments on the Shannon system from 1880 to 1884, as well as a separate project on the River Suck system. The Office's involvement with drainage began in its early years, and extended with
5424-489: 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
5537-441: The Irish presidency of the EU was hosted at a much lower cost than a decade earlier due to use of OPW-managed office premises and Dublin Castle. The National Procurement Service was moved from the OPW to an independent establishment under the same government department. In 2021 the 300 remaining Dublin staff vacated 52 St Stephen's Green and moved to 1GQ on George's Quay, Dublin 2, bringing to an end to their decades long presence on
5650-545: The OPW can deliver facilities management, and it also manages the overall State estate portfolio. As part of this work, it manages aspects of the Presidential household. The OPW's early work in flood risk management was centred on arterial drainage, working from minor and major rivers, and accounting for 11,500 km of channels. This work continues in the 21st century, with channels maintained in 1- to 20-year cycles, most commonly at 4- to 6-year intervals. As of 2019,
5763-444: The OPW oversaw 434 watercourse monitoring stations, with more than half a million visits to the Office's water level data website. 580 projects had been completed under a scheme for minor flood works, and coastal protection, and 45 flood relief schemes for a total investment of around US$ 400 million. The OPW oversaw aspects of public procurement, including the first centralised national procurement office, with most of these moved to
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#17327918383475876-604: The OPW, but also including the Commissioners of Woods and Forests (a United Kingdom-wide authority). The commissioners were given the power to pay salaries but not to promise or pay pensions. The body was, and sometimes still is, informally known as the Board of Works , from the name of one of the predecessor authorities. The Commissioners of Public Works were given responsibility for administration and recovery of funds provided for public relief works under an act of parliament of 1817, and given powers to extend further loans for construction or improvement of works, so long as there
5989-561: The Office of Government Procurement in 2014. It had a number of fisheries-related functions, later moved to more specialised departments, while its inland navigation functions, concerning major canals and the Shannon and Erne Navigations, were largely transferred to the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht in 1996, and to Waterways Ireland in 1999. The Commissioners comprise a Chairman (as of 2021, Maurice Buckley) and two other commissioners. The OPW's management board, which includes
6102-424: 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 ,
6215-435: The Revenue Commissioners, the Post Office and the National Education Board were also under OPW management. The OPW had responsibility for the building of primary school teacher housing and national school buildings from 1856, and for local dispensaries, and provision of financial help towards housing for the working classes, both urban and farm labouring. Major works were performed concerning other public buildings, including
6328-429: The Treasury in London. The Westminster Parliament took this step partly to better manage a sum of £500,000 which had been made available to deal with poverty caused by the 1831 famine in Ireland, and partly to reduce the cost and complexity arising from the proliferation of public bodies in the area of public works in Ireland. It was formed to assume the functions of the Commissioners for Public Buildings / Board of Works,
6441-577: 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
6554-410: The brand Heritage Ireland . The OPW continued an annual programme of property acquisition by purchase and lease, and disposal, including civil service, police, prison and educational facilities, as well as managing a range of strategic projects. In 2001, the Office funded a major study of the River Tolka for three local authorities, and managed projects on the Irish Colleges in Paris and Rome , and
6667-406: The buildings and grounds from the Dublin Exhibition Palace Company. In 1872, the site was used for an Exhibition of Irish arts and manufactures, however, this was not a success and the gardens reverted to private ownership. The Winter Gardens were sold in 1882 and removed to England. In 1883, Edward Cecil Guinness sold the exhibition buildings to the Commissioners of Public Works to be adapted to house
6780-442: The chairman and commissioners, and heads of divisions - including the State Architect - is the group which directs the activities of the Office, and advises the relevant Minister and Minister of State on policy. The Commissioners of Public Works operate under the mandate of, and are responsible for the exercise of the powers, duties and functions conferred on them by, the Public Works (Ireland) Act 1831 and subsequent legislation, to,
6893-528: The complex of megalithic monuments including Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, now known as Brú na Bóinne , the Grianan of Aileach and Staigue Fort , the stone circles at Moytura, Cong, County Mayo , the Hill of Tara, Navan Fort , Slieve na Calliagh , and, in County Sligo, Queen Meave's Tomb and the Knocknarea passage tomb. In 1892 the OPW was given general powers concerning any "ancient or medieval structure of historic or architectural interest", with further powers granted in 1903 and 1923. Some powers required
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#17327918383477006-424: The consent of land owners, and this was sometimes refused, as by the then Lord Dunsany in 1893, concerning Trim Castle . Up until the early 1920s, the OPW was, as all parts of the Irish Executive, the branch of the British Government in Ireland, an all-Ireland body. After independence, the OPW's reporting line moved from the Treasury to the Department of Finance , where it remained for decades (before moving to
7119-550: The early 1820s, and the road from the village to Dublin city, were transferred from the Commissioners for Woods and Forests in 1836, and other royal harbours, at Ardglass and Donaghadee , were transferred to OPW control in 1838. The Commissioners of Public Works were initially assigned responsibility to collect repayment on loans advanced by the former Irish Fisheries Commissioners, as well as completing any fisheries pier construction projects already underway. A temporary commission sitting from 1834 made recommendations which resulted in
7232-442: The effects of the Great Famine , with four Acts passed for what were called "relief works" at Westminster in 1846, respectively for general public works, county works, building of piers, harbours and fisheries facilities, and drainage projects. These were followed by additional acts to support the issuing of loans to finance further employment, but there were issues with quality control, coordination across districts, and management of
7345-414: 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
7458-485: The erection of the National Museum and National Library , with a budget of 100,000 pounds. The Office was responsible from 1842 for interactions between railways and inland waterways, with the aim to ensure there was no interference with inland navigation passage, or drainage. The OPW was additionally given powers under legislation concerning tram and light rail systems, from 1860, 1861 and 1889, and could advance loans towards construction and maintenance costs. Later in
7571-411: The exercise and performance of any powers and duties delegated to the Minister of State, and the use of certain powers by the Commissioners requires ministerial consent. The staff of the organisation comprise part of the Civil Service of the State . The OPW is a "scheduled Office" under the Public Service Management Act 1997 , which sets out arrangements for the management of Departments and Offices and
7684-430: 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
7797-437: The following months. A small number of staff remained in 52 St Stephen's Green which was part of the former Dublin Headquarters (51 St Stephen's Green). The Backwestern Laboratory project, which cost over 200 million euro was completed, and the sale by the OPW of state property in Ballsbridge yielded over 170 million euro. In 2010, the head office of the OPW move to Trim, while the National Convention Centre in Dublin opened, under
7910-430: The functions of the Office of the Surveyor General in 1762), the Directors-General of Inland Navigation (which had taken on the functions of the Fisheries Commissioners), and some functions of the Postmaster-General, and those of the Public Works Loans Commissioners . In the 21st century, the OPW includes the Government Publications Office, and publishes the State gazette, Iris Oifigiúil , and also manages some aspects of
8023-417: The gardens complex to the Irish state. On 8 June 1937, this request was declined. However, on 4 May 1939 Lord Iveagh wrote to Éamon de Valera offering the Iveagh complex by way of gift to the nation. Lord Iveagh had been concerned as to the future use of the site, and specified in his letter of offer to Éamon de Valera that the Iveagh Gardens remain "unbuilt on", as a "lung" for Dublin. On 17 May 1939 this gift
8136-502: The glass houses on Garinish Island, as well as supporting both the development of the Aviva Stadium and of the new National Sports Campus at Abbotstown, County Dublin. In 2006, it was announced that the OPW's own headquarters would be decentralised to Trim, County Meath, and an internal competition was held for the design of a new headquarters building. The Trim Headquarters officially opened in late 2008 with staff moving in in
8249-418: The household of the president of Ireland . It for many years oversaw aspects of public procurement, including the first centralised national procurement office. Its fisheries functions later moved to more specialised departments, the inland navigation functions were largely transferred to Waterways Ireland in 1999, and many purchasing functions moved to the Office of Government Procurement in 2014. The body
8362-661: The iconic Dublin Georgian square. The OPW operates as a service provider and facilitator of expertise to government departments, offices and other agencies in the areas of: The OPW also: Central functions of the Office include multiple libraries. The OPW is the main provider of services to departments and agencies of the Irish government related to property procurement, construction and fit-out, and management. Specific services related to construction and fit-out include design and architecture, valuation and quantity surveying, project management, and engineering. For ongoing holdings,
8475-807: The intention of " providing a permanent exhibition of Irish arts and manufactures and also reading rooms, flower gardens, and a gas-lit winter garden, for public enjoyment " modeled on the Crystal Palace of Sydenham. He sold the 17-acre site to the company for the price he had paid for it. The site was selected as the location for the Dublin Exhibition Palace and Winter Garden, which was officially opened by H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales , on 9 May 1865. In 1870, Sir Benjamin Lee's sons, Edward Cecil Guinness (later Lord Iveagh ) and Arthur Edward Guinness (later Lord Ardilaun), re-acquired
8588-580: 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 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
8701-716: 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
8814-410: 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
8927-476: 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 ,
9040-546: The large workforces involved. From the Commissioners of Civic Buildings, management of Dublin Castle , the Phoenix Park , and official residences and court buildings was moved to the OPW from its inception, followed by district-level mental asylums in 1834. In 1836 the Treasury Building at Dublin Castle was converted as a base for the newly formed Royal Irish Constabulary and placed in OPW care, and in 1842
9153-562: The majority of heritage sites within the Republic of Ireland prior to 1996. In 1996 the management of most of these sites was transferred to a new agency, Dúchas , branded as Dúchas: The Heritage Service , within another department of government. Dúchas, which also included the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), adopted a stylised version of the traditional OPW logo, with the OPW changing its logo to match its new focus on its buildings and maintenance functions. In 2003 Dúchas
9266-582: 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
9379-535: The modern OPW and reworked as the Shannon–Erne Waterway between 1990 and 1994, when it reopened on time and within budget. Between 1998 and 2000, the OPW managed the development of a new office complex for Leinster House , with offices for more than 100 members and staff of the Oireachtas and new committee and party leader rooms. 2000 also saw the delivery of a new visitor and educational building for
9492-804: 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
9605-555: The new Royal University , and the gardens remained the property of the Guinness family. The buildings were further adapted after the creation of University College Dublin (UCD), in 1908 and in 1918, the present façade to Earlsfort Terrace was erected to the designs of Rudolph Maximilian Butler. Éamon de Valera , who was then both Taoiseach and also chancellor of University College Dublin , initiated inquiries with The 2nd Earl of Iveagh as to whether he would sell Iveagh House and
9718-469: 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
9831-655: 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
9944-503: 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
10057-557: 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
10170-527: The public in 1992. The waterfall or cascade was allocated IR£200,000 in 1996 for its restoration. In 2003, a new entrance was added to the Gardens from Upper Hatch Street. On 9 December 2020, the Memorial to Human Rights Defenders was inaugurated by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D. The gardens in their present form were designed by Ninian Niven , in 1865, as an intermediate design between
10283-492: 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 )
10396-576: The remains of major monastic settlements, such as Glendalough , the Rock of Cashel , Clonmacnoise and Monasterboice , as well as later monasteries, abbeys and friaries, some cathedrals, round towers, high crosses and monks' cells; also transferred were some ogham stones. Eighteen additional properties were assigned to the care of the OPW in 1882, under the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 , including stone forts such as
10509-433: The remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform , with functions largely delegated to a Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for the Office. The OPW has a central role in driving the Government's property asset management reform process, both in respect of its own portfolio and that of
10622-488: 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
10735-647: 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
10848-551: The specification of individual responsibilities and accountability at a senior level. The Chairman of the Commissioners is the administrative Head of the OPW and is also the Accounting Officer for the OPW. The OPW is the subject of a specific Vote of the Oireachtas for annual funding, currently Vote 13 , and receives also funding from client departments, offices and agencies - the resulting accounts are submitted to
10961-448: The university buildings, consideration was given in 1961 to building on the Iveagh Gardens. However, this did not occur and the university moved instead to Belfield, thereby saving the gardens. In 1991 the gardens were placed under the management of The Office of Public Works . The OPW brief was under six distinct headings: A major restoration of the gardens to return them to their original state commenced in 1992 and they opened again to
11074-726: 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
11187-469: The wider public service. The agency was initially known as Board of Works , a title inherited from a preceding body, and this term is still sometimes encountered. The second oldest State agency in Ireland, the OPW subsumed the functions of the Commissioners and Overseers of Barracks (the Barrack Board) and the Board of Works / Civil Buildings Commissioners (which two agencies had in turn taken on
11300-594: 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
11413-465: 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 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
11526-479: Was accepted by the Government and Éamon de Valera wrote to Rupert, Lord Iveagh. In 1941, the Gardens were re-united with the college buildings of Earlsfort Terrace. However, there is, as of 2020, no public access to the former college buildings which are now buildings of the National Concert Hall and the planned children's science museum, Experimentation Station. With the growth of student numbers at
11639-531: 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
11752-609: 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
11865-584: 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. Office of Public Works The Office of Public Works ( OPW ) ( Irish : Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí ) (legally
11978-414: Was extended to include fortresses and other public buildings, and its name became the Barrack Board and Board of Works . The body of seven salaried commissioners were made responsible for forts, palaces and other public buildings, including Dublin Castle , specifically covering their furnishing and maintenance. The Surveyor General of the time, who was also, as had been the convention for at least decades,
12091-615: Was from the south side of St Stephen's Green, the "Royal Horse Bazaar". The Coburg Gardens provided the setting for a major riot in August 1835, during which several Orangemen were badly injured. By 1860 the gardens had fallen into disrepair being used as a site for grazing sheep and dumping waste. In 1862, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness co-founded the Dublin Exhibition Palace and Winter Garden Company (Limited) , with
12204-450: Was not located during archaeological monitoring conducted during the construction of the LUAS . When the 1st Earl died in 1798, his son the 2nd Earl (then aged 14 years old) inherited the estate including Clonmell Gardens. The estate was sold in 1810 and the gardens were opened for public use around 1817 and renamed "Coburg Gardens" after the royal family of Saxe-Coburg . Entrance to the park
12317-474: 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
12430-479: Was some income from which to repay these loans, and to a cap of half a million pounds outstanding at any one time. Power to make outright grants, of up to 50,000 pounds, was also given. By 1845, the OPW had already disbursed more than a million pounds in loans and grants. Already from 1831, the OPW was made responsible for the completion of the part-built Kingstown Harbour (the town having been recently renamed), and Dunmore Harbour . Howth Harbour, as completed in
12543-693: 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
12656-442: 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,
12769-579: Was wound up and some of its functions are now operated by a standalone National Parks and Wildlife Service , and some by the National Monuments Service (NMS) at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage , while functions not transferred to the NPWS or the NMS reverted to being OPW responsibilities, which mainly relate to built heritage sites; these functions are operated under
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