Gaeltacht

Gaeltacht or Gaedhealtacht (/ˈɡeɪltəxt/; Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡeːl̪ˠt̪ˠəxt̪ˠ] or [ˈɡeːl̪ˠhəxt̪ˠ]; plural Gaeltachtaí or Gaedhealtachtaí ) is an Irish-language word used to denote any primarily Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the term Gaeltacht refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The boundaries of the Gaeltacht have always included a high percentage of resident English speakers.

The Gaeltacht districts were first officially recognised during the 1920s in the early years of the Irish Free State, following the Gaelic Revival, as part of a government policy aimed at restoring the Irish language.

It is now recognised that the Gaeltacht is threatened by serious language decline. Research published in 2015 showed that of the 155 electoral divisions in the Gaeltacht, only 21 are communities where Irish is spoken on a daily basis by 67% or more of the population. 67% is regarded by some academics as a tipping point for language survival.