The Irish language didn’t always exist so freely, however. It was commonly spoken across the country until the Irish Potato Famine. After the famine, Gaelic began to disappear even as it was introduced into schools. Fortunately it didn’t disappear, and slowly it has been revived. Irish is now more widely read, spoken, and understood today than ever before.
By keeping their language alive, the Irish demonstrated how determined they are to keep their heritage alive as well. Gaelic has proven to be a strong factor in the Irish consciousness. This isn’t to say the Irish haven’t been impacted by anyone else’s culture. While not as divided as its northern neighbor, Ireland has still been affected by the relationship between its Celtic traditions and the British, resulting in a distinctive culture. This culture is held together by one key element: language.
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland may never be physically united, and there may always be tension between the Protestants and Catholics, but cross-culturally, language has held true. Even the Irish Gaelic language has ties to the Scottish Gaelic spoken by some Scots in Northern Ireland. The Gaelic language has endured for centuries and is continuing to grow, connecting any Irishman or woman despite differences and borders.
My time in Ireland showed me a people who were friendly, loved to have a good time, and were extremely proud of their heritage. The Irish I met spoke their language freely and openly, expressing their wishes for their fellow people in the north to do the same. It reinforced, in my mind, the idea that language ties every culture together, whether it’s because of a shared word, dialect, tradition, or idea. There are common grounds for every culture, established upon the foundations of language.
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