Irish
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A language of Ireland
1,171,000 in Ireland, all users. L1 users: 141,000 in Ireland (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 1,030,000 (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 1,200,300 (as L1: 170,300; as L2: 1,030,000).
Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, part of Mayo, Meath, and Waterford counties. Western isles northwest and southwest coasts.
6b (Threatened). Statutory language of national identity (1937, Constitution, Article 8(1)).
Munster-Leinster (Southern Irish), Connacht (Western Irish), Donegal (Northern Irish, Ulster).
VSO; prepositions; noun head initial; gender (masculine/feminine); definite article; case-marking (3 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; tense and aspect; comparatives; 32 consonants, 11 vowels, 4 diphthongs; non-tonal; stress on first syllable; initial consonant mutation.
Some young people, all adults. A number of children learn the language but the number is decreasing (Salminen 2007). Also use English [eng] (Salminen 2007).
Taught as an official language in schools and encouraged by the government.