Ireland is known for its gorgeous landscapes of lush vegetation, rich cultural heritage and legendary myths It is the third largest island in Europe and has a population of 6.2 million people. Ireland has had a significant influence on culture throughout the world. This island boast a strong indigenous heritage that is expressed through native sports like Hurling and Rugby, but also through its unique and dynamic language Gaeltacht.

Sadly, the Irish language today is spoken by very few natives. In fact the language is so rarely spoken by native Irishman that it is on its way to becoming extinct within two generations, some scholars fear it could be sooner. The Irish language will only exist through English speakers who have learned Irish as a second language and have mastered fluency.

Irishlanguage.net reports the dangers of the Irish language being lost to its native people. “Gaeltachtaí embody more than just a language, but the cultural context in which it is spoken, through song, stories, social traditions, folklore and dance.” “The death of the Gaeltachtaí would make a break forever between Ireland’s cultural past and identity, and its future.”

A lot of what we do here at Pimsleur is dedicated to saving indigenous languages. The importance of culture and preserving a people is so vital to our world. We invite you to sample the first lesson of our Irish program free. After-wards leave a comment letting us know your thoughts about the blog and the sample Irish lesson. We would love to hear from you!