Irish in public spaces
Irish in public spaces
The linguistic identity of Irish people is something which has changed dramatically in the last 150 years or so. Essentially, this is the result of the language shift which took place in the nineteenth century which led to the vast majority of Irish people becoming English speakers. This meant that the expression of Irish linguistic identity - the Irish language - lost that function, this now being carried out by English, albeit byspecifically Irish varieties of that language. Despite the English native-speaker status of over 99% of the present-day Irish heritage population, the presence of Irish looms large, in the consciousness of Irish people and also in public spaces in present-day Ireland.
The attitude of the Irish to their former native language is complex and reflected in the manner in which it is displayed in public in the Republic of Ireland with and interplay of elements of Irish English and Irish in public spaces. Here one can see how language elements have become enregistered, i.e. have undergone a process in which linguistic features, which were hitherto unnoticed or non-salient, come to be associated with a place or region or register and to be seen as typical of its language/variety through a specific discourse referring to these features. Here one can see how language attitudes are projected into public spaces in contemporary Ireland.
What is “correct” Irish?
Sign used during road construction. “Correct” form: Fan anseo ar dhearg ‘wait here on read’ (lenition required after ar)
Retro advertisement for Guinness. “Correct” form: Deoch an fhuinnimh (genitive case) ‘drink of energy’
Sign seen at Dublin airport (now removed, April 2026). “Correct” form: Don fhoireann amháin (foireann is lenited after don; amháin is written with one final n) ‘For the staff only’
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Irish in the public domain
What is “correct” Irish?
Irish literary coffee shop in Dingle
Some pub and shop names, using Irish words, often with an older Irish font
An gleann fada ‘The long valley’
An siopa deas ‘The nice shop’
Ceol agus craic ‘music and craic’ (social enjoyment), an alliterating pair of words in Irish.
An spailpín fánach ‘The wandering farm labourer’
