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The Republic of Ireland is a bilingual nation, where both English and Irish Gaelic are listed as official languages. In most places, English is dominant, but in the Gaelic speaking regions (see map below) all signs are printed in Gaelic only, and the language is common in conversation. Even in the rest of the country, Gaelic place names (and song titles) are common.
This presents unique challenges for the English speaking tourist. Would you know what to make of a sign like this? Could you pronounce the words to ask for directions?
Gaelic speaking regions of Ireland
from irishgaelictranslator.com
This site provides a very basic introduction to Irish pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. The information included comes from several different websites that sometimes contradict one another. I've tried to reconcile, condense and simplify, so none of the results should be taken as complete and authoritative.
All the websites I used in creating this site are listed in the resource page. Many include sound files so that you can hear the words and sounds being spoken. Make use of them and go to Ireland ready to continue to learn - there is no substitute for actually listening to the language.