Gealtacht suburbia on the cards

As the 50th anniversary of Peig Sayers is being marked, mini Gaeltacht suburbs are being considered in cities to help boost the language in the 21st Century.

Gaeltacht Minister Eamon O Cuiv said the native tongue must be encouraged to develop organically within communities in urban areas in the same way that Polish, Chinese and other immigrants promote their own language and customs.

The TD believes that future Gaeltacht areas should not just be based in sparsely populated areas in West Cork, Connemara or the Aran Islands. "There's no reason why we can't have bustling Gaeltacht areas in any part of Dublin, Cork, Galway or Limerick," Mr O Cuiv said.