Triumph For The Irish Tongue - Bastion of the Irish Language on the Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle Peninsula (Corca Duibhne) will be the home of the Irish Language and Gaeltachta Development Centre.  The Centre is sponsored by a partnership between the the Irish Government's "Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht" along with the "Gaeltacht Authority" (Udaras na Gaeltachta). The Centre is under construction in Ballyferriter (Baile an Fheirearaigh) on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Gaeltachta. The Irish Independent report; "When complete, the new building will include new offices for the Community Development Association, a family support Centre and a Day Care Centre." 

Dinny McGinley, Minister for the Gaeltacht, is quoted by Gaelport.com: "The family support services available from this Centre are necessary to give the Dingle Peninsula full support as an Irish Speaking area. This development is a practical example of the implementation of the "20 Year Strategy" for the Irish Language, and the initative will be central to the language planning process for the Dingle Peninsula."  

The Gaeltach of Ireland (Irish Speaking Areas) is defined by the website of the Udaras na Gaeltachta (Gaeltacht Auhority) as follows: "The Gaeltachta covers extensive parts of counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry which are all along the western seaboard, and also parts of counties Cork, Meath and Waterford.  There are also six populated off-shore Islands.  The total population of the Gaeltacht according to 2011 census data is 101,000. Around 16,00 Irish Speakers reside within the expanding suburbs of Galway City."

The Government's "20 Year Strategy" for the Irish Language is defined as follows on the Ministry's web page:

Objectives

The specific objectives of the Strategy are to:
• increase the number of people who speak Irish on a daily basis outside the education system from 83,000 to 250,000;
• increase by 25% the number of people who speak Irish on a daily basis in the Gaeltacht; and
• increase the number of people who use State services through Irish and who can access television, radio and print media through the language.

http://www.udaras.ie/en/an-ghaeilge-an-ghaeltacht/an-ghaeltacht

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/jobs-for-40-builders-at-gaeltacht-site-29617028.html

http://www.gaelport.com/default.aspx?treeid=37&NewsItemID=10269