What is Gaeltacht?
[[File:Gaeltachtai le hainmneacha2.svg|thumb|right|The regions in Ireland where most people speak Gaelic as their first language are marked in green.]] [[File:Geill sli.jpg|thumb|right|this sign reads ''Give way'' (or ''yield''). It is in [[County Waterford]], in Ireland]] '''Gaeltacht''' areas are regions where many or most of the people speak the [[Irish language]]. They are in the [[Republic of Ireland]]. The largest Gaeltacht areas are in the counties of [[County Kerry|Kerry]], [[County Cork|Cork]], [[County Galway|Galway]], [[County Mayo|Mayo]], [[County Donegal|Donegal]], [[County Waterford|Waterford]] and [[County Meath|Meath]]. At the time of the 2006 census of the Republic of Ireland, the population of the Gaeltacht was 91,862,<ref>[http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/Final%20Principal%20Demographic%20Results%202006.pdf Census 2006] Principal Demographic Results; Table 33</ref> about 2.1% of the state's 4,239,848 people. The main concentrations of Irish speakers are in the western counties of [[County Donegal|Donegal]], [[County Mayo|Mayo]], [[County Galway|Galway]], [[County Kerry|Kerry]], and [[County Cork|Cork]].<ref>[http://www.udaras.ie/index.php/corporate_menu/an_ghaeltacht/gaeltacht_maps/ireland/4944 Map of An Ghaeltacht] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602074230/http://www.udaras.ie/index.php/corporate_menu/an_ghaeltacht/gaeltacht_maps/ireland/4944 |date=2011-06-02 }}, Údarás na Gaeltachta</ref> But in Gaeltacht electoral districts the percentage of Irish speakers is much higher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/20YearStrategyfortheIrishLanguage/Publications/Report%20of%20Coimisi%C3%BAn%20na%20Gaeltachta.pdf|title=Report of the Gaeltacht Commission|date=2002|accessdate=2012-08-21}}</ref> == References == {{Reflist}} {{Europe-stub}} [[Category:Gaeltacht| ]]