Clifden’s Irish Language Plan connects our town with the wider Gaeltacht
Supporting Irish. Supporting Community. Supporting Connemara.
About the Irish Language Plan
Welcome to the Irish Language Plan for Clifden. This plan belongs to the community. It was developed to support and strengthen the Irish language in Clifden and to recognise the important role the town plays in the wider Connemara Gaeltacht area.Clifden was officially recognised as a Gaeltacht Service Town in 2022. This means that the town has a special responsibility and opportunity to support Irish-speaking communities in nearby Gaeltacht areas while also growing the language within the town itself.
Looking for ways to get involved? Use the Events and Classes and News and Photos buttons below to find upcoming activities, community updates, and opportunities to support Irish in Clifden.
What is the Irish Language Plan
The Irish Language Plan is a practical roadmap for how Irish can thrive in Clifden over the coming years. It was prepared following research, public meetings, surveys and consultation with community groups, businesses, schools and local organisations.
The vision of the plan is simple: to increase the number of people using Irish as a language of everyday communication and to make Irish more visible and active in public life.
The plan recognises that language revival begins in the home and in the community. It focuses on creating real opportunities for people to use Irish naturally, in families, schools, youth activities, business, tourism, sport and social life.
It includes 35 measures that support:
- Families and early years services
- Young people
- Education
- Adult learners and fluent speakers
- Businesses and tourism
- Community groups and local organisations
- Greater visibility of Irish in the town
The plan is implemented by a Language Planning Officer working with the Steering Committee of Plean Teanga an Chlocháin and with partners across the community.
Area Covered by the Plan
The plan covers Clifden (An Clochán) as a designated Gaeltacht Service Town.
Clifden serves communities across a wide geographical area, that includes several recognised Gaeltachta Language Planning areas in Connemara and beyond. There are particularly strong social, educational and economic links with Conamara Láir.
People from surrounding Gaeltacht communities come to Clifden for school, work, shopping, healthcare, sport, culture and social life. Because of this, the town plays an important role in supporting the wider Irish-speaking community.
A map of the area covered by the plan can be viewed here.
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A Gaeltacht Service Town is a town that supports Irish-speaking communities in nearby Gaeltacht areas.
Under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, towns can apply for this recognition if they:
• Are located in or near a Gaeltacht area
• Have a population of at least 1,000 people
• Provide key services to people living in surrounding Gaeltacht communities
• Commit to developing and implementing an Irish Language PlanClifden received this recognition because it is a key service centre for the several Gaeltacht communities in the wider Connemara area. It provides schools, businesses, tourism services, employment, social spaces, sport and cultural activities that are used daily by people from Irish-speaking areas.
FORUM Connemara, working closely with the local community, developed a comprehensive Irish Language Plan that set out measures to support and promote the use of Irish throughout the town's public, social, and economic life.
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Description Clifden supports:
• Irish-speaking families living in nearby Gaeltacht areas
• Young people who travel into town for school and activities
• Businesses and tourism providers who serve Gaeltacht communities
• Community organisations working across the region
• Irish learners and fluent speakers living in and around the town -
As a Gaeltacht Service Town, Clifden works to:
• Increase the availability of services through Irish
• Encourage businesses and tourism providers to use Irish
• Create events and activities where Irish is spoken naturally
• Support people in the area in maintaining and developing their Irish
• Strengthen links between the town and surrounding Gaeltacht areas
• Make Irish more visible in signage, branding and public lifeThis status recognises that the future of the Irish language depends not only on rural Gaeltacht areas but also on towns that act as hubs of daily life. Clifden is one of those hubs.
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Item descriptionThe plan has several clear aims:
To increase daily use of Irish in the town
To strengthen the use of Irish within families.
To create more opportunities for people to speak Irish socially
To build strong links between Clifden and neighbouring Gaeltacht areas
To enhance the visibility and everyday use of Irish language in business, tourism, and public life
Who We Help and How We Help
The plan supports the whole community.
Community Organisations
Partnerships with sports clubs, arts groups, festivals and local organisations to integrate Irish into their activities.
Business and Tourism
Bilingual campaigns, Irish language training for staff and workshops to help businesses use Irish confidently and effectively.
Adult Learners and Speakers
Irish classes, conversation circles, social gatherings and Pop-Up Gaeltacht events.
Family
Support for parents and young children, including early years initiatives and family events through Irish.
Young People
Irish-language events, summer camps, leadership programmes, drama competitions, youth clubs and Gaeltacht scholarships.
Education
Support for the development of Irish-medium provision, research into future needs and collaboration between educators.
Get Involved
This plan belongs to the community. Its success depends on participation.
If you are a parent, young person, business owner, community member or Irish learner, there is a place for you in this plan.
To get involved, contact us or use the buttons below to discover upcoming events and classes, catch up on community news and photos, and learn how you can support the development of Irish in Clifden.
Together, we can ensure that Irish remains a living, visible and vibrant part of daily life in Clifden and across the wider Connemara community
