County Donegal

talk

As with the rest of the Republic of Ireland, Irish/Gaeilge is the official first language, and is used as such by many in the north and west of the county, unlike most of the rest of the island. Donegal is home to the largest Gaeltacht area in Ireland. However, a thick accented English is spoken fluently by the entire native population.

The form of Irish spoken in the area is noticeably different to that in the rest of the country, although it is an accepted dialect, and is used on the Irish language television and radio services.

Locals refer to Donegal as part of "the South", distinguishing it from "the North" i.e. Northern Ireland, even though it is geographically north in relation to the rest of the island. This is because it is indeed politically part of "Southern Ireland" i.e. the Republic of Ireland, even though it only shares a few miles of its county border with "the South"!