Publication
Gaeltacht Service Towns
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
On foot of a consultation process conducted over the summer of 2014, the following towns have been selected as possible Gaeltacht Service Towns – conditional on language plans being agreed with the communities of the various towns in accordance with the prescribed language planning criteria under Acht na Gaeltachta 2012.
| County | Town |
| Donegal | Letterkenny, An Clochán Liath and Donegal Town |
| Mayo | Béal an Mhuirthead, Castlebar and Ballinrobe |
| Galway | Galway City and Clifden |
| Kerry | Daingean Uí Chúis, Tralee and Cahersiveen |
| Cork | Cork City and Macroom |
| Waterford | Dungarvan |
| Meath | Athboy and Navan |
8 plans have been approved and Orders have been signed in relation to 7 of them.
See copy of the notices here:
| Dingle |
| Letterkenny |
| Galway City |
| An Chlochán Liath |
| Tralee |
|---|
| Dungarvan |
| Castlebar |
| Cahersiveen |
The Gaeltacht has a significant cultural and economic impact on the towns which serve it. Similarly, those towns have a significant impact on the Gaeltacht itself. Under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, Gaeltacht Service Towns are defined as those towns situated in or adjacent to Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas and which have a significant role in providing public services, recreational, social and commercial facilities for those areas. 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas have been recognised for the purposes of the Act.
With regard to the Gaeltacht Service Towns, the purpose of the Gaeltacht Act is to identify how to foster and reinforce the positive impact these towns can have on the Irish language as the community and family language of the Gaeltacht.
The Act sets out the process by which Gaeltacht Service Towns can attain recognition as such. The town must:
In addition, an organisation which is active in the town must be chosen to prepare and implement a language plan in accordance with the language planning criteria prescribed in the Act.