The 10 Oldest Languages Still Spoken in the World Today. Irish has the oldest vernacular literature of any language in Western Europe. While the rest of Europe was speaking their own languages and writing in Latin, the Irish decided that they wanted to write in their own language instead.

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1814, Clonakilty, 1804, Lower Class of Protestant Speak English and Irish. 1830, Cotters, Inchileegahg and Irish, Very Ashamed of this Old-fashioned Practice.’

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Canon Shinkwin was talking to the older people in Borlin (Bantry, West Cork), in Irish around 1903 and asking them to speak Irish to the small children at night with a view towards arresting the decline of the language. There were 4 million Irish speakers pre famine in 1840 and in 1900 probably at least 10 million worldwide whose parents had been Irish speakers, Borlin Bull Irish Civil War.

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Decline of the Irish language Muintervara 19th century.

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