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Furbo (Na Furbacha) -
Spiddal
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Furbo is a settlement with a population of around
800 in Connemara. It lies along the coast of
Galway Bay between
Barna and
Spiddal.
It is the
first settlement to the west of Galway where Irish is the language used in the
school, church and at community meetings. The headquarters of the Gaeltacht
Authority - Údarás na Gaeltachta is located in Furbo. |
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Although in the Gaeltacht, English is commonly
used in day to day life, particularly amongst younger age groups. It has a typical Gaeltacht style of settlement with no village street or
centre, but rather comprises around fourteen townlands, most of which run North
to South from the bog to the foreshore. Although the area is approximately 12km
from Galway City centre it has maintained its rural nature quite successfully in
recent years due to strong opposition to large scale development from locals.
Due to its proximity to Galway City, and consequential pressure from property
developers, housing developments generally have an Irish language clause
applied. Currently many developments have a requirement that 50% plus of housing
units are reserved for Irish speakers.
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What is the Gaeltacht
Although all of the Connemara Gaeltacht population can speak English, these are the only
parts of Ireland where Irish is still spoken as the community language.
The preservation of the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking community has been
regarded, by successive Governments since the foundation of the State, as of the
utmost importance. |
Not only does the Gaeltacht present on opportunity to
naturally maintain the continuity of the Irish tradition, but also provides the
ideal environment for people who wish to become proficient in Irish.
The existence of areas where Irish lives as a community language is an important
cornerstone in the building of a bilingual society in Ireland, and it provides
an environment where the language can evolve naturally in a modern setting. |
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