108-448: Raheny ( Irish : Ráth Eanaigh ) is a northern suburb of Dublin , Ireland , halfway from the city centre to Howth . It is centred on a historic settlement, first documented in 570 AD ( Mervyn Archdall ). The district shares Dublin's two largest municipal parks, Saint Anne's Park and Bull Island with its 4.5 km beach, with neighbouring Clontarf , and is crossed by several small watercourses. The coastal hamlet grew rapidly in
216-507: A Garda Síochána station, located opposite the national school complex on All Saints' Drive, and one of Dublin's three driving test centres, at the St. Anne's shopping plaza. Local amenities include several shops and small shopping areas. There are several financial institutions, a fitness club and several doctors, dentists and specific and alternative health providers. The area's swimming pool, separate from but adjacent to St. Paul's College, closed to
324-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
432-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
540-560: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
648-466: A boys' secondary school , St. Paul's College, Raheny (attended by approximately 600 pupils in 2006) and one of Ireland's largest girls' secondary schools, Manor House , as well as Ardscoil La Salle , on Raheny Road, a smaller mixed second level facility. There is a primary school complex just behind the village centre, with a mixed junior school, Scoil Ide, and distinct boys' and girls' senior schools, Scoil Assaim and Scoil Aine respectively, as well as
756-464: A coffee shop with dinner service, under the main shopping centre. Raheny has four church buildings in the village core, active Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland (Anglican) churches, one closed Catholic church, and one ruin. The Catholic church overlooks the centre of the village (with feature belfry and baptistry), while the Church of Ireland building is sited on the approach to the village centre from
864-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
972-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1080-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
1188-463: A junior girls' school (St Monica's), and separate senior primary schools for boys (St Malachy's) and girls (St Eithne's). Raheny GAA , founded in the late 1950s, has a large clubhouse on All Saints Drive. St Vincents GAA was based north of the village centre, but has since moved to Marino Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club operates from a converted old schoolhouse behind the Scout Den on the slopes of
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#17328513571761296-670: A number of bed-and-breakfasts and guest houses, there are several pubs in the area. These include the Cedar Lounge, the Manhattan, the (Raheny) Inn and the Watermill, and eating places include the Watermill and three restaurants, one of the three old schoolhouses in the village centre, at the top of Main Street, one on Watermill Road, in the former Raheny Hardware building, and one in St Assam's, as well as
1404-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
1512-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
1620-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1728-538: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
1836-597: A result of work on the Howth Road by the Telford Engineering Company; prior to this, the road entered the village at the bottom of the central hill, turning sharply coastwards at the top of Main Street. Works to straighten the road resulted in a reduction of the old ringfort. The ruined St. Assam's Church , dating from a 1712 reconstruction of a 1609 building, is believed to be the successor to early religious settlement. The later St. Assam's Church , opposite it,
1944-590: A shared assembly hall, used for many community events. There is also a mixed primary school, Springdale National School, on Springdale Road, overseen by a Board of Governors, with an endowment which includes rent from seven of the area's historic cottages at the Crescent. There is a special national school operated by St. Michael's House on Raheny Road, and another general primary school in the Grange Park locality. The locality of Edenmore has its own school facilities, with
2052-569: A time in the 1970s, while another, the Federation of Raheny Residents (FoRR), was active from 1981 to 2011. The Federation organised a range of activities, some in conjunction with the Raheny Business Association and some with the local authority and other official bodies, including strategic plans for the village, Neighbourhood Watch arrangements, community awareness weeks, the charitable Mayor of Raheny campaigns, events for older people,
2160-537: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
2268-584: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
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#17328513571762376-667: Is a Protected Structure. It was later sold, and a conversion to office space was planned. The district is also served by the pyramid-style church of Kilbarrack-Foxfield Parish, by St. Benedict's, of Grange Park Parish, and by St. Brigid's, of Killester Parish, and by the chapel at the Capuchin Friary. A number of other Roman Catholic religious orders also have local presences. Prior to the restoration of local worship, Rahenyites had for centuries to attend Mass in Coolock or, later, Clontarf, or in local houses. The Church of Ireland church, for
2484-611: Is a four-page local newsletter, known as the "green paper" due to its distinctive publication material. It is produced weekly throughout most of the year by a group of local people, with some support from the Roman Catholic parish. It was a partial successor to The Acorn , a bi-monthly magazine sponsored by the joint Killester-Raheny parish, and then by Raheny parish alone, and to The Relay , the magazine of Raheny Community Council. Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland parishes also produce bulletins. Another local paper, The Raheny Informer ,
2592-579: Is a holy well in Raheny , Dublin , Ireland , and gave its name (with a slightly different spelling) to St. Anne's Park , the city's second largest municipal park, home for many years to the Guinness family . The well site has a protective hood of stones, and lies just beyond the old lake of the park, with its Roman temple, and below the Watchtower folly, near the main coastal entrance. The well itself dried up in
2700-501: Is administered by Dublin City Council . The county boundary with Fingal lies close by, where Raheny meets Kilbarrack . Nearby areas include Killester , Clontarf , Artane , Kilbarrack, Coolock and Donaghmede , and the skyline is dominated by Howth Head . Raheny is bisected by the Howth Road (R105) and the R809 (from Bull Island via in turn Watermill Road, Main Street, Station Road) and
2808-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
2916-721: Is also accessed from the Malahide Road (R107), the coastal James Larkin Road (R807) and the R104 (including the Oscar Traynor Road and Kilbarrack Road). Raheny railway station , opened on 25 May 1844, overlooking the village centre, serves the DART suburban railway system and the Dublin- Belfast main line, and parts of Raheny are served by other DART stations, Harmonstown and Kilbarrack , on
3024-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
3132-551: Is framed within a large triangle inset with numerous smaller triangles, recalling traditional motifs from Romanesque Irish churches. The facade and the bell tower are built with green limestone. Our Lady's substantially smaller predecessor, St. Assam's Church , built between 1859 and 1864, is directly opposite. Regular worship ceased there when Our Lady's opened, and it was lightly used for the succeeding three decades, hosting St Joseph's Youth Club (Bru Sheosamh), Taize prayer services, and some meetings and occasional Masses. The building
3240-703: Is not very remote but no connection between the two locales is known. In addition to the Santry River (historically Skillings Glas ), Raheny is also crossed by the Naniken River (previously parts of it named Ballyhoy after a Raheny townland through which it passes), the Fox Stream and the Blackbanks Stream, all monitored by Dublin City Council. The Santry and the Naniken are shown on many old maps, and one or other of
3348-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
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3456-645: Is part of the five-seat Dublin Bay North constituency. Until the 2016 general election it was split between the constituencies of Dublin North-Central and Dublin North-East . The splitting of the district, which also gives electoral stations on either side of the village centre (generally at the library and at the National Schools complex), was a source of local anger for many years. Long-serving politicians for
3564-555: Is sometimes seen as extending beyond these areas, and at one time Raheny was used as the address for much of what is now Donaghmede, for example. The civil parish is still maintained in law, and its boundaries were last reviewed in 1985, with their extension to a greater part of Dublin Bay ; it includes half, or slightly more, of Bull Island. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
3672-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
3780-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
3888-609: The Anglican Parish of Raheny , (now in Union with the Parish of Coolock), All Saints Church , was built at the expense of Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun of the Guinness family. Before this church was built, Raheny Parish was served by the older church in the centre of Raheny, an earlier St. Assam's Church , dating back to 1712, and previously to 1609 and before. All Saints' has a Rectory in
3996-516: The Guinness family of brewing and later banking fame), which is also shared with Clontarf , as well as Edenmore Park (10.25 hectares, with a pitch and putt course, playground and exercise area, and playing fields), Springdale Road Park (along the Santry River) and many small green areas, such as at Rathmore Park, Maywood Lawn and within the Foxfield housing area. There are walking and cycling lanes on
4104-619: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
4212-399: The "Doh-Ray-Mee" cottages due to their resemblance to piano keys. The cottage nearest to the Manhattan pub was once the village post office. The cottages were willed to a trust to support what is now Springdale School, and aside from one sold, with court permission, to fund capital developments, the rent from the cottages contributes to the running of the school. Several explanations exist for
4320-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
4428-598: The 18th century, Raheny had a water mill near the mouth of the Santry River, in ruins by 1757; this gave the name to the lane from the village down to the coastal road, now Watermill Road. There were also two windmills, a rare item on the map of the Dublin area. One of the latter, mapped as "Old Windmill", was situated on the Howth Road, on the slope above the Naniken River, and the other, "The Mill of Raheny", on Belmont hill, where
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4536-518: The 18th century, a hamlet, a "second Raheny", Lower Raheny or Raheny-on-the-Strand, in the area of Black Bush and by the coastal point known as the "Whip of the Water" - where the Howth Road on its then route, and Fox Stream, met the sea. There was a beach road here, later washed away, then succeeded by the tram line to Howth. The current coastal road, the James Larkin Road, is a later construction. In
4644-534: The 1950s, and although Dublin City Council made several attempts to relocate the source, it remains dry as of 2021 . The site is still respected, and was visited in 2000 by a formal joint procession of worshippers from the Raheny parishes of the Roman Catholic Church and Church of Ireland . The site was cleaned of soil and vegetation by a specialist contractor in early 2018, the original well opening located, and
4752-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
4860-587: The 20th century and is now a mid-density, chiefly residential, Northside suburb with a village core. It is home to a range of retail and banking outlets, multiple sports groups including two golf courses, several schools and churches, Dublin's second-busiest library and a Garda station. Raheny is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock . Raheny runs from the coast inland, with its centre about eight kilometres (5.0 mi) from Dublin city centre and seven kilometres (4.3 mi) from Dublin Airport . It
4968-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
5076-563: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
5184-597: The CARA Hall and the Brigins (age 6–10), Guides (age 10–16) and Rangers (age 14–19) meet in Scoil Aine (Raheny N.S.) Hall. There are also Girls' and Boys' Brigade companies meeting at the Church of Ireland halls. Previously the area had a youth club for the eastern end of the village, M.A.F.R.A., and later St Joseph's Youth Club, based at the new St Assam's Church, and supported by the Roman Catholic parish. In Dáil Éireann , Raheny
5292-579: The Capuchin friary now stands. There was also a stone wharf where the lane from the village came down to join the coastal road. Eight cottages in a crescent formation on Station Road near the junction with the Howth Road are among the oldest buildings in the village, having been built around 1790 by local resident Samuel Dick, then Governor of the Bank of Ireland. The cottages served as residences for men who worked on Mr. Dick's estate. The cottages are informally known as
5400-647: The City Council for non-attendance. The civil parish of Raheny comprises at least the townlands of Ballyhoy, Bettyville, Charleville, Edenmore, Foxlands, Glebe, Maryville, Mountolive (or Mount of Olives), North Bull Island, Raheny North, Raheny South and (the) Snug. Some historic records also note the village centre as a distinct entity, "Raheny Town". Foxlands now contains Avondale, Maywood and Bettyglen, while Mountolive (and parts of Swan's Nest) now include several roads and estates, notably "Tuscany Downs" whose naming caused ministerial comment and public discussion about inappropriate naming conventions. The modern civic district
5508-463: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
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#17328513571765616-536: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
5724-462: The Raheny Tidy Village group aimed at developing walking routes within the Raheny area. Routes identified take the walker past many historical and environmental attractions in the area. The Tidy Village group also runs community events such a Tallest Sunflower Competition and beach cleans. Raheny's library was opened in 1972 and is Dublin's second busiest municipal branch library. Located near
5832-485: The Raheny end of Bull Island , while the Royal Dublin Golf Club is also on Bull Island, primarily in Clontarf but partly, and with its service entrance, in Raheny. There is also a public par-3 golf course in St Anne's Park , and municipal Pitch and Putt facility within Edenmore Park, on Station Road. St Anne's Park Tennis Club plays at the public tennis courts at St Anne's Park. There are also two badminton clubs, Raheny Badminton Club and Raheny Smashers, both playing at
5940-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
6048-405: The Scout Den and the two St. Assam's Churches. Some excavations were carried out in the 1970s, giving an idea of its size (probably c. 110m across) and structure. The old church and graveyard complex behind the village plaza may reflect a remnant of the rath, as does some embankment behind the Scout Den. During the 19th century, significant changes to the village, especially the centre, occurred, as
6156-439: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Mothers' Union. A special form of community organisation was the Maywood Avondale Bettyglen TV Association (MABTVA), which provided a local TV cable service for parts of Raheny (most of Dublin being served by one of two large TV cable companies), using its own receiving station, situated at the back of the old Bettyglen Estate. The Raheny News , a local voluntary production founded in 1975,
6264-486: The area and its history, and a map, and this was reprinted, with only minor changes, in 2000. Large panels describing highlights of the area's historical and natural sights in English and Irish , and with maps of the central village area, stand either side of the central crossroads. In 2006 the Raheny Business Association placed blue informational plaques, with wording coordinated with the Raheny Heritage Society , on or near 15 historical buildings. There was, at least by
6372-427: The area include Seán Kenny (politician) , a Dublin City Councillor from 1979 until 2011 when he was elected for the second time in Dáil Éireann (the first occasion having been in the 1990s) and former minister Michael Woods , who lives in neighbouring Kilbarrack. Past figures include the late ex- Taoiseach Charles Haughey , and Councillor Niamh Cosgrave , of Foxfield, the latter in a rare move having been removed from
6480-413: The area win a number of civic awards. In 2006, the Raheny Business Association began to sponsor a part-time paid coordinator to help the group in its work. Raheny received a Highly Commended rating in the 2008 Tidy Towns competition, and the detailed report noted potential, with some further organisation, to win the competition outright. The following year, 2009, Raheny won the Best Urban Village award and
6588-429: The area. A range of residents' associations have been established over time but many have faded as housing areas have matured. One of those still functioning, the St Anne's Residents' Association (SARA), with some allied bodies, operates a community hall, CARA Hall, on All Saints' Drive, while the Grange Woodbine Association has hall facilities on Station Road. One umbrella body, the Raheny Community Council operated for
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#17328513571766696-410: The badminton facility in Baldoyle. The 73rd Raheny Scout Group, a unit of Scouting Ireland , meet at their den on the banks of the Santry River , opposite the Church of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace on the Howth Road. Raheny Guides, also known as Buion An Leanbh Prague of the Catholic Guides of Ireland , have been in existence since 1966, meeting on a Wednesday evening. The Cygnets (age 5–7) meet in
6804-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
6912-409: The ceremony of "Riding the Franchises", the Fox Stream used to mark the northern boundary of Dublin City. A major feature is the nearly five-kilometre (3.1 mi) beach known as Dollymount Strand , on the nature reserve of North Bull Island , which is shared with Clontarf. Parklands include the two largest Dublin municipal parks, North Bull Island itself and Saint Anne's Park (formerly the home of
7020-438: The city. The central Roman Catholic church building is the Church of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace, of the Catholic Parish of Raheny . The building, completed in 1962, was designed by Peppard and Duffy architects, at the behest of Monsignor William Fitzpatrick and Archbishop John Charles McQuaid , with a capacity of 1500 to accommodate a burgeoning local congregation. The church opened on Sunday, 22 July 1962. The main entrance
7128-664: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
7236-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
7344-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
7452-431: The grounds, as well as a community hall and a preserved gate lodge for the verger. In April 2010, it was announced that the church required extensive roof repairs and funds were raised to complete this. There was for some time also a large Plymouth Brethren meeting hall in "new" Bettyglen. Methodist worshippers have churches in Clontarf and Sutton, and Presbyterian churches are in Clontarf and Howth. The district has
7560-420: The junctions of Main Street and Watermill Lane, and of Watermill Land and Howth Road) is a memorial to Marie Elizabeth Hayes , an early female medical graduate and 19th-century medical missionary from the area to India , paid for by locals in the area in which the doctor worked. In 1992, the Raheny Heritage Society published a walking guide, the Raheny Heritage Trail , which included a general introduction to
7668-498: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
7776-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
7884-472: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
7992-409: The limestone area above Station Road (which used to hold caves and quarries), one either side of the steep Belmont or Mount Olive hill on Station Road; both flow underground. The Fox Stream runs through Walmer lands, under Tuscany Downs, but is today smaller than historically, as some of its flow is diverted by pipe before the railway, into the already larger Blackbanks Stream. According to a chronicle of
8100-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
8208-431: The mid-20th century, many local residents pronounced the English language name as something more like Rahenny or Rathenny, as it was mapped in the 18th century, or Ratheny. Although there is a range of similar names (such as Rahanna), the name Raheny is nearly unique in Ireland, occurring in just one other locality, a portion of the rural town of Lusk . This once-significant monastic and civil centre in north County Dublin
8316-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
8424-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
8532-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
8640-564: The old fortification which gives its name to Raheny. The Shamrocks manage the annual AXA Raheny Five Mile Road Race, and 30 other events. The club became the largest athletics club in Dublin and have provided four Olympians. There is also a regular "parkrun" in St Anne's Park. Raheny United F.C. was formed from the union of two local clubs, Raheny Boys F.C. and Dunseedy United F.C. The senior men's team plays in Athletic Union League , while
8748-517: The origin of the name Raheny: one (from Ráth Éanna) is that it means the ringfort of Éanna, an early local chief, another (Ráth Eanaigh) is that the name derives from eanach , an old Irish word for marsh or swamp, or for a passage through a swampy area. Yet another (deriving from Rath Ain Abha) comes from "Noble Fortress of the Sea". Locally, most use Ráth Éanna while officialdom now tends towards Ráth Eanaigh. Until
8856-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
8964-400: The other two sometimes also appear. The Santry comes from Harristown and Dubber, north of Ballymun, and passes through eastern Santry, and Coolock, then between Harmonstown and Edenmore, to reach central Raheny and then flow on to the sea; it is in the open for most of its course. The Naniken, now culverted for more than half its length, flows from central Santry through Artane, then passes under
9072-414: The patron saint of the area, St. Assam, lay in the field which now holds the Church of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace. When last recorded, it was marked by a depression in the ground but was later, in the 20th century, covered over, and its waters diverted into the Santry River . The "Celtic-style" cross on display in the village (now on the main plaza but previously placed in other locations, including at
9180-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
9288-411: The public in 2006 after about 30 years of private operation, and was later replaced by an apartment block development. The main local shopping facility is located in the centre of the village, on Howth Road beside the Santry River. The anchor unit is a SuperValu store. Across Howth Road from the shopping centre proper, are several other retail units and service outlets. Dublin bus routes 31 and 32 serve
9396-454: The railway line in a syphon. Its line is marked by a disused lane from Ennafort to Howth Road, it passes under Ballyhoy Bridge (now hidden under the tarmac of the main road) and comes out of the culvert at the edge of St Anne's Park, and forms a feature through the park. From partway through the park, its course marks the boundary between Raheny and Clontarf. Both the Fox and Blackbanks Streams flow from
9504-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
9612-483: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
9720-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
9828-492: The same line. Raheny is also served by Dublin Bus (routes H1, H2 and H3) and has a taxi rank. Much of the district is situated on gently rising ground, with a bluff overlooking Bull Island at Maywood and Bettyglen, and further rises from the village centre to the station and then to Belmont or Mount Olive, a hill which once featured a windmill. Opposite and beyond Belmont was once an area of sunken land with limestone quarries but this
9936-468: The seafront (one can walk, or cycle on designated cycleways, from Howth to Dún Laoghaire), and also on North Bull Island and in St. Anne's Park. The Raheny Tidy Village Group , with the support of Dublin City Council, launched a set of three measured walking routes for the Raheny area, the Raheny Way , with a guiding noticeboard placed at Raheny DART Station, and a leaflet available at various locations around
10044-503: The senior women's team were founder members of the Women's National League and have also played in the Dublin Women's Soccer League Grange Woodbine F.C. was founded in 1973 and its teams play their home matches at Edenmore Park and Woodbine Road Belgrove F.C. play their home matches at St. Paul's College, Raheny . St. Anne's Golf Club, founded by a small group of locals in 1921, is based at
10152-594: The setting up of the Millennium Clock in the middle of the village, and the moving of the Marie Elizabeth Hayes Cross. Many other voluntary groups operate in the area, some secular, such as the Raheny Heritage Society, Raheny Toastmasters, Raheny St. John Ambulance Division Raheny Order of Malta unit and Raheny Community First Responders and some church-related, such as the local conference of
10260-546: The shopping centre's 'Raheny Village' stop. Parts of the areas are also served by the Tesco-anchored Kilbarrack Shopping Centre and another in coastal Kilbarrack and Edenmore Shopping Centre, and the nearest large supermarkets are in Donaghmede and at Clare Hall. There are two service stations, one at each end of the area, and there are several motor dealers and vehicle repair locations. In addition to
10368-705: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
10476-458: The village centre it has a reading garden and recycling centre. Adjacent to the library is the site of the first Catholic School in the village, built by William Sweetman circa 1820, now a solicitor's office. The district also holds St. Francis Hospice and St. Joseph's Hospital (administered by Beaumont Hospital Board), as well as a small local health centre, a Credit Union branch (the local credit union merged with those of Artane and Coolock),
10584-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
10692-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
10800-459: Was built from 1859, in the period when Roman Catholics regained the right to have their own churches and opened in 1864. Raheny was also the site of two holy wells. The first of these, St. Ann's Well , gave its name to St. Anne's Park. The site of this well is still visible under a stone cupola by the boating lake in the park, but it has been dry for several decades, despite efforts by municipal authorities to restart it. The second well, dedicated to
10908-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
11016-509: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. St. Ann%27s Well, Raheny St. Ann's Well
11124-461: Was landfilled, much of it with urban refuse, and then partly levelled and converted into a city park, Edenmore Park, in the late 1960s. Within Raheny lies the remains of a large ringfort (or ráth ) from which the area gets its name. The ráth extends under the centre of the modern village, from beside the Santry River , including some marshy ground, to the Roman Catholic church, Windsor Motors,
11232-702: Was one of four areas of Dublin City to receive a commendation in the overall Tidy Towns competition. In 2014 Raheny again won the Best Urban Village award in the Tidy Towns competition. Raheny won the bronze medal in its category in the National Tidy Towns Competition every year from 2015 to 2019; the Tidy Towns contest was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Raheny Way is a project developed by
11340-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
11448-471: Was published monthly in the 2000s. From time to time, postcards of the area are published. Raheny is part of the service area of the community radio station NEAR FM. A number of local businesses, and some civic entities, are members of the Raheny Business Association (RBA), a form of chamber of commerce . Raheny's voluntary Tidy Village Group drives activities for the Tidy Towns competition, and has helped
11556-678: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
11664-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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