Language Decline in 18th Century Ireland : The Hedge Schoolmaster and the Catholic Church

This paper explores the decline of the Irish language or Gaelic (pronounced /’gei.lik/) during the 17th and 18th century in Ireland. It outlines historical events which allowed the English language to gain control in the higher-status domains of the country, namely, the political, economic and legal domains. The education domain is reflected upon by analyzing the attempts to spread the English language to the natives of Ireland through schools established by the authorities. The Penal laws are viewed through the high levels of persecution and hardship, and in particular, the role of the hedge schoolmasters and the Catholic church are explored in relation to the spread of English and the simultaneous decline in Gaelic as the vernacular of the native Irish.