Investigating Irish language and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland

There is continued interest in Northern Ireland in supporting speakers of Irish and Ulster Scots. The Good Friday Agreement emphasises the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity. The research project will assist policymakers in understanding the factors that influence Irish language and Ulster Scots speaking in Northern Ireland. As well as profiling the socio-economic characteristics of Irish and Ulster Scots speakers in 2011, the research will assess change in Irish language speaking between 2001 and 2011. Project results will inform a wider UK collaboration comparing characteristics of Irish and Ulster Scots speakers in Northern Ireland with Welsh language and Scots Gaelige speakers in Wales and Scotland respectively.

Project lead

Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA), ADR Northern Ireland.

This project is funded by ADR Northern Ireland via its core grant from the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) as an ADR UK partner.