Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, has announced a funding allocation of 1,133,196 over four years to support Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge (the Historical Dictionary of Irish), a major research project led by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA). This funding will contribute to the Academys goal of producing an authoritative historical dictionary for Modern Irish, covering the period from 1600 to the present day.
The Irish language boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage, spanning folklore, literature, placenames, dialects, and more. However, unlike many other European languages, Irish has yet to have a comprehensive historical dictionary. The Royal Irish Academy, with the backing of the Department of Rural and Community Development, is determined to address this gap.
The funding announced today will be directed towards the Academys development plan for the Dictionary, ensuring that by the end of the funding period, the first segment of the dictionary will be available to the public. Additionally, a database of Irish-language texts, dialect collections, and historical materials compiled by the Academys researchers will also be made publicly accessible.
All materials developed as part of this project will be freely available online, offering full open access to scholars, students, and the general public.
Speaking about the funding, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, stated:
"I'm delighted my department is in a position to continue its support for the Historical Dictionary. As a result of this lexical work under the Royal Irish Academy, Irish will be put in a similar position to other European languages, which have comprehensive historical dictionaries.
"The Historical Dictionary of Irish, and the historical subcorpora to be generated in association with it, will be a resource for the public, for academia, for young people learning Irish with modern technology, and will be an important platform for Gaeltacht communities and the richness of their dialects.
Dr. Charles Dillon, Editor of the Historical Dictionary of Irish, highlighted the impact of this funding, stating:
"This significant funding will help advance our research programme at the Royal Irish Academy and in providing outputs to the public. These will include dictionaries based on the dialects of Irish, and new digital sources for the public, providing a fresh perspective on Irish as it was spoken and written in previous times.
"The RIA is committed to the objective of providing a full authoritative dictionary for Modern Irish, being a specific objective of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language. We greatly appreciate the continued support from the department and look forward to the work ahead.
The development of the Historical Dictionary for Modern Irish aligns with the government's 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language, which prioritizes the preservation and promotion of Irish. With the departments support, the Royal Irish Academy has already developed crucial digital resources, enhancing access to historical texts, manuscripts, and dialect studies.
For further details on the research programme and upcoming publications, visit the Royal Irish Academy's website.
