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The Complete List of Dialects in Ireland

Ireland is a land steeped in a rich tapestry of history and culture, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in its diverse linguistic landscape. Beyond the widely recognized Irish (Gaelic) and English, the island is home to a fascinating array of regional speech patterns and accents, each telling its own story of heritage, community, and local identity.

To help navigate this intricate world of verbal variation, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 37 Dialects in Ireland. This diverse collection ranges from the distinct rhythms of Achill Irish to the unique pronunciations found in Wexford English. For each entry, you’ll find below detailed information on its Language Type, Main Region, and Key Features, offering a clear glimpse into how language thrives across the Emerald Isle.

What’s the difference between an ‘Irish’ dialect and an ‘English’ dialect in Ireland?

Ireland features dialects of both the Irish language (Gaeilge) and the English language. Irish dialects are regional variations within the native tongue, primarily spoken in Gaeltacht areas, and reflect centuries of unique development. English dialects in Ireland, on the other hand, are forms of English spoken on the island that have been heavily influenced by Irish, Scots, and other linguistic traditions, leading to distinct local pronunciations, vocabulary, and grammatical structures.

Are these dialects still actively spoken today?

Absolutely. While the prominence and number of speakers for each dialect can vary, many of these unique forms of speech are very much alive and continue to be an integral part of local culture. Communities and cultural organizations often undertake significant efforts to preserve and promote these distinct linguistic traditions, ensuring their continued vitality for current and future generations.

Dialects in Ireland

Dialect Name Language Type Main Region Key Features
Ulster Irish Irish Gaelic County Donegal and parts of Derry, Tyrone Palatalized consonants, distinct vowel lengths, conservative phonology, unique intonation
Donegal Irish Irish Gaelic Gaoth Dobhair, The Rosses, Inishowen (County Donegal) Retention of older consonant clusters, epenthetic vowels, maritime vocabulary
Ulster (Tyrone/Derry) Irish Irish Gaelic Parts of County Derry and Tyrone (Northern Ireland) Local vowel shifts, unique verbal forms, regional lexical items
Connacht Irish Irish Gaelic Counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo and surrounding Gaeltachts Broad vowels, lenition patterns, regional idioms and proverbs
Connemara Irish Irish Gaelic Connemara region, County Galway Syllable-timed rhythm, conservative verb forms, community-specific vocabulary
Mayo Irish (Erris/Tourmakeady) Irish Gaelic Erris, Tourmakeady and other Mayo Gaeltachts Island-influenced pronunciations, local lexical items, variable vowel qualities
Achill Irish Irish Gaelic Achill Island (County Mayo) Island conservatism in phonology, archaisms, strong oral tradition
Munster Irish Irish Gaelic Counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Munster Gaeltachts Broad vs slender contrasts, ‘a’ vowel mergers, distinctive imperative forms
Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle) Irish Irish Gaelic Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry Rhotic R, vowel raising, unique verbal forms and local sayings
Kerry (Iveragh) Irish Irish Gaelic Iveragh Peninsula and parts of County Kerry Local vowel realizations, conservative morphology, maritime lexicon
Muskerry (Múscraí) Irish Irish Gaelic Muskerry Gaeltacht, West Cork Distinct diphthongs, lenition patterns, Cork-influenced vocabulary
Waterford (Déise) Irish Irish Gaelic An Rinn and Ring Gaeltacht, County Waterford Unique diphthongs, retention of older verb endings, local place-name terms
Hiberno-English Hiberno-English All of Ireland Irish-influenced syntax, distinctive idioms, calques from Irish, variable phonology
Northern Irish English Hiberno-English Northern Ireland (province-wide) Glottal stops, Northern vowel sets, Scots influence, strong rhoticity in places
Belfast English Hiberno-English Belfast and surrounding area Marked vowel shifts, glottalization, strong prosodic identity
Derry English Hiberno-English Derry/Londonderry area Distinct pitch patterns, vowel qualities similar to parts of Ulster, local lexicon
Mid-Ulster English Hiberno-English Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh and adjacent counties Mixture of Northern and Southern features, rhoticity, Scots substratum traces
Donegal English Hiberno-English County Donegal Strong Irish substrate influence, retention of /r/, regional vocabulary
Dublin English (Traditional Local) Hiberno-English Dublin city and inner suburbs Local vowel shifts, characteristic rhythm, Hiberno-English grammar features
New Dublin English Hiberno-English Contemporary Dublin across social groups Mix of conservative /r/ and urban vowel trends, youth-driven innovations
Dublin 4 (D4) sociolect Hiberno-English South Dublin affluent neighborhoods Fronted vowels, characteristic intonation, sociolectal lexical items
Cork English Hiberno-English Cork city and County Cork Rising intonation, distinct /a/ vowel, “sing-song” melody and local slang
Munster English Hiberno-English Munster province (Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford) Broad prosody, rhoticity in many areas, shared Munster vocabulary
Limerick English Hiberno-English Limerick city and environs Local vowel qualities, rhythmic speech, city-specific slang
Waterford English (Déise) Hiberno-English Waterford city and county Retention of /r/, unique vowel shifts, local idioms
Wexford English Hiberno-English County Wexford Southeastern intonation patterns, conservative vowels, local lexical items
Kilkenny/Carlow English Hiberno-English Counties Kilkenny and Carlow Midlands vowel patterns, blend of Munster and Leinster features
Midlands Irish English Hiberno-English Counties Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Longford Neutral vowel realizations, bridging features between Dublin and western speech
Connacht English Hiberno-English Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon Irish-influenced syntax, softer consonant realizations, regional lexicon
Galway English Hiberno-English Galway city and county Vowel fronting, lively intonation, influence from Irish speakers
Sligo English Hiberno-English Sligo and north-west Connacht Northern-leaning vowels, brisk cadence, local idioms
Clare English Hiberno-English County Clare Blend of Munster and Connacht features, coastal intonation patterns
Roscommon/Leitrim English Hiberno-English Counties Roscommon and Leitrim Conservative consonant patterns, Irish-flavored idioms
Louth/Meath English Hiberno-English Counties Louth and Meath Dublin-leaning phonology with northern traces in border areas
Fingal/North Dublin English Hiberno-English North County Dublin and suburbs Suburban lexical items, intermediate vowel system between Dublin and Leinster
Gaeltacht English Hiberno-English Gaeltacht areas across the island Direct Irish calques, Irish-like syntax, loan translations and intonation
Ulster Scots-influenced English Hiberno-English Parts of Antrim, Down and rural Ulster Scots-derived vocabulary, distinct stress patterns, rhoticity

Images and Descriptions

Ulster Irish

Ulster Irish

The northern branch of Irish with several strong Gaeltacht centres; notable for sounds and words that set it apart from southern varieties.

Donegal Irish

Donegal Irish

A prominent Ulster subdialect famed for preserving archaic pronunciations and a rich local lexicon tied to coastal life.

Ulster (Tyrone/Derry) Irish

Ulster (Tyrone/Derry) Irish

Ulster varieties outside Donegal with distinctive local features reflecting continuity with broader Ulster Irish.

Connacht Irish

Connacht Irish

The western dialect group centered on Connemara and Mayo, influential in media and language teaching.

Connemara Irish

Connemara Irish

The best-known Connacht variety; widely heard on radio and used in many Irish-language learning resources.

Mayo Irish (Erris/Tourmakeady)

Mayo Irish (Erris/Tourmakeady)

Connacht subvarieties in Mayo with distinctive local speech shaped by island and coastal communities.

Achill Irish

Achill Irish

A small but resilient island variety with pronunciations and words preserved by tight-knit communities.

Munster Irish

Munster Irish

The southern branch of Irish known for a long oral tradition, songs and a characteristic prosody.

Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle) Irish

Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle) Irish

A celebrated Munster subdialect with strong cultural presence and a lively Gaeltacht community.

Kerry (Iveragh) Irish

Kerry (Iveragh) Irish

A Kerry variety distinct within Munster, with its own set of idioms and pronunciations.

Muskerry (Múscraí) Irish

Muskerry (Múscraí) Irish

The Cork Gaeltacht dialect combining Munster features with local Cork speech color.

Waterford (Déise) Irish

Waterford (Déise) Irish

The Déise dialect of Munster Irish known for distinctive pronunciation and a strong local identity.

Hiberno-English

Hiberno-English

The umbrella term for English spoken in Ireland; shaped by Irish grammar and regional variation across the island.

Northern Irish English

Northern Irish English

A cluster of English varieties in the north with notable Scots contact and locally patterned intonation.

Belfast English

Belfast English

A vivid urban dialect widely recognized for its pronunciation and fast delivery.

Derry English

Derry English

Local speech often perceived as musical and community-specific, with clear local markers.

Mid-Ulster English

Mid-Ulster English

A rural-to-semi-urban dialect bridging broad Ulster features with local speech habits.

Donegal English

Donegal English

English in Donegal often shows close contact with Irish and distinctive local idioms.

Dublin English (Traditional Local)

Dublin English (Traditional Local)

The traditional city variety associated with long-standing Dublin communities and local slang.

New Dublin English

New Dublin English

A modern urban variety spreading in Dublin, blending local features with wider modern influences.

Dublin 4 (D4) sociolect

Dublin 4 (D4) sociolect

A socially marked Dublin variety often noticed for its prosody and associations with media and prestige.

Cork English

Cork English

A highly recognizable southern voice with a musical quality and many county-specific expressions.

Munster English

Munster English

Regional southern English uniting county varieties by tempo and melodic speech patterns.

Limerick English

Limerick English

A distinct city dialect with strong local identity and characteristic turns of phrase.

Waterford English (Déise)

Waterford English (Déise)

The English counterpart to the Déise Irish dialect, rich in regional flavor and expressions.

Wexford English

Wexford English

A southeast variety sometimes noted for its distinct prosody and historically influenced vocabulary.

Kilkenny/Carlow English

Kilkenny/Carlow English

A transitional dialect area with mixed phonological traits linking neighboring regions.

Midlands Irish English

Midlands Irish English

Central belt English that mediates between Dublin and the west in pronunciation and vocabulary.

Connacht English

Connacht English

Western English varieties shaped strongly by proximity to Irish-speaking areas and local tradition.

Galway English

Galway English

A city dialect mixing Gaelic heritage and urban trends into a distinctive local voice.

Sligo English

Sligo English

A northwest variety with links to both Ulster and western speech patterns and a recognizable local sound.

Clare English

Clare English

A transitional coastal dialect that draws on neighboring counties for many phonetic traits.

Roscommon/Leitrim English

Roscommon/Leitrim English

Rural central-west varieties with strong local speech habits and lexical items.

Louth/Meath English

Louth/Meath English

Border county speech mixing Dublin influence with Ulster or Midlands features depending on locality.

Fingal/North Dublin English

Fingal/North Dublin English

A suburban variant notable for local markers and mixing of urban and regional traits.

Gaeltacht English

Gaeltacht English

English spoken in or near Gaeltacht communities that carries strong Irish-language influence in grammar and vocabulary.

Ulster Scots-influenced English

Ulster Scots-influenced English

English varieties shaped by historical Ulster Scots contact, noticeable in rural speech and some town dialects.

Dialects in Other Countries