THE CELTIC-SPEAKING POPULATION OF THE BRITISH ISLES.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1714, 18 August 1879, Page 3

THE CELTIC-SPEAKING POPULATION OF THE BRITISH ISLES.

At tho meeting of the Statistisal Society on tho 21st April, Mr E. G. Ravenstein, E.R. G.S., who read a paper “ On the Geographical Distribution of the Celtic-speaking Population of tho British Isles,” stated that four Celtic languages are at present spoken in tho British Isles, three of which belong to tho northern Gaelic or Gadhclic, and one to the southern or Cymraig branch. The former are Irish Gaelic, Scotch Gaelic, and Mam ; tho Oymraig branch, since tho extinction of Cornish, being now represented only by the Welsh. Ireland. —The localities where Irish Gaelic is the language of the majority, are comparatively limited and remote areas, where the population is less dense than in the more fertile and English-speaking districts of the island. In 1851, 23.3 per cent of tho population spoke Irish, and in 1871, 15.3 per cent. The success of tho labors of the “ Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language ” was referred to, although it cannot be doubted that Irish is on the decrease. Opinions differ as to tho agencies to which this decrease must bo ascribed. The census on the whole presented a very fair picture of the linguistic condition of Ireland. Scotland.—Mr Ravenstein said that not quite 9 per cent, of the population could speak Scotch Gaelic, and that there was no doubt it was dying out, although in the more remote parti of the Highlands and in the Hebrides it. still maintains its ground. In the Isle of Man 23.6 per cent, of the population still understood Manx. Wales (Cymraig). —Of all the Celticspeaking races in the United Kingdom, the Welsh were the most important; and in tho maintenance of their own language they showed by far the greatest amount of vitality. Including 60,000 Welsh in England, there are 1.006,100 Welsh-speaking people in Groat Britain. The total number of persons in the United Kingdom still speaking a Celtic tongue was: —Irish Gaelic, 867,600; Scotch Gaelic, 309,230; Manx, 12,500; Welsh, 1,006,100; total, 2,195,450, or nearly 7 per cent, of the population of tho British Isles.