When did English become dominant in Ireland?

Question

I know there are two official languages in Ireland - Irish(Gaelige) and English.

However, hardly anyone speaks Irish as their first language and English is by far the predominant language spoken throughout the country.

It seems almost everyone in Ireland speaks only English now.

1. When did English become a predominant language in Ireland?

2. Why has Irish language been dying out? Have English people forced to speak English to Irish people?

Answer 1

It became dominant around the time of the famine 1840ish onwards.

Irish people insisted that their children were taught english in the hedge schools as it ensured a job in america if they emigrated, before this the language was very strong.

Your question "Have English people forced to speak English to Irish people?" should be rearranged to have the English  forced the irish to speak english in their own country

Answer 2

1. English became the predominant language in Ireland in the 19th century. From John Wells' *Accents of English*: "It is estimated that at the beginning of the 19th century, half the population spoke Irish; but by 1851 only a quarter did so, and only 5 percent were monoglots with no knowledge of English."

2. It's not. The number of speakers is actually increasing, since Irish is compulsory in schools in the Republic. There are several thousand native speakers in the Gaeltacht regions, and about 40% of Ireland's population claim competence in Irish. As for why English became dominant, just look at the history.

Answer 3

When the English invaded Ireland. No one speaks Irish because whats the point, it is an extremely complicated language, I was forced to learn it in school for 13 years.

Answer 4

I'm from Ireland but i don't know when the language began being spoken but England ruled something like a fifth of the world so that's why a lot of nations now speak English i never really learned that though in school now that you said it ill look it up online but i think when i was 5 or something my teacher said that in Ireland the English forced you to speak English or something but in Ireland today 90,000 people in Ireland out of a population of something like 4,200,000 are able to speak in Irish to people and everything that number is increasing really fast and in Ireland there are schools which are normal schools and schools where you have to speak Irish so that from the age of 4 when you start school you can speak it perfectly for the rest of your life i go to a normal school but i wish i was sent to an Irish school when i was younger but even in normal schools in Ireland you still learn Irish but you can speak English to the teachers and to your friends when in Irish schools you cant say an single English word not even on break