Ireland asks EU to upgrade status of Gaelic language

The Irish government formally applied Wednesday to have Gaelic, its traditional tongue, made the European Union's 21st official working language.

The application in Brussels follows talks with other EU member states and institutions that have been ongoing since July.

Gaelic was the country's predominant language until the middle of the 1800s but has since been overwhelmed by English. It is still taught in schools, but regular daily use is confined to tiny pockets of the country.

Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said the proposal was that certain key EU legislation, such as that adopted by EU leaders and the European Parliament, would be translated into Irish.

If successful, the move would be extended to other areas.

"This proposal ... would represent a significant positive and practical step forward for the Irish language in the EU," Ahern said in a statement released by the foreign ministry in Dublin.

The change would require the amendment of a 1958 regulation that governs the bloc's official and working language regime.

Currently Irish has the status of a treaty language in the EU. This means each successive treaty is published in Irish as well as in the 20 official and working languages.

Pressure to gain greater EU recognition for the language mounted earlier this year when Ireland held the revolving six-month EU presidency during the accession of ten new countries.

One of the main language lobby groups, Stadas (Status), argued that it was an anomaly to have the languages of countries like Malta and Latvia recognised and not the Gaelic language of a long-standing EU member such as Ireland.

Irish language enthusiasts picketed EU meetings held in Dublin, marched on parliament and circulated a petition.

The Gaelic spoken today dates back to at least the 9th century, surviving draconian attempts to completely anglicise the country during British rule.