Language and culture are inseparable. While Irish is the official language of Ireland, it's estimated only 1.8 percent of the population speaks it daily. With the number of Irish speakers dwindling in recent generations, there have been numerous attempts to keep traditional culture alive through a revival of the language.
The Irish government has created plans to address dozens of aspects of the language and culture, including radio and television, schooling, legal and business, but often there are too few resources to properly take on the issue. It is more often left up to the Irish speakers to promote their own language and pass their culture on to new generations of Irish citizens. A small community of people are now responsible for an entire nation's cultural revival.
![Media file: dscf1173.jpg](/sites/default/files/06-30-15/dscf1173.jpg "Eddie Lenihan, an Irish storyteller based in County Clare, says, "If we can become proud of it, rather than resentful of it, and say no, we’re not going to let it go because if we do, we’re letting go of part of what we had." Image by Anna Hoffman. Ireland, 2015.")
