Green English

Although English has been spoken in Ireland for eight centuries and used creatively in literature for over six centuries, Irish speakers did not simply adopt English. The Irish grafted English onto their native Gaelic, making it capable of expressing an Irish culture and worldview. This book explores the origins and development of the English language in Ireland; how Irish emigrants, missionaries and writers have influenced English worldwide; how it is used; and how the loss of a mother tongue can affect a nation's psyche.