An exploration of the evolution of a nation and a language: English was grafted onto a Gaelic stem and was the language of wealth in Ireland for centuries.

English is now the most widely spoken language on the planet. Although it has been spoken in Ireland for eight centuries and used creatively in literature for over six centuries, Irish speakers did not simply adopt English. They grafted it onto a Gaelic stem, making it capable of expressing an Irish culture and world view.

This book explores the origins and development of English in Ireland; how emigrants, missionaries and writers have influenced English worldwide; how the loss of a mother tongue can affect a nation's psyche; it also asks if the loss has been accompanied by abundant recompense.

Updated to include a dictionary of commonly-used words with Irish origins.