Zero opposition towards the Irish language in Northern Ireland among 18 to 24-year-olds, survey finds

There is zero opposition to Irish language from 18 to 24-year-olds in Northern Ireland, according to a new survey.

The Irish Language Attitudes Survey 2025 released by Foras na Gaeilge, alongside Trinity College, reveals, for the first time, majority support for the Irish language in Northern Ireland in what organisers say is driven by a “significant generational shift” among those born after the Good Friday Agreement.

The survey was launched at Stormont on Thursday in an event attended by Justice minister and Alliance Party leader, Naomi Long.

The report was carried out during the summer of 2025 and authored by researchers in Trinity, and is the third in a series of all-island surveys commissioned by Foras na Gaeilge

The authors of the report say that around 500 people adult participants in the north were surveyed as part of the research.

In the findings, no respondents aged 18–24 reported any opposition to the language, while 64% of this age group said they were in favour of Irish. Across the wider population in the north, a majority (55%) now supports Irish for the first time, up from 45% in 2013.

Only 3% of all those surveyed indicated they were “strongly opposed” to the Irish language.

Despite the increasing support for the language shown in the survey, levels of fluency in Irish in the north remain relatively low. Just under one in five respondents (19%) reported at least basic fluency in the language and only a small minority (2%) reported having advanced fluency.

Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the island of Ireland, said the results show “a clear pattern of improving attitudes to Irish in the north, which contrasts sharply with how the issue is sometimes portrayed”.

The Justice minister said renewed interest in the Irish language “transcends the division in our society”.

“Whilst the Irish language is often discussed in the context of contention in our society, I believe that it is increasingly recognised as part of our shared cultural wealth,” Ms Long said.

“The language has shaped our sense of place, with many place names deriving from the original Irish.

“The renewed interest in Irish in the Good Friday generation also transcends the divisions in our society, reflecting the freedom people now have to explore their identity and culture with confidence.”