Welsh and Gaelic

Most of Britain was inhabited by Celts until the fourth century. Their languages were not related to English. In the fourth century the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain from Northern Germany and Denmark, and their language formed the basis of the English we speak today. The Anglo-Saxons drove the Celts into the mountainous west of Britain. Two Celtic languages survive there: Welsh and Gaelic. Welsh is spoken by half a million people, 20 per cent of the population of Wales. The western counties of Wales are at least 50 per cent Welsh-speaking. Welsh and English are both official languages in Wales.

Gaelic is used in the Republic of Ireland, where it is the first official language, and in Scotland. Although over a million people claim some knowledge of Irish Gaelic, it is habitually spoken by only about 15,000 people in the far west of Ireland. Scots Gaelic is spoken by 80,000 people in the hills and islands of the west of Scotland, but it has no official status.

Nearly all Welsh and Gaelic speakers are bilingual, although most would think of English as their second language.

The Scottish and Welsh are proud and independent people. In recent years there have been attempts at devolution in the two countries, particularly in Scotland where the Scottish Nationalist Party was very strong for a while. However, in a referendum in 1979 the Welsh rejected devolution and in 1979 the Scots did the same. So it seems that most Welsh and Scottish people are happy to form part of the UK even though they sometimes complain that they are dominated by England, and particularly by London.

The whole of Ireland was united with Great Britain from 1801 up until 1922. In that year the independent Republic of Ireland was formed in the South, while Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St David is the patron saint of Wales.