A historical overview of the Irish language in Canada, including the pre- and post-famine periods, the decline of the language by 1900, and its limited modern revival. Whereas once Irish Gaelic was known and spoken by a strong number of Canadians across the country as their first and sometimes only language, today it is almost unknown and unheard of. The Gaelic-Canadian culture stretches back over half a millennium of history in North America, and connects further to the Celtic cultures and histories of Ireland and Scotland. Even before this, mythologies surround the crossing to the New World had long connected North American to Ireland. For Irish-speaking Canadians today, keeping the language live in Canada recognizes and preserves the unique Irish-Gaelic character of Canadian culture.