English has been spoken in Ireland for over 800 years, making Irish English the oldest variety of the language outside Britain. This 2007 book traces the development of English in Ireland, both north and south, from the late Middle Ages to the present day. Drawing on authentic data ranging from medieval literature to authentic contemporary examples, it reveals how Irish English arose, how it has developed, and how it continues to change. A variety of central issues are considered in detail, such as the nature of language contact and the shift from Irish to English, the sociolinguistically motivated changes in present-day Dublin English, the special features of Ulster Scots, and the transportation of Irish English to overseas locations as diverse as Canada, the United States, and Australia. Presenting a comprehensive survey of Irish English at all levels of linguistics, this book will be invaluable to historical linguists, sociolinguists, syntacticians and phonologists alike.

'Raymond Hickey's Irish English is a work of impressive scholarship, very well documented and thoroughly researched. Together with the same author's invaluable Source Book for Irish English (Hickey, 2002), corpus of Irish English (Hickey, 2003), Sound Atlas of Irish English (Hickey, 2004),and … study of Dublin English (Hickey, 2005), this book constitutes a definitive account of the historical development and present-day situation of Ir.E., and signposts directions for possible future research into language change and language contact in Ireland.'

Source: Journal of Sociolinguistics

'All in all, RH's book is an indispensable source of information to anyone interested in Irish English and its distinctive features. As a one-man project, it is a real tour de force on the part of the author and must have demanded an exceptional amount of work and dedication.'

Markku Filppula Source: The Journal of English Language and Linguistics