This book investigates the efficacy and social consequences of the Irish state's century-long effort to revive the Irish language as a primary national medium. Pádraig Ó Riagáin, a prominent researcher in language planning, utilizes a longitudinal framework to examine the transition from nineteenth-century decline to twentieth-century state-sponsored revitalization. By synthesizing demographic data and sociological theory, the author evaluates how bilingualism is maintained or lost within social structures over several generations.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of state policy and linguistic survival in post-colonial contexts. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous reliance on survey data to support the author's conclusions.