Guide to Irish Languages Act
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Guide to Irish Languages Act
The Official Languages Act is a vital part of any public sector signage project in Ireland. The act ensures an equal status is given to both the Irish & English languages. This means that all wayfinding, signage and graphics must accordingly layout Irish and English with equal prominence.
Is it confusing?
It can be a little confusing for wayfinding signs, particularly directional types, where there is a large quantity of text in a confined space. We have some tricks to help deliver clear wayfinding to both Irish and English speakers:
1. Keep it simple
The less signs and the less text the easier it will be for users to differentiate between the two languages.
2. Make it bigger
It’s important that you increase your sign sizes in height to ensure adequate space for the two lines of text. Never ever ever shrink text disproportionately to make it fit
3. Different colours are fine!
Once each is of equal prominence (Calculate your LRV Values or call us if your not sure :)) you can use different colours to help your users clearly skim text and see which is Irish and which is English at a glance.
Who does it apply to?
The act applies to the following entities:
- Government departments and offices;
- Local authorities;
- Health Service Executive;
- Universities, other third-level institutions and vocational education committees;
- Agencies, boards and state companies (commercial and non-commercial).
We love the Irish Languages Act for helping us hold onto our cultural heritage (And of course we get to sell bigger more colourful signs, but who’s counting). If you’re confused by it then get in touch and we’ll be happy to talk you through adhering to the act. The House of the Oireachtas in Dublin trust us with their signage, so we think we’ve passed the test and you’ll be in good hands.
You can find full details of the Irish Languages Act and more government resources below.
The Official Languages Act is a vital part of any public sector signage project in Ireland. The act ensures an equal status is given to both the Irish & English languages. This means that all wayfinding, signage and graphics must accordingly layout Irish and English with equal prominence.
Is it confusing?
It can be a little confusing for wayfinding signs, particularly directional types, where there is a large quantity of text in a confined space. We have some tricks to help deliver clear wayfinding to both Irish and English speakers:
1. Keep it simple
The less signs and the less text the easier it will be for users to differentiate between the two languages.
2. Make it bigger
It’s important that you increase your sign sizes in height to ensure adequate space for the two lines of text. Never ever ever shrink text disproportionately to make it fit
3. Different colours are fine!
Once each is of equal prominence (Calculate your LRV Values or call us if your not sure :)) you can use different colours to help your users clearly skim text and see which is Irish and which is English at a glance.
Who does it apply to?
The act applies to the following entities:
- Government departments and offices;
- Local authorities;
- Health Service Executive;
- Universities, other third-level institutions and vocational education committees;
- Agencies, boards and state companies (commercial and non-commercial).
We love the Irish Languages Act for helping us hold onto our cultural heritage (And of course we get to sell bigger more colourful signs, but who’s counting). If you’re confused by it then get in touch and we’ll be happy to talk you through adhering to the act. The House of the Oireachtas in Dublin trust us with their signage, so we think we’ve passed the test and you’ll be in good hands.
You can find full details of the Irish Languages Act and more government resources below.
