Irish Interpreter

Prism Language Solutions supplies Irish-language interpreters, for Gaeilge rather than the English of Ireland, for court hearings, depositions, medical appointments, USCIS interviews and ceremonies across the United States. Most sessions run by video or phone. We ask which part of Ireland the speaker comes from, Munster, Connacht or Ulster, before assigning an interpreter, and we confirm the job with a fixed written quote.

Irish is the first official language of Ireland under its constitution, and it is the daily language of home and community in the Gaeltacht districts along the western and southern coasts. Ireland's 2022 census counted 20,261 people there who spoke Irish every day outside the education system. In the United States, requests for an Irish interpreter are rare, and nearly every one we see reflects a clear decision to use the language rather than a general need for help: a witness who wants to answer in Irish, a recording that has to reach the record, a family who wants an important conversation held in the language of home.

• Certified translations prepared to meet USCIS requirements
• Human linguists only, matched to the subject
• Fixed written quote within 60 minutes in business hours
• One office in New York, linguists in every state

Irish Interpreter Dialects: Munster, Connacht and Ulster Irish

Irish has a standard written form, An Caighdean Oifigiuil, while spoken Irish lives in its dialects. The three main dialect groups, Munster in the south, Connacht in the west and Ulster in Donegal, differ in pronunciation, vocabulary and some grammar, enough that an interpreter from one region can mishear a speaker from another in fast testimony. A Kerry speaker and a Donegal speaker will each be better served by an interpreter who knows their Irish.

So the first question on an Irish booking is the county or Gaeltacht area the person comes from. We use the answer to pick the interpreter, and if the right dialect match is not available on your date we say so in the quote.

Irish Court Interpreter for Testimony and Recorded Evidence

No US state tests court interpreters in Irish, so where a court allows a witness to testify in Irish, the judge qualifies the interpreter on the record, and whether an interpreter is appointed is the court's decision. More often the need is a piece of evidence: a voicemail, an interview recording or an earlier statement in Irish that has to be interpreted or transcribed and translated for the court. We handle both, and for recordings we assign someone whose dialect matches the speakers on the tape.

Depositions for civil cases with an Irish-language witness follow the same pattern and usually run by video. Send the exhibits and names before the session. More on our court interpreting page.

Irish Medical Interpreter for Patients and Families

Federally funded hospitals and clinics owe free language assistance to patients with limited English proficiency, and beyond that obligation a family can book an Irish interpreter privately. The Irish requests we see tend to involve a relative visiting from a Gaeltacht area, or a family who want a diagnosis, a consent discussion or end-of-life planning conducted in Irish because that is where the patient speaks most exactly. Video suits most of these conversations and connects quickly. See medical interpreting.

Irish Interpreter for Ceremonies, Events and Interviews

Some Irish work has nothing to do with courts or clinics. Couples book an Irish interpreter so relatives from the Gaeltacht can follow a wedding, cultural organizations book one for a talk or a reading, and researchers need one for oral history interviews. For a live event, share the program and any texts that will be read aloud. A recorded interview is better handled as transcription and translation, which our Irish translation services page covers along with certificates, wills and letters.

When an applicant brings an Irish interpreter to a USCIS interview, ours renders each answer exactly as given and adds nothing. See USCIS interview interpreting.

Booking an Irish Interpreter by Video or Phone

Because Irish interpreters working to a professional standard are few in the United States, video remote interpreting is the practical default and lets us choose the right dialect without waiting for travel. Phone interpreting fits a short call. In-person work can be arranged for some events with notice, priced against the typical US market range of $45 to $95 an hour with a two-hour minimum, plus travel; the pricing page lists guide figures.

For an Irish quote, give the date, the setting, the length and the speaker's region on the quote form, and you have a fixed written price within 60 minutes in business hours. Anything urgent goes to +1 (833) 282 8883, staffed day and night.

Questions we get asked