Gaeltarra Éireann (Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡeːl̪ˠt̪ˠaɾˠə ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ]) was an Irish state industrial development agency set up in 1957 specifically for the Gaeltacht – the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland.
[1][failed verification] Gaeltarra Éireann was replaced in 1980 by the newly formed agency Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Gaeltarra's approach to the task at hand was centered on the belief that there had to be some sort of an urban focus in the Gaeltacht, something that would attract inward industrial investment and keep young people in the area.
Gaeltarra Éireann stated that it picked these two locations as they were, according to the census, the strongest districts linguistically (in terms of Irish), and they sought to "raise the flag" as it were and possibly encourage other people in slightly weaker Gaeltacht areas to continue to speak the language.
They attracted business into small rural communities on the western fringes of Europe, in areas that had previously been suffering from a long-term economic decline and depopulation.