All languages naturally contain variation. Within Irish, there are three main surviving historical dialects: Munster in the south-west, Connacht in the mid-coastal west, and Ulster in the north-west. Within each primary dialect there are sub-dialects, and Irish speakers throughout Ireland often borrow words or phrases from other dialects, making these linguistic boundaries somewhat fluid. 

It is widely recommended that an aspiring Irish language speaker should choose one dialect as a focal point for their own language development. However, it is equally important to become familiar with all dialects of the language and be able to, over time, understand all modern dialects of spoken Irish. That is one reason why meeting and speaking with a large variety of Irish speakers is so important for learners, as it allows for maximum exposure to the variety within the language. 

The dialect of Irish that we speak is Ulster Irish, but we have the good fortune of being given the opportunity to learn from and speak with Irish speakers from all over the country. Thus, we welcome speakers of any dialect, and encourage learners to come to our conversation groups with open ears and an open mind, to learn as much as they can from all speakers of this shared language we love.