Ní tír gan teanga.

There is no nation without a language.

Note: This is not so much a seanfhocal as it is a modern affirmation of the importance of the Irish language in defining Irish identity. The thought is that if a "nation" expresses itself using some other nation's tongue, then it really has no seperate identity at all.

Note also: The Irish word "teanga" has the primary meaning of "tongue". For obvious reasons it has the secondary meaning of "language" as also occurs in English.