Irishiann.
/ˈʌɪrɪʃɪən/, /ʌɪˈrɪʃɪən/, U.S. /ˈaɪrɪʃiən/, /ˌaɪˈrɪʃiən/ A speaker or student of the Irish language; (more generally) a student of or expert in Irish culture.
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1829 G. Griffin Collegians I. ix. 76 Old Keys, the piper, gives it up to you of all the docthors going, for curing his eyesighth. And he has a great leaning to you, moreover, your such a fine Irishian.
1834 H. O'Brien Round Towers Ireland 255 His perseverance had rendered him the best Irishian of his age.
1897 Jrnl. Cork Hist. & Archæol. Soc. 3 25 This gentleman..forwarded my application to Mr. John Kiely, principal teacher at Cullin (who is also an Irishian) and asked his help.
1967 J. B. Keane Lett. of Successful TD (1968) i. 6 He has the life frightened out of the Irishians here. Not one of them can understand him.
1998 J. McKeon Frank O'Connor iii. 62 While Michael, full of enthusiasm, had wider European aims and ambitions, the ever-gentle Corkery was a staunch Irishian but a provincial to the end.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1829