The Grand Bard goes online.

The article focuses on the Cornish language. Cornish is indubitably the weakest of the surviving Celtic tongues, with only a few hundred fluent speakers. Manx, in the Isle of Man, has been revived more successfully, and many thousands speak the ancient languages of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales. It is also plagued by squabbles, particularly among the academics specialising in Cornish. There are four rival versions of the written language, each with differing degrees of authenticity, ease of use, and linguistic consistency. But Cornish is growing. When Henry Jenner started reviving it in 1896 he and his wife were the only people to speak it fluently. An increasing number are overseas. One teacher in Australia, which has an active Cornish diaspora, boasts a class of 15 students. The internet has helped, making BBC Radio Cornwall's weekly five-minute Cornish-language news bulletin available online. Cornish is still more hobby than culture, although a few dedicated families have raised their children as native Cornish-speakers. There are the beginnings of official recognition from both the European Union and Whitehall.