The Gaels (; ), also known as Goidels, are an ethnic group indigenous to northwestern Europe. They are associated with the Gaelic languages; a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish (Munster Irish, Connacht Irish, Ulster Irish), Manx and Scottish Gaelic. Other terms associated with the Gaels include Irish and Scots, but the scope of those nationalities is today more complex. Gaelic language and culture originated in Ireland, extending to Dál Riata in southwest Scotland. In the Middle Ages it became dominant throughout Scotland and the Isle of Man also. However, in most areas, the Gaels were gradually anglicized and the Gaelic languages supplanted by English. The modern descendents of the Gaels have spread throughout much of Great Britain and as far as the Americas and Oceania.
