The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx.

Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man.

In modern times, as the Goidelic languages have been significantly replaced by English, the term "Gael" is also used for modern Irish or Scottish Celts regardless of their language.The Goidelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other being Brythonic.