Conradh na Gaeilge hosts Action Forums to organise Irish-language communities for May Election
Conradh na Gaeilge is hosting open action forums in the north to agree on specific actions to promote Irish-language commitments in the May 2016 Election. There are a series of meetings planned across six areas in the north, and Conradh na Gaeilge is calling on parties to support these commitments prior to the election.
Conradh na Gaeilge has organised two action forums each week for the coming three weeks. They begin tonight, Wednesday (6 April 2016) – in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on the Falls Road in Belfast, at 7.45pm; and another meeting will take place tomorrow night, Thursday (7 April 2016), in The Old Bank House, Western House, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone at 7.00pm.
Other meetings have been planned for An Carn, Maghera, Co. Derry, at 7.00pm Wednesday 13th April 2016; in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in Derry City, at 5.30pm Thursday 14th April; in Strule Arts Centre, Omagh at 9pm Wednesday 20th April; and finally in Gaeláras Mhic Ardghail in Newry, Thursday 21st April at 7pm.
The 3 Main Commitments for the Irish language in the north are:
- An additional investment of £2.6 million in an Irish-language plan to expand the use of Irish and to create new jobs
- A Minister for Communities that is supportive of the Irish language and able to promote the wishes of Irish speakers
- A Minister for Education who supports Irish in the education system and who ensures the continued development of the Irish-medium education sector
Cóilín Ó Cearbhaill, President of Conradh na Gaeilge says:
“Conradh na Gaeilge is asking local voters – those that are fluent Irish speakers, those that are learning Irish, or indeed those that support the language in any way – to put these commitments to all the candidates standing for election in their own constituency.”
Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, Advocacy Manager, Conradh na Gaeilge says:
“Ní neart go cur le chéile - there is strength in unity, and politicians will listen to their local communities if each and every candidate that comes to the door is questioned about whether or not he or she officially supports these commitments for the Irish language.”
“The importance of these commitments to the Irish language community will be emphasised in the public meetings organised by Conradh na Gaeilge. We recognise both the Department of Education and the soon-to-be-formed Department of Communities as priorities for the Irish language in the upcoming election. We are calling on the public to come together to help promote these commitments, especially now that both the Irish Language Act and Strategy in the north have recently been rejected by the Executive.”
Following these action forums, Conradh na Gaeilge will share information with local communities in each constituency in relation to every candidate and political party officially supporting the Irish language, prior to the election.
If any community group would like to help the Conradh to organise an action forum in their own area, they can contact Conradh na Gaeilge’s Belfast office at
2016 ELECTION:
Irish-Language & Gaeltacht Commitments:
Over 80 Irish-language community and Gaeltacht groups, along with relevant authorities and their funding authorities, have agreed an all-Ireland investment plan that could create over 1,160 jobs and provide a huge variety of opportunities for the public to use the Irish language, and the groups are calling on all political parties to include the specific commitments in their election manifestos: http://bit.ly/pleaninfheistiochta
The community and all-island organisations are also looking for representative commitments to ensure that the investment plan is acted upon, including the appointment of Senior Ministers north and south to act on behalf of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht and to ensure that the plan is well managed and implemented in full: http://bit.ly/beartaionadaiochta
The 3 Main Commitments for the Irish language in the north are:
- An additional investment of £2.6 million in an Irish-language plan to expand the use of Irish and to create new jobs
- A Minister for Communities that is supportive of the Irish language and able to promote the wishes of Irish speakers
- A Minister for Education who supports Irish in the education system and who ensures the continued development of the Irish-medium education sector
Did you know?
- According to the 2011 census, 10.6% of the population have some level of proficiency in the Irish language
- More than 17,000 people have signed up to the Líofa project to learn Irish
- 54% of people in the north believe that services should be available through Irish for those who wish to use them (Céard é an Scéal? Conradh na Gaeilge, 2015)
- Interest in Irish and the use of the language is continuously growing, especially amongst young people. For example, over 1 million people have recently listened to the famous celebrity Ed Sheeran singing in Irish.
- There are more than 5,000 children currently in the Irish-medium education system, with thousands of others learning Irish as a second language in other schools
- The investment plan proposed above will cater for this growing and developing community through:
- Providing an comprehensive programme of usage and learning
- Funding for Irish language centres in towns across the island
- Providing Gaeltacht scholarships for young people and families
*N.B. The additional funding that is needed for the investment plan is €5 million less than the funding made available for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in 2008
- The investment plan and the additional political structures that we are looking for will help achieve the vision for the Irish language as envisaged by the rebellion generation and will properly commemorate 1916.
Further information on the commitments being sought by Conradh na Gaeilge and the Irish-language and Gaeltacht community is available by emailing
