New Decade, No New Approach to Irish Language?
By Andrew Colgan
Cultural Debate and a New Agreement
In Northern Ireland, we are far from unfamiliar to discourse and disagreement on the cultural arrangements of our very distinct constitutional makeup. The contemporary world we live in today allows us all the freedom to express our every thought on a widespread scale not known to our predecessors, but does this allow us as a society to progress on the events of history?
Five years on from the “New Decade, New Approach” Agreement (NDNA)¹, Stormont has made some progress on the promises made in relation to the Irish language, but criticism of the delivery has seen both sides of the argument embroiled in debate.
The agreement, which was signed in January 2020, was born as a result of 3 years of political stagnation and dysfunction and sought to mend the withering democratic functions of the Assembly. Discourse has become more contentious in recent weeks following a recent announcement from the Department for Infrastructure regarding new Gaeilge signage within the department’s most recent signature project, Belfast Grand Central Station².
Legislative Milestones and Political Resistance
The proposed plan is already shaking the foundations of the metaphorical mud-house we know as parliament and wider discussions have been taking place throughout NI about the importance of the language. This leads us to question the effectiveness of the agreement and the issues surrounding the language while posing the question of the effectiveness of the framework and to wonder why is Irish as a language so contentious?
The NDNA Agreement has arguably resulted in major milestones for Irish speakers with the language being officially recognised in the north following Westminster enacting the “Identity and Language (NI Act)” in 2022³. Stalemate within the Assembly prevented the issue from being legislated in NI but was mandated by the NDNA framework and such business took place.
While generally there wasn’t much opposition to the legislation at the time, the BBC reported that former Democratic Unionist Party leader and now Speaker, Edwin Poots⁴ “intends to support Irish language legislation, but not necessarily before the next assembly election” and the result of this approach led to the expiration of time for the mandated agreement and thus diverted the issue to Westminster.
Shifting Party Positions and Lingering Distrust
The party has historically opposed the promotion of Gaeilge but a notable shift in the position of the party on Irish has been observed particularly since the most recent Assembly Elections in 2024. In a visit to Gaelscoil Aodha Rua, an Irish medium school in Dungannon, the Minister for Education, Paul Givan, expressed his desire for Irish to be more inclusive and less to do with political ambition⁵.
“I think it’s important that, politically, we say that the Irish language should not be something that is politicised, that it is something that I believe can be a shared language for everybody in Northern Ireland.”
Whilst this shift indicates a more relaxed approach the matter, Sinn Fein has historically strongly argued in favour of provisions for the language and has previously criticised the DUP for it’s approach, arguing that the party has malintent in regards to the language. A Sinn Fein party officer told the BBC: “We believe they are acting in bad faith. We do not believe they will deliver on the Irish language legislation.”⁶
Campus Demonstrations and Cultural Clash
Despite shifts in the DUP’s rhetoric indicating a softer approach to the language, distrust around the matter has not ceased, particularly within the unionist community. The idea that the language is used a political vehicle for nationalism is often heard within the discourse and this argument has become more prevalent within one of NI’s most prominent universities, Queens University Belfast.
In recent weeks, An Cumann Gaelach, the university’s Irish language society staged a demonstration at the gates of the institution in demand of more visibility for the language throughout the campus. The demonstration saw more than 100 attendees and received criticism from the QUB Ulster Young Unionists who argued the demonstration represented a “cultural passion project”. Jay Basra, who is from the QUB Ulster Young Unionists, provided the following comment:
“For many, myself included, this represents an unnecessary expense at a time when the university is facing real financial pressures. We have already witnessed job losses and the ongoing struggle to implement initiatives like the period poverty scheme across all schools—something which, during my time on Student Council, was attributed to limited funding. In this context, any available resources should be focused on enhancing the student experience, not signage.”
Language as Identity, Culture, and Craic
The university as a whole has been dubbed by some unionists a political cold-house for unionism, but this has also been met with criticism from Gaeilge speakers who believe the university should be doing more to promote the language.
“An Cumann Gaelach believes that QUB cannot be a neutral nor shared space as long as it remains a monolingual one and as long as Irish speakers continue to be marginalised.
Irish speaker and Masters student Cathal McStay also provided the following comment in relation to the matter:
“The Irish language is for everybody, it’s part of a rich culture and history that is the right of everyone on this island not just one community. Not only that having more than one language gives you skills that are invaluable to learning and development. More than that it’s all a bit of craic with different Irish language events across Belfast from ceilies to quizzes”
“Tá an Ghaeilge ann do achan duine, is cuid í den chultúr agus stair shaibhir atá mar cheart ag gach duine ar an oileán seo, ní hamháin ag pobal amháin. Ní hamháin sin, tugann níos mó ná teanga amháin scileanna luachmhara duit le haghaidh foghlama agus forbartha. Lena chois sin, is spraoi glan atá ann le himeachtaí Gaeilge éagsúla ar fud Bhéal Feirste, ó chéilithe go tráth na gceist.”
Conclusion: Progress or Peril?
The protest alone indicates a thirst for language provisions as a whole but also highlights a political fault line within the university and the wider communities within NI. Resistance to the language – in particular from the unionist community – highlights that there is still progress to be made and that the NDNA Agreement may need to be updated before half the decade has elapsed. Has our new approach to Gaeilge benefited the language? Share your thoughts below, or on any of our social media.
Sources
1 UK Government, New Decade, New Approach, January 8, 2020, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e178b56ed915d3b06f2b795/2020-01-08_a_new_decade__a_new_approach.pdf.
2 Mark Bain, “UUP Leader Criticises NI Secretary’s ‘Fuss’ Comments on Irish Language,” Belfast Telegraph, April 17, 2024, https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/uup-leader-criticises-ni-secretarys-fuss-comments-on-irish-language/a428702012.html.
3 BBC News, “Irish Language: Westminster to Introduce Law in Autumn,” BBC News, June 17, 2021, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57464224.
4 UK Parliament, “Queen’s Speech 2022: Devolved Affairs,” House of Lords Library, May 11, 2022, https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/queens-speech-2022-devolved-affairs/
5 Cate McCurry, “Irish Language Should Be Shared by All in Northern Ireland, Says DUP Minister,” BreakingNews.ie, March 6, 2024, https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/irish-language-should-be-shared-by-all-in-northern-ireland-says-dup-minister-1597661.html.
6 BBC News, “Sinn Féin Accuses DUP of Acting in Bad Faith over Irish Language,” BBC News, June 12, 2021, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57460586.
