A Quiet Protest for Gaelige: An Cumann Gaelach’s Sticker Protest
By Melissandre St Hilaire
Here at Queen’s University Belfast, the long-standing debate over the place of the Irish language has resurfaced once again – this time through stickers spread across campus, displaying Irish translations alongside their English counterparts, an initiative led by Irish language society An Cumann Gaelach (ACG).
Since its establishment in 1906, ACG has organised demonstrations attracting hundreds of students and staff in opposition to what they describe as a “monolingual campus” [1].
In response, the QUB Ulster Young Unionists, who felt that Queen’s faces much “more pressing issues than cultural passion projects” especially in a time of hefty budget cuts across all departments [2] advocate for money to be directed to services directly supporting students, such as ‘Period Dignity @ Queen’s’, providing free products in campus bathrooms in collaboration with the Students’ Union and Estates Directorate [3]. A seemingly financial disparity points to a deeper and complex cultural issue that has been brewing for generations.
Almost sixty years ago, the Language Freedom Movement, a pressure group from Dublin, travelled to Belfast to attend a debate opposing the compulsory teaching of the Irish language. ‘The Irish Language – Should the effort to Revive it be abandoned’ meeting was hosted at Queen’s, inviting An Cumann Gaelach along with an array of unexpected visitors from local Belfast Irish-language supporter groups [4]. The event quickly turned into ‘heckling, shouting and scuffles’ requiring police presence and was ultimately suspended [5]. Two decades later, the Students’ Union voted in a dual-language signage policy, but it was overturned following recommendations made by the Fair Employment Commission (FEC). FEC chairman, Bob Cooper, claimed that the signs had led to a “chill factor” among protestant students, which did not favour the “neutral” environment that Queen’s aims to foster [6]. Therefore, the Union had “no other choice but to remove the signs from the building,” which up until now have remained solely in English [6].
Such back and forth, described as “decades of inaction”, has led ACG members to initiate a discreet campaign across Queen’s this autumn [7]. As Eoghan notes, such a simple act increases the “visibility” of the Irish language, which creates a shared space” within the university. Its absence, he argues, erases the “rich history and culture that exists on the island” [8]. Jay Basra, chairman of the QUB Ulster Young Unionists, shares his view in a letter posted on social media addressed to the Students’ Union president describing how Queen’s felt like a “cold house,” noting that Irish dual-signage is “an inherently political issue in Northern Ireland” that disregards its “impact on inclusivity” [9]. The linguistic activism, in his view, demonstrates an “imbalance” reinforcing the perception that the Union “prioritizes particular political agendas over fair representation of all students”. Basra cites a recent referendum where only 10% of students supported the use of the Irish Language, which he writes, the stickers seem “redundant” since they would be removed anyway. [9]
This visibility issue is not one contained to Queen’s, but is a complex, persistent challenge, displayed against a backdrop of an Irish language revival. Attributable to rap group Kneecap, who have put Irish back in the spotlight via their socially conscious lyrics in both languages. Just this term, Queen’s has witnessed a surge in students seeking to learn Irish, reporting a 277% increase, and has introduced a new language course [10]. This is in addition to employing a new part-time Irish language officer.
Although there are no future formal plans for dual signage, this act of quiet activism is another recent example amongst a much louder call to bring back the Irish language. Queen’s campus hosts duelling perspectives. For some, a “cold house” and for others a “vacuum for cross-community relations” [8]. Whether the university will and by what means respond to either claim has yet to be determined.
References:
[1] Preston, Allan, ‘Queen’s University student group launches bi-lingual signs ‘sticker’ protest at ‘monolingual’ campus’ Irish News, October 27 2025. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/queens-university-student-group-launches-bi-lingual-signs-sticker-protest-at-monolingual-campus-H6CQOZVEEBHGBMH4VP66LKPZC4/
[2] Gouveia, Flavia, ‘QUB Irish language group rejects claims that campaign for dual language signs on campus is ‘cultural passion project’’, Belfast Telegraph, April 10 2025. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/qub-irish-language-group-rejects-claims-that-campaign-for-dual-language-signs-on-campus-is-cultural-passion-project/a1666355953.html
[3] Gray, Ian, ‘Queen’s ‘cold house for unionists’ fear as Irish language campaigns hit campus – group ignoring university unionists, says body’, Belfast News Letter, April 10 2025. https://www.newsletter.co.uk/education/queens-cold-house-for-unionists-fear-as-irish-language-campaign-hit-campus-group-ignoring-university-unionists-says-body-5077067#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20cost%20of%20such%20signage,issues%20than%20cultural%20passion%20projects.%E2%80%9D
[4] Irish Independent (Archive), November 3 1966. https://irishnewsarchive.com/?a=d&d=IND19661103.1.21&srpos=22&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN-Irish+independent+November+3+1966———1-1-1-1-1-1-community——-INA-mr-all-
[5] Irish Press (Archive), November 3 1966. https://irishnewsarchive.com/?a=d&d=IPR19661103.1.2&srpos=26&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN-Irish+Press+November+3+1966———1-1-1-1-1-1-community——-INA-mr-all-
[6] Breen, Susan, ‘Students Union ‘had no choice’ in removing Irish signs at Queen’s’, The Irish Times, August 20 1997. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/students-union-had-no-choice-in-removing-irish-signs-at-queen-s-1.98403
[7] The Tab – https://thetab.com/2025/10/29/queens-university-students-launch-irish-english-sticker-protest-over-monolingual-campus
[8] Smyth, Nicola, ‘A Bilingual University: Interview with Au Cumann Gaelach’, The Gown, December 5 2019.
[9] Basra, Jay, ‘Today I have written to the Queen’s Students’ Union…’, UUP Facebook, October 3 2025. https://www.facebook.com/JayBasra.UUP2023/posts/today-i-have-written-to-the-queens-students-union-president-about-how-the-su-has/1575302663851384/
[10] Jones, Charlie, ‘Irish language revival sparks 227% rise in course registrations at popular university’, Irish Star, November 5 2025. https://www.irishstar.com/news/irish-language-revival-sparks-227-36196490?error=true
