Bi-lingual Signage at Queen’s: Interview With the Vice-President of An Cumann Gaelach
By Heidi Kidd
If you’ve been around campus recently, you’ve probably seen or heard about Irish language society around QUB campus. I met with Ádhamh Sterio, the Leas-Uachtarán (vice-president) of An Cumann Gaelach, to learn more about the campaign.
An Cumann Gaelach (https://www.instagram.com/cumanngaelachqub/?hl=en) is the Irish language society at QUB. An Cumann Gaelach ‘invites students from all walks of life to learn, practice and speak the Irish Language’ [1]
History of Irish language signage at QUB
Ádhamh discussed the history of Irish language signage on campus. The Student’s Union made the decision to remove Irish signage in 1997 [2]. At the time, Student Union president Cormac Bakewell said ‘this is a decision that is good for the Irish language and good for the Students’ Union’ [2]. An Cumann Gaelach disagrees with this sentiment. Ádhamh said that ‘the lack of Irish signage isn’t promoting a diverse or equal environment for students; it’s doing the opposite.’
What is the aim of the bi-lingual signage campaign?
The campaign’s aim is to get Irish language signage back on campus, through campaigning in a peaceful manner. In October of 2025, they did a sticker campaign, which involved putting stickers in Irish alongside English signs around QUB campus.
‘It was to improve visibility and to make it clear to QUB that we are sick of sitting around and waiting for them to do their job in regards inclusion and representation as a university.’
Ádhamh said that An Cumann Gaelach is reinforcing ‘following international best practice in terms of the promotion of minority indigenous languages.’
Ádhamh stressed how much the campaign revolves around ‘identity and inclusion.’
An Cumann Gaelach launched a petition to support the establishment of bi-lingual signage. I spoke with the events organizer officer of An Cumann Gaelach, Eoghan Ó Conghaile, and he reported there were more than 650 signatures supporting this cause. He maintained that this supports how the campaign is a student-led movement.
Ádhamh said that this underpins why Queen’s need to address the campaign and its cause, because it is supported by a wide number of Queen’s students.
‘Queen’s need to recognize the will of the student body.’
‘It’s disheartening that students don’t feel represented or listened to as well as we should be; we are entitled to express our cultural identity on campus.’
‘The current situation does not reflect the openness and willingness to support the language that Queen’s claim they have.’
Actions of the campaign
Alongside the sticker campaign, An Cumann Gaelach is in discussions with both QUB management and local representatives to try to reach a solution. He said they have received insight and rapport from politicians in the assembly and Belfast City Council.
Ádhamh informed me that ‘An Cumann Gaelach is yet to achieve any active input or solutions from Queen’s and the Students Union.’
‘Only recently has Queen’s put out an equality and inclusion statement, but it didn’t include anything about the Irish language which is extremely disappointing.’
During the plethora of meetings An Cumann Gaelach have had with Queen’s management, Ádhamh noted ‘they told us they were willing to co-operate and work with us, but we are yet to see proof of this promise.’
Ádhamh informed me of An Cumann Gaelach’s upcoming boycott. He told me that An Cumann Gaelach would be boycotting the Irish language commissioner Pól Deed’s (the Irish language commissioner), talk. This is part of the Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish language festival) events held at Queen’s.
‘I am doing this so the next generation of Queen’s student don’t have to fight for visibility of their language on campus, and that Irish speakers can be placed on the same level as Anglophones…’
‘There’s a lack of visibility, nothing Queen’s is doing is permanent it’s all temporary.’
Queen’s University has recently announced that tuition fees will go up again, from £4885 to £4985 [4]. Ádhamh commented that ‘tuition fees are going up again; we’re now going to be paying £4985 a year and still not be able to see our indigenous language around our campus.’
Adhamh commented on Ulster University’s recent installment of bi-lingual signage [5]:
‘Since when does Queen’s allow Ulster to set the precedent for representing their students?’
The de-politicization of a politicized language
Ádhamh stressed to me how important it was that Cumann Gaelach are not a political group. He said that ‘for so long, the Irish language has been politicized, Irish language for us is a cultural right not a cultural privilege.’
The Young Unionists society at Queen’s challenged the campaign. A statement was put up on their Instagram, stating ‘the cost of such signage is not something which we would want to see the University try to cover’ and ‘there are more pressing issues than cultural passion projects’ [6]. They expressed that ‘the language has been used by some as a political weapon’ [6].
I asked Ádhamh for comment on this, and he said that:
‘The language for me isn’t a political point-scoring method; it’s how I live my life, earn a living and communicate with my friends. It’s important on a personal level for the language I speak more than English, a language indigenous to this land, to be visible on campus for me.’
This highlights how disagreements on reasons behind the campaign rather than the campaign itself can cause tension around campus. How will Queen’s handle this polarizing issue and simultaneously ensure everyone is seen and heard?
Adhamh poignantly noted that ‘no-one is trying to make a political statement, we just want our native tongue, indigenous to this land, to be accepted on campus.’
Hopeful solution to a seemingly hopeless issue?
Irish language signage around Queen’s is part of a bigger picture than just words on wall. Many students feel that the refusal of Queen’s university and the Student’s Union to encourage the Irish language in this way is not fostering an inclusive university campus. On the contrary, others feel that introducing bilingual signage reduces neutrality in the atmosphere around QUB: a force for unearthing political disputes. The question arises; to what extent does Queen’s University’s refusal to institute bi-lingual signage revive controversy rather than solve it? Would putting up bi-lingual signage cause uneasiness and political disturbances, or would it allow a community to feel seen through the acknowledgement of a language indigenous to the area? In the coming months, we will see QUB’s response.
Sources
- Students Union website: https://home.q-su.org/clubssocieties/ancumanngaelach/
- RTE archives: https://www.rte.ie/archives/2022/0722/1311680-queens-university-drops-irish-signs/
- Official website of the Government of Ireland: https://www.ireland.ie/en/visit/seachtain-na-gaeilge/
- Queen’s University Belfast website: https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/Tuition-fees/#full-time-undergraduate-fees-953428-1
- Belfast Telegraph: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/ulster-university-to-introduce-irish-language-signs-at-students-union/a/115866482.html
- Young Unionists society, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qub_youngunionists/
