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STORMONT’S DUP EDUCATION minister has said Irish should be a shared language for everybody in Northern Ireland.
Paul Givan vowed to advocate on behalf of the sector as he visited an Irish language primary school in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
Givan spoke some words of Irish during his visit to Gaelscoil Aodha Rua, including maidin mhaith (good morning), and also took part in a traditional céilí dance with pupils in the playground.
The Lagan Valley MLA said he was “delighted” to attend the school.
“As Education Minister, I said from day one that I would be a Minister of Education for everybody in Northern Ireland, across all of our sectors,” he said.
“And that includes the Irish medium. And I think it’s important for me to be here today to send out that message that I will be a minister for all of the various sectors within education and I will advocate on behalf of the Irish medium sector.”
Givan, a former Stormont first minister, then reflected on the language and its place within society in Northern Ireland.
“When you look at the history of the Irish language, it was Presbyterians that came from Scotland that kept the language alive,” he said.
“And I think it’s important that we remember that the language isn’t unique to one particular community in Northern Ireland. It does have value right across our community. And we think of even the townlands and the names of our places have a steep history in the Irish language.
“So 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.”
In 2016, Givan tried gaelic football on a visit to a GAA club in Lisburn as Stormont communities minister.
However, he also created controversy in that role in the same year when he axed a bursary scheme for children to attend Irish language classes in Co Donegal. That funding decision was ultimately reversed.
Gaelscoil Aodha Rua has grown from 12 pupils when it first opened 13 years ago to 135 this year. The school has had a business case approved for a new building and is awaiting funding for the construction.
Principal Mona Uí Dhochartaigh hosted Givan on his visit, teaching him some Irish phrases and partnering him for the céilí swing dance.
She described him as a “great sport”.
“I think he has enjoyed the visit, most importantly the céilí swing and he was very proficient at his ceili dancing,” she said.
“So I think that gives us great hope for the future moving forward in a new climate of politics here.”
Uí Dhochartaigh expressed hope that the DUP minister would “take care of the children in the Irish medium sector in a fair and equitable manner”.
I never thought I would see the day! Well Done! A long way to go but SO much done. (Maybe Netanyahu should visit N.I. to see what could be achieved?)
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Yes, Netanyahu et al. could learn from going past “the of politics of the latest atrocity” and promoting “parity of esteem.” I’m not sure why our foreign affairs department is not more engaged in sharing our experiences in Israel/Palestine.
@Sean Sean: I think they are, but the terrorist state of Israel refuse to listen or don’t want to
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: maybe the Palestinian terrorist should do the same
More of this please, from both sides.
@Ian: Irish speakers do not object to the erection of bilingual street signs containing the dialect of English referred to as ‘Ulster Scots’. They have that in Newtownards, (“Fair fa ye to the Airds”), a predominantly unionist town, yet the nationalists on the council didn’t lose their minds over it the way the DUP/TUV do in Belfast. When you look in from a fair distance, like most of you do, you’re rarely seeing the whole picture. Incidentally, Irish people wanting bilingual street signs that represent their national language is not controversial. The feigned “offence” by unionists is. I’m subjected to English every day, but I don’t whine about it to the council, nor does it make the flesh fall off my bones and I don’t allow it to distract me from speaking Irish, French, Italian or Spanish whenever I have reason to. Adopting a moralistic stance never solves problems. And too many of you are too ready to do just that. Problems are solved by persistent on-the-ground work, good faith and perseverance, kinda like the Shinners do. They’re good at their political craft, the Shinners, more than can be said about other political parties. I would trust no other Irish nationalist party before SF at this point in time. If we relied on FFFG and SDLP for freedom for Irish people in the six counties, we’d have another 800 years to wait. Go raibh maith agaibh, ach is fearr linn bealach eile, bealach gasta.
Good on you Givan.
Thumbs up on that, all doh he was doing his job, I never thought I would see the day.
Very surprising in a good way. Unionism must evolve if we’re ever going to have unification. Up with this sort of thing
Mr. Givan’s surname has interesting roots in Scotland ” Mac Ghille Fhinneain” – son of the servant of an Irish monk, St Finnan of Lindesfarne. Ní neart go cur le chéile
Then they shouldn’t waste public money objecting to bilingual street signs containing Irish in streets where the residents have consented in sufficient numbers, perhaps?
One wonders do their brains explode when on holiday abroad where those pesky foreigners insist on using their own languages, or is that reserved only for everything Irish?
Well done. Tolerance of others is a necessity in any community. SF please note.
Jesus that made me feel good
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