Please join us for an important event in Washington, DC to highlight the need for rights-based protection for Irish language speakers in the North of Ireland.  This is a non-partisan event sponsored by the IAUC, AOH, INA, Irish American Republicans, Irish American Democrats, and the Brehon Law Society.

Congressional Briefing on Irish Language Equality & the Irish Peace Process

Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-340 Washington, DC

The Irish language is at the center of the contemporary struggle for equality in the north of Ireland and is an issue of primary importance to the Irish peace process yet to be resolved.  Irish speakers are penalized under policies like the obsolete 1737 Administration of Justice (Ireland) Act, which prohibits the use of Irish in the court system. In addition, we believe that the lack of government funding and support is choking economic renewal and investment opportunities related to the Irish language, particulary in marginalized communities. We believes that the Irish Language Act will create an opportunity for the growth of the language and for the provision of services to current speakers.

On May 4th we will host an educational panel discussion featuring Janet Muller, Chief Executive of POBAL; Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Managing Director, Belfast Media Group and Publisher, Irish Echo; Micheál Duibh, Development Officer of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (the Council for Irish Medium Education); and Domhnall Ó Cathain of the Brehon Law Society. Please join us for this opportunity to educate the Congressional community and provide suggestions on how Congress can support American and Irish interest in this important equality issue.

Janet Muller is the Chief Executive of POBAL, the non-governmental umbrella organisation for the Irish speaking community in the north of Ireland. She is responsible for the organisation’s strategic direction in relation to advocacy work and community development. She has spearheaded the initiative to establish an Irish Language Act for the north and been active in work around the Bill of Rights NI and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. She has overseen the drafting of POBAL’s monitoring and research reports on the first nine years of implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. She has researched legislative and planning initiatives nationally and internationally as well as studying and promoting models of good practice. She has a PhD from the University of Ulster and will shortly publish her first book, on conflict resolution and language policy in planning. She has been invited as an expert by the Council of Europe to conferences in different parts of Europe regarding language legislation.  She is a member of the Committee of Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, the north’s premier Irish language Arts Centre, and a member of the Board of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (The Council for Irish Medium Education).

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is the managing director of the Belfast Media Group which publishes community newspapers in Ireland and the US, most notably the Andersonstown News in Belfast and the Irish Echo in America. A graduate of QUB, he is a former Sinn Féin councillor and longstanding Irish language advocate. He developed the first training facility for young Irish speakers, the award-winning An Nasc building, which opened in West Belfast in 2001. He has also developed new headquarters for the Belfast Media Group, Teach Basil, a 10,000-square foot £1.25m building which opened in 2000 and includes press offices and a print hall. Latterly, he developed the Aisling Business Park in West Belfast, 10,000 square feet of industrial units which are occupied by, among other businesses, a daycare centre. He is heading the group behind the public artpiece Aisling an Phobail, the largest-ever public artwork in West Belfast which will celebrate the Irish language and welcome visitors to the Gaeltacht Quarter. The work, by Irish American artist Brian O’Doherty is part of a £225,000 project due for completion by the summer of 2010. Dr. Micheál Ó Duibh is currently employed by Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (the Council for Irish Medium Education) as Development Officer.  His main job responsibilities lie in the strategic development of IM post-primary provision, IM ethos, IM trustees and IM governorship.  Previous to this post he spent 3 years as Senior Development Officer with Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta.  Dr. Ó Duibh is the Chairperson of POBAL and is also a Board Director and the Policy and Planning Officer on the Board of Directors of GAELSCOILEANNA TEO, an Irish-medium representative Body based in Dublin.  He graduated from the University of Ulster, Coleraine with a Doctorate in Philosophy.  Micheál first started to work in the Irish-medium sector as an Irish Language Development Officer with Pobal an Chaistil in Ballycastle, which is the founding organisation of the IM primary and pre-school in Ballycastle.  After working 2 years and achieving grant-aided status for Bunscoil an Chaistil he changed employment and went to work with Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta as a Development Officer.   After 3 years as a Development Officer he was promoted to Senior Development Officer, a post which entailed responsibility, amongst other duties, for the strategic development of the IME sector.  Previous to working in the IME sector he has taught as a part-time lecturer in both University of Ulster and University College Galway.  Micheál’s working life so far has been spent working with the promotion and development of the Irish Language and Irish-medium Education.    Dr. Ó Duibh is a native of Armagh and has a keen interest in Hurling and Gaelic football. Domhnall O'Cathain is Secretary and Publicity Director of the Brehon Law Society, New York. He is associated with the law firm of Lesnevich & Marzano-Lesnevich, LLC.

Domhnall was born and raised in Ballincollig, Co. Cork. He was raised in a bilingual household, where Irish and English were spoken. All of his schooling through age 18 was done in Irish.  His family has a long tradition of advocacy for the Irish language. Most notably, his mother, Blanaid Ui Chathain, is a published author and expert on Irish poetry and the Irish language in the former Irish speaking districts of west Co. Cork. Her grandfather, Peadar O hAnnrachain, devoted his life to the preservation and growth of the Irish language.

Domhnall continues this tradition with the Brehon Law Society. The Brehon Law Society is a staunch supporter of all efforts to continue the growth of the Irish language.

Domhnall has lived in the USA since 2002. His parents and two sisters continue to live in Ireland. Domhnall and his wife, Francesca O'Cathain, a native of New Jersey, live in Jersey City. They are expecting their first child this summer.

The BBC today reports that Irish language activist group Pobal will also challenge the 1737 ban on the use of Irish in the courts.  Pictured at left is solicitor Michael Flanagan making his presentation at NYU last October.

From BBC Northern Ireland:

Irish language activists are to challenge the ban on the use of Irish in the courts in Northern Ireland.

They are taking a case to the High Court on Monday in an effort to repeal the 1737 Administration of Justice Act.

Pobal, the umbrella group for Irish speakers, said the case is a litmus test for the Hillsborough Agreement.

The New York Irish Center presents an Evening with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir on Tuesday, February 16th at 7:30pm:

Beidh Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, príomhfheidhmeannach Ghrúpa Meán Bhéal Feirste agus foilsitheoir an Irish Echo & Andersontown News, ag léamh as a leabhar is deanaí, Stró an Ghnó, Parabail Fiontraíochta agus ag plé ábhair eile, mar shampla, iriseoireacht, an Ghaeilge sa Tuaisceart agus ceisteanna de gach saghas.

Tugann Máirtín leis stór taithí agus cúlrá saibhir mar ghníomhaí, iriseoir, Chomhairleoir Cathrach Bhéal Feirste le Sinn Féin, úrscéalaí, cholúnaí, fhoilsitheoir, fhiontraí agus bhlagálaí.

Gealltar oíche shuimiúl do chách!

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, CEO of the Belfast Media Group and publisher of the Irish Echo & the Andersontown News, will be reading from his latest book on business and entrepreneurship, Stró an Ghnó, Parabail Fiontraíochta, and discussing other subjects, such as journalism, the Irish language in the North of Ireland, and issues of every kind.

Máirtín brings with him a wealth of experience and rich background as an activist, journalist, Belfast City Councillor with Sinn Féin, novelist, columnist, publisher, entrepreneur and blogger.

An interesting evening is promised for all!
 

Equality and the Irish Language in the North of Ireland
Saturday, October 10th at 7pm at Glucksman Ireland House, NYU

Belfast solicitor Michael Flanigan will discuss his ongoing legal challenge to the controversial 1737 ban on the use of Irish in the court system, the status of the Irish Language Act promised by the British Government at St. Andrews in 2006, and the rights of Irish language speakers in the North of Ireland.  Other highlights for the evening include remarks by Domhnall O’Cathain of the Brehon Law Society; Mike Breen, IAUC board member and Director of Mary’s Gift Irish Language Foundation; and a special greeting from Pobal, the Belfast-based umbrella organization for the Irish speaking community.

The event will be followed by a reception with light appetizers and wine, as well as chocolates provided by Lily O'Brien's Café.  Irish music will be performed by Jim and Sara McCabe.

Equality and the Irish Language is sponsored by the Irish American Unity Conference, the Brehon Law Society, and Glucksman Ireland House. For more information, please email president (at) iauc.org.

The flyer for our upcoming event at Glucksman Ireland House with Michael Flanigan, "Equality and the Irish Language" is now available for download by clicking here.  Please use the flyer to advertise for our event and to spread the word!

More information about the October 10th event, co-sponsored by the Brehon Law Society and Glucksman Ireland House, can be found here.

Equality and the Irish Language in the North of Ireland

Download a flyer for the event by clicking here.

Join the Irish American Unity Conference and the Brehon Law Society at a special event at NYU's Glucksman Ireland House on Saturday, October 10, 2009.  Our featured speaker for the evening will be Belfast solicitor Michael Flanigan, who recently challenged the contorversial 1737 ban on the use of Irish in the courts.  Other highlights for the evening include remarks by Domhnall O'Cathain of the Brehon Law Society, Mike Breen, IAUC board member and Director of Mary's Gift Irish Language Foundation, and a special welcome from Pobal, the Belfast-based umbrella organization for the Irish speaking community.

The event is free and open to the public, and will begin at 7pm.  A special chocolate bar will be provided by Lily O'Brien's Café.

We are also excited to announce a walking tour of lower Manhattan featuring points of interest to the
Irish language in the city starting at 2pm.  Hosted by Daithí MacLochlainn.  Meet at
South Street Seaport Museum, 19 Front Street.  Free, but there is an
entrance fee for those interested in going into the museum.  Tour lasts
about 2 to 3 hours.   

About Michael Flanigan: Michael Flanigan is a solicitor who has worked on the Falls Road Belfast for over 25 years. He is an LLB graduate of Queens University Belfast and has acted in many human rights challenges particularly through judicial review. Most recently he acted on behalf of a young Irish speaker from West Belfast in a challenge to the continued use of penal legislation prohibiting the use of Irish in the courts. In 2007 he was appointed to the Northern Ireland Valuation Tribunal. In 2009 he was appointed a teaching assistant in Public Law at The University of Ulster Jordanstown. A fluent Irish speaker, he has acted for many Irish language groups and has been closely involved with the development of the Gaeltacht Quarter where his office is situated. He regularly contributes articles on legal issues for both the Belfast Media Group as well as various legal publications. He lives in Belfast with his wife and family.

High Court challenge over Irish language ban fails, Belfast Telegraph, 8 July 2009

Executive 'fails' on language BBC News, 5 June 2009

Gaeilgeoiri say 18th century ban discriminates against language Irish News, 29 October 2008  

POBAL: The Future of the Irish Language Act is in the Hands of the Community, 12 October 2008

URGENT:  Two Years after the St Andrews’ promise: Time to Keep Your Word--PASS THE IRISH LANGUAGE ACT NI NOW!  

In October, it will be two years since the St Andrews’ Agreement was published with its commitment from the British government to enact the Irish Language Act NI. It has not kept this promise. 

POBAL, the Irish language umbrella organisation in the north, is spearheading work to focus continuously on these issues. In October, there will be marches for the Irish Language Act in Belfast city centre, POBAL is urging all organisations and individuals who are interested in the Irish language Act to write to and to phone Gordon Brown and Brian Cowan IMMEDIATELY to let them know that a comprehensive, rights-based Irish Language Act must be enacted as promised in the St Andrews’ Agreement. 

You might want to make the following points:

• There is a commitment in the St Andrews Agreement to enact the legislation (October 2006)  
• During two governmental public consultations, 75% of responses were in favour of the Irish language Act, based on the POBAL proposals  
• There is longstanding legislation for Welsh in Wales, for Gaelic in Scotland and for Irish in the south. The north is the only place in these islands where the primary indigenous language is not protected by domestic legislation.
•  The negative campaigning of the unionist parties since the re-establishment of the Assembly is further proof of the need for strong legislation based on the POBAL proposals.  

Gordon Brown, 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA
Tel: 0207 270 3000 or from south 44 207 3000, Fax: 0207 925 0918 or from south 44
207 925 0918. Cabinet Office: Tel: 0207 276 2451 or from south 44 207 276 2451 

Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State, sos@nio.x.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: NIO, Stormont 028 90 520700 or from south 084 90 520700
Fax: 028 90 522655 or from south 084 90 522655, 

Brian Cowan, Taoiseach, webmaster@taoiseach.gov.ie
Tel: 00353 1 6194000 or from south 1 6194000
00353 1 6624888 “ “ 1 6624888
Faics: 00353 1 6789791 “ “       1 6789791

Let your own political representatives in the United States know what you think too and ask them to raise this issue with the British and Irish governments.  Please forward copies of your letters or messages to POBAL.