Act Now to Support the Irish Language

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.