Aodán Mac Póilin facts for kids

Aodán Mac Póilin (born in 1948 – died on 29 December 2016) was a dedicated activist for the Irish language in Northern Ireland. He worked hard to help the language grow and be used more often.

Early Life and Education

Aodán Mac Póilin was born in Belfast, a city in Northern Ireland. He grew up in the Andersonstown area. His father worked for the government, and his mother was a speaker of the Irish language. This meant Aodán was around the language from a young age.

In the 1970s, he went to the New University of Ulster. There, he studied Irish studies and earned two degrees. After his studies, Aodán and his wife, Áine, helped to create the Shaw's Road community. This was a special place where people spoke Irish in their daily lives.

Working for the Irish Language

After finishing university, Aodán worked as a teacher for some time. In 1990, he became the Director of the ULTACH Trust. This organization works to support and promote the Irish language.

Aodán was very active in many groups that helped the Irish language. He was involved with the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages. This group helps protect languages that are not spoken by many people. He also worked with the Community Relations Council for Northern Ireland.

He was the chairman of the very first school in Northern Ireland where all lessons were taught in Irish. These schools are called Irish-medium schools.

Aodán also served on the board of Northern Ireland Screen for five years. Here, he helped with a special fund for Irish language TV and radio shows. He was also part of other important groups like Foras na Gaeilge. This is an organization that works to promote the Irish language across Ireland.

Aodán Mac Póilin wrote many articles and gave talks about the Irish language, its literature, and culture. He played a huge role in bringing the Irish language back to life in Northern Ireland. He passed away on 29 December 2016.

Books by Aodán Mac Póilin

Aodán Mac Póilin also contributed to several books, often as an editor or writer:

• Styles of Belonging: the cultural identities of Ulster (1992) (editor)
• Ruined Pages, New Selected Poems of Padraic Fiacc (1994) (co-editor with Gerald Dawe)
• The Irish Language in Northern Ireland (1997)
• The Great Book of Gaelic (2002) (part of the editing team)
• Our Tangled Speech, Essays on Language and Culture (2018)