Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast facts for kids
The Gaeltacht Quarter (Irish: An Cheathrú Ghaeltachta) is a special area in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's found around the Falls Road in the western part of the city. A Gaeltacht is a place where the Irish language is spoken a lot.
Unlike some other Gaeltacht areas, Belfast's Gaeltacht Quarter doesn't have official borders. Instead, it's a lively center for the Irish language and Irish culture. It aims to help the Irish language grow and to create fun places for visitors.
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Irish Language in Belfast
Since the 1980s, the Irish language has become very strong in Belfast. This is especially true in the west of the city. More and more people in Belfast are learning to speak both English and Irish.
The 2021 census (a big count of people) showed interesting facts about Irish in Belfast:
- Out of about 333,748 people in Belfast, 15.5% know some Irish.
- About 5.4% can speak, read, write, and understand Irish well.
- Around 3.9% use Irish every day.
- About 0.8% speak Irish as their main language at home.
| What people know about Irish | Number of people | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Has some ability in Irish | 51,583 | 15.48% |
| Can read, write, speak and understand Irish | 17,986 | 5.39% |
| Speaks Irish Daily | 13,110 | 3.93% |
| Irish is main language | 2,659 | 0.80% |
Belfast Irish Dialect
A poet and scholar named Louis de Paor says that a "new urban dialect" of Ulster Irish was created in Belfast. He calls it "Belfast Irish." This happened during a period of time known as The Troubles. This special way of speaking Irish is used by artists like Gearóid Mac Lochlainn.
The popular hip hop music group Kneecap is also from the Gaeltacht Quarter. They sing rap music using this West Belfast Irish dialect.
Learning and Education
The Gaeltacht Quarter has many places where you can learn Irish.
- There are six primary schools where all subjects are taught in Irish. These include Gaelscoil an Lonnáin and Bunscoil Phobal Feirste.
- Coláiste Feirste is a secondary school that teaches everything in Irish. It's one of the fastest-growing schools in Northern Ireland.
- St Mary's University College, Belfast offers training for teachers who want to teach in Irish.
- Cumann Chluain Árd offers Irish classes for adults in the community.
Organizations Supporting Irish
Foras na Gaeilge is an organization that helps promote the Irish language. They have offices in Belfast and support groups that offer services in Irish. These services include youth clubs, sports, adult learning, and live music.
| Committee | Location | Level of support |
|---|---|---|
| Glór na Móna | West Belfast | High |
| Ionad na Fuiseoige | West Belfast | Medium |
| Ionad Uíbh Eachach | West Belfast | High |
| Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain | North Belfast | Medium |
| Croí Éanna | North Belfast | Medium |
| An Droichead | South Belfast | Medium |
In 2011, a group called Turas started promoting Irish in East Belfast. They offer night classes and cultural events. Turas was started by Linda Ervine. It aims to show that the Irish language belongs to everyone, including the Protestant community.
Developing the Gaeltacht Quarter
Ideas for the Gaeltacht Quarter began in 2002. A special group suggested the plan. Then, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Belfast City Council adopted it. This means they decided to make it happen.
Key Places and Events
The Gaeltacht Quarter is home to many important places and events:
- Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich is a cultural center.
- Féile an Phobail is a big festival.
- Many shops and businesses in the Quarter have signs in both Irish and English.
- Public buses announce stops in both languages.
- Many street names are also in both languages.
- There's an Irish-language community radio station called Raidió Fáilte.
- Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) also has offices here.
The Gaeltacht Quarter hosts many events every year. These include:
- Féile an Phobail
- Féile na Carraige
- Belfast TradFest
- Liú Lúnasa
The Quarter also offers many services for families. These include:
- Childcare in Irish (pre-school and after-school)
- Youth clubs that use Irish
- GAA sports teams that speak Irish
- A cycling club
- Art galleries
- Bilingual coffee shops
- A theatre
- A school gym
- Film clubs
- Meet-ups for older citizens
- A reading circle
- Several pubs that welcome the Irish-speaking community.
In popular culture
The 2024 film Kneecap is set in the Gaeltacht Quarter in 2019. The band members play themselves in the movie, along with actors like Michael Fassbender. This film was the first movie in the Irish language to be shown at the Sundance Film Festival.
