Minister for the Economy Visits West Belfast Language project

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald was in Ballymurphy area of West Belfast today to meet Irish language activists and community workers at Irish Medium Youth and Community hub, Glór na Móna. During her visit (23rd July 2025), Dr Archibald met with a range of activists from a wide-range of dynamic language projects based at Gael-Ionad Mhic Goill, which was built in 2016 and has built a reputation both nationally and internationally as a ground-breaking community hub for grassroots language regeneration which has become a vital component of the burgeoning Irish language network across the city.

She met staff from locally based Irish youth projects such as Cumann Óige Uachtar Chluanaí, which is the largest Irish medium youth club in the north and the first to be recognised by the Education Authority; Sólás na nÓg, which provides a bespoke youth service to young Irish speakers with additional learning needs; members of the Fís an Phobail language planning network who oversee the West Belfast language plan; and those working on the Glór na Mona participatory democracy and community festivals programme.

Minister Archibald then visited Glór na Móna’s new community café and burgeoning social enterprise, ANAM, where she ordered her coffee as Gaeilge before hearing first-hand how these transformational projects are being hindered by under investment and the in substandard facilities they are hemmed into that are constraining the community with spatial limitations that hinder their long-term potential.

Activists stressed the need for Government support to fund the capital shortfall on the Croí na Carraige project, which envisions a vibrant multi-purpose Irish Medium youth and community hub on the Belfast City council waste ground at Glór na Móna. Having attracted over £1 million in capital investment and recently received full-planning approval from Belfast City Council, the project was forced to launch its own fundraising campaign to meet the funding shortfall. This was supported by high profile Irish language hip-hop band Kneecap.

Speaking after the meeting Minister Archibald, Glór na Móna Executive Director, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh stated:

‘We were delighted to host Minister Archibald today and update her on the work of Glór na Móna. We placed particular emphasis on the work of Fís an Phobail’s Meitheal Meantóireachta which forms and integral part of the West Belfast Language plan provides mentoring, workforce development and capacity building for those new activist starting out in the language sector. We also highlighted the ground-breaking work of our Sólás na nÓg youth project which supports young people with additional learning needs and corresponds with her own commitment to support school leaver with special educational needs. Our primary focus, however, was to brief her on current developments regarding our capital project Croí na Carraige which, we believe will become a flagship national Irish language regeneration project. It’s a crucially important project of the language revival movement in Belfast and will complement and enhance what we currently offer and provide a future proofing for the West Belfast Irish language community in the years to come.

‘We pointed out that lack of facilities and space are hindering the development of our young people and the expansion of our services to meet their needs and highlighted our plans for expansion and the creation of a new capital facility.’

Speaking after the visit, Minister Archibald said:

“It was great to visit Glór na Móna and hear about the fantastic work they carry out within the community. I was particularly interested to hear how programmes such as Sólás na nÓg and An Mheitheal Mheantóireachta are educating young people with additional needs and mentoring people in employment or seeking employment within the Irish language sector. They have ambitions to expand their services further and I wish them every success with their plans.”

For more information

Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, feargal@glornamona.com, 07841101630                                                                            www.glornamona.com