NEW statement from @CnaG: ‘Historic’ Irish Language Policy makes Béal Feirste a ‘beacon of equality’ across Ireland Conradh na Gaeilge welcomes new Belfast City Council Irish Language Policy which will ‘transform’ the status of Irish across the city   Conradh na Gaeilge has welcomed the ratification of a new Irish Language Policy in Belfast City Council tonight (Wednesday 1 October 2025). The new policy will create new provision for the Irish language across services, communications, signage and also create a new dual-language corporate identity and logo. Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, President of Conradh na Gaeilge and Language Planning Coordinator with the West Belfast Language Plan, Fís an Phobail, said: “The Irish language is flourishing across our city. Our Gaelscoileanna are growing, the number of families raising their children through Irish, and the number of people learning Irish are all growing and we have a vibrant cultural scene which is to the fore of the national language revival movement. Over recent years, the Irish language community has brought the campaign for language rights to the centre of our public institutions and shared spaces.” “We have been working with Irish language groups and speakers, Belfast City Council and councillors for almost a decade on this policy. We have helped design this policy based on the fundamental principles of parity of esteem enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement to take “resolute action” to develop and support the Irish language. We used guidance from the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Equality Commission, our own Humans Rights Commission and Foras na Gaeilge. The product of that long process is a progressive, minority rights compliant Irish language policy.” “We wish to commend all of those parties across the City Council who support this inclusive, best practice policy, council staff who have been working diligently on this, alongside the thousands of activists who have made this change a reality. Many will remember when Irish speakers were actively thrown out of Belfast City Hall for speaking their native language in council. Today, Belfast, Béal Feirste, will become a beacon of equality across this island regarding language rights and this policy will reflect the status of the ever growing Irish language revival across the city. This is another major milestone in our campaign towards equality and comprehensive language rights.” Cuisle Nic Liam, Language Rights Coordinator with Conradh na Gaeilge, and Chair of the Shaw’s Road Branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, ‘Craobh Uí Thuama’, said: “We are in a very exciting time for the Irish language both here in Belfast and right across the north as we get set for the appointment of the very first Irish Language Commissioner. That Commissioner will be tasked with setting ‘best practice’ standards for public authorities. Belfast City Council is preparing the ground for that and this historic policy will ensure Irish language rights begin to become a normal, everyday reality across our city. All of the international experts tell us that increased visibility and accessibility leads to increased normalisation of the language, which in turn, helps to increase tolerance. Those same principles apply across all of our minority communities and minority rights’ issues. Equality is an expectation, not a concession. Finally, it is particularly important to our group that Belfast City Council will finally extend their boundaries for the Gaeltacht Quarter to include Bóthar Seoighe, the home of the modern day Irish language revival."