TIOCFAIDH AR LENE..
DUP leader uplifted after Irish school visit
DUP leader Arlene Foster said she was left feeling “uplifted” after meeting Irish language pupils yesterday. And Mrs Foster thanked staff at Our Lady’s Grammar School in Newry, Co Down, saying “go raibh maith agat” as she left. She also tweeted a picture of a painting she received saying “Beautiful gift from Our Lady’s Grammar”. The painting bears the words in Irish and English “Together we are strong”. She was at the school in a bid to better understand the love of the language held by those from a nonpolitical background. The move came after she was strongly criticised for making disparaging comments during last month’s Assembly election campaign but exchanged a few words in Irish as she said farewell. Mrs Foster added: “I was really uplifted by the girls and what they were able to tell me and what they were able to show me. “It was wonderful, I just had a great morning. It has set me up for the rest of the day.” In February, Mrs Foster said more people here spoke Polish than Irish and declared the party would never agree to an Act protecting the language, a key Sinn Fein aim in the talks. Yesterday she clarified: “It had become very much a political demand and as we talked about Irish, its culture and affirmation of identity in the talks, I felt it would be good to step back from the Irish language as a political demand and to actually listen to people who loved the language and wanted to use it in every day life. “That is what I am trying to do. “I am on a journey of doing that. I have met with some individuals already around why they believe Irish is so important to them.” Sinn Fein surged at the polls last month after the party accused the DUP of showing disrespect towards the language. Mrs Foster’s comparison of making concessions to Sinn Fein to feeding crocodiles backfired and she has said she regretted it and it allowed her opponents to demonise her. An Irish Language Act would protect its use in a range of official settings. In 2015, Sinn Fein launched a consultation on a law including the use of Irish by public bodies, in the courts, and in the Assembly. Unionists have urged measures for Ulster Scots speakers and progress on other identity issues. After yesterday’s visit Mrs Foster said: “One of the very strong things that came across was the passion that the girls had for the language and it is really good to strip away all the politics and just to listen in a very clear way as to how Irish and the language has helped in the study of other languages and to give them a head start in relation to job opportunities as well.”
I had a great morning. It was good to strip away the politics ARLENE FOSTER OUR LADY’S, NEWRY, YESTERDAY