The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Unionists in Kerry to learn Irish
DUP leader Arlene Foster is no supporter of the Irish language, but it was thanks to her that a group of mostly Protestant students from East Belfast have just spent a week in West Kerry learning Irish.
The former Northern Ireland First Secretary was on RTE’s Morning Ireland radio programme a couple of months ago defending cuts in grants to support the Irish language and outlining her view that there is very little support for the language north of the Border, particularly among the Protestant community. This view was strongly disputed on the programme by Linda Ervine, who runs Irish language classes in the Protestant enclave of Newtownards.
Chairman of the Brú na Gráige Trust, An tAthair Tomás Ó Murchú, heard the debate and was so impressed by Linda Ervine’s ‘Turas’ initiative in the East Belfast Mission that he invited her to bring a group of students free of charge to the West Kerry Irish language institute for a week.
She immediately accepted and last week the group arrived in Gráig for what was an historic visit. They have been very warmly received with locals dropping into Brú na Gráige to meet them, Micheál de Mórdha came of out retirement to give them a tour of Ionad an Bhlascaod, An Díseart gifted them a selection of Irish books and on Thursday Minister of State Jim Daly visited Brú na Gráige to officially welcome them on behalf of the Irish Government.
“We’ve been blown away by the welcome we’ve received and people here are very encouraging,” said Linda, adding that the students were fascinated to hear Irish spoken as a living language in the community.
Linda received a Civic Leadership Award two years ago for her commitment to the Turas Irish language initiative at the East Belfast Mission, but when she started learning Irish just four years earlier hardliners denounced her as a traitor to the Protestant community. “You have to understand that me learning Irish
was like [Jerry] Adams joining a [Loyalist] marching band,” she said.
Undeterred, the East Belfast Mission subsequently decided to offer a ‘taster’ course in Irish. “The initial reaction was ‘are you mad’,” she told The Kerryman. “Catholics were more interested in the Royal wedding – but the ‘Prods’ took on learning the language.”
When the classes started, people didn’t want it known that they were attending. But acceptance grew over time, and interest among the Protestant
community and funding from Foras na Gaeilge saw the classes expand. Now the Turas initiative at the East Belfast Mission offers beginner, intermediate and advanced classes to almost 200 students, the vast majority of whom are Protestant.
“Four ‘Prods’ who came ‘gan focal’ four years ago are doing diplomas in Irish at the University of Ulster and some hope to progress to degree courses in Irish,” Linda said.
Although a minority in the Protestant community still “wonder what
the hell are we doing and think we’re traitors”, Linda says the language classes help break down barriers between the Protestant and Catholic communities and allow people explore their shared Irish identity.
Still, she recognises that, despite its successes, the language initiative is on a fragile path that is entirely dependent on the northern peace process. “If I did this 20 years ago I’d have been shot. If the peace process broke down tomorrow I’d have to be gone out of Belfast the same day.”