"Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí"

: examining the relationship between Gaeloideachas and community regeneration in West Belfast

Abstract

Gaeloideachas, a form of Indigenous language immersion education, was established through language activism in the North of Ireland in 1971 during the Conflict. Since its inception, Gaeloideachas has contended with political hostility with the state initially refusing to recognise Gaeloideachas, thus reinforcing Gaeloideachas’s reliance upon language activists. The activism of the surrounding community forced Gaeloideachas onto the agenda of the peace talks with formal commitments made to Gaeloideachas in the Good Friday Agreement. At present, Gaeloideachas is the fastest growing sector in the education system. Despite this growth and the statutory obligations made, Gaeloideachas remains under-supported (McVeigh, 2022).

The activism that established Gaeloideachas has remained a feature of Gaeloideachas in practice, yet the relationship between the two is yet to be investigated. This study focuses on the relationship between Gaeloideachas and community regeneration in West Belfast—an area with more Irish-medium schools and facilities than anywhere else outside of the Gaeltacht on the island of Ireland—with the secondary school Coláiste Feirste as the focal point. Gaeilge activism has parallels with Language Reclamation, a bottom-up decolonial form of activism that connects language with community, education, and ecology, to prioritise community need and self-determination (Leonard, 2019). Despite these parallels, the Gaeilge language movement has not been situated in a context of language reclamation. Doing so would shed light on these global movements for decolonisation and self-determination, and facilitate an internationalist orientation in local forms of activism.

This dissertation aims to situate the Gaeilge language movement within the context of Language Reclamation and aims to investigate the relationship between Gaeloideachas and community regeneration. Using decolonising research methodologies which centre the needs and narratives of those at the heart of the study, this dissertation finds that an intentional and symbiotic relationship exists between Gaeloideachas and community regeneration for the purposes of language reclamation. The study also shows how Coláiste Feirste employs critical literacy to promote student participation in language reclamation activism in their communities. Finally, this dissertation places the challenges and barriers faced by Gaeloideachas in the context of colonial-hegemony and concludes that a systemic propensity exists to contain and constrain Gaeloideachas.

Thesis is embargo is until 31 July 2027.

Date of Award	Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Mel Engman (Supervisor) & Cathal McManus (Supervisor)