Belfast Irish teacher says leaflets made students more determined
An Irish-language teacher whose class was targeted with leaflets saying "English is our mother tongue" has said the incident made people more determined to learn.Aoife Nic Giolla Cheara, 22, runs a free weekly Irish class at a pub in Belfast city centre.In December, her students discovered leaflets placed on their cars which said that most Irish people "should hate the Irish language".Police investigated the flyers as a "hate incident" but later said no offences were committed.
Ms Nic Giolla Cheara, from west Belfast, grew up speaking Irish and said she felt "hurt" by what happened because the language is "all I've ever known"."When somebody says to me that there is no reasoning, there is no purpose, there is no need for it, it hurts," she said.The incident happened outside the bar on Dublin Road, where the Irish class was taking place.In a lengthy message, the flyers said the government "should respect the will of the Irish people not to speak Irish".
At the time an Alliance Party councillor condemned the flyers, describing them as intimidating."Irish belongs to our community who use and cherish it and people should be free to learn without this florid stupidity," Emmet McDonough-Brown said at the time.Ms Nic Giolla Cheara said she was "very concerned" about the impact on her students."I don't want my class to feel unsafe or to feel that there's a disdain for them for just learning a language - it's ridiculous," she said.But the leaflets had the "opposite effect of what the person intended" and "if anything, they felt more motivated to learn".
The Police Service of Northern Ireland it carried out a number of inquiries and determined that no offences had been committed.The development of policies in Northern Ireland on the Irish language has long been a focus of political disputes between unionists and Irish nationalists.Cross-border funding arrangements and proposals for bilingual signage at Belfast's Grand Central Station have been among the recent disagreements at Stormont.At local council level, there have also been disputes over the introduction of dual-language street signs in some neighbourhoods.You can see more on this story on Sunday Politics on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10:00 BST on Sunday and on BBC iPlayer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Kneecap rapper wears Palestine Action ‘terror group' T-shirt ahead of controversial Glasto set that BBC WON'T show live
CONTROVERSIAL hip hop group Kneecap have shared an image of one of its members wearing a "We Are All Palestine Action" ahead of their Glastonbury set. JJ O Dochartaigh - who often wears a balaclava in public - was seen in the snap wearing the top on X, with the caption reading: "1 hour to go..." 1 They are due to perform at 4pm on the West Holts stage. It comes after the BBC confirmed it will not be broadcasting the Irish trio's performance live following Sir Keir Starmer saying they should be banned from appearing altogether. Festival bosses, meanwhile, have already warned part of the grounds could be locked down during the group's performance this afternoon due to crowd surge concerns. Frontman Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged under the Terrorism Act after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" during a gig in November in Kentish Town, north London. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. "We don't always live stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets." The band themselves addressed a post on X to "a chairde Gael" - which means "Gaelic friends" in which they said they'd been contacted by the "propaganda wing of the regime". The post added: "They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the I-player later this evening for your viewing pleasure. "The crowd expected today is far greater than West Holts capacity so you'll need to be very early to catch us EARLY". A festival statement released today warns: "Kneecap will draw a large audience for their 4pm West Holts show. "If you're not planning to see them, please plan alternative routes around that area. "If you do plan to attend, listen to stewards, and please have some other entertainment options in mind in case the field reaches capacity and we need to close it as part of our crowd planning measures." Earlier this month the rapper - who performs under the stage name Mo Chara - and bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and O Dochartaigh were mobbed by hundreds of fans outside Westminster Magistrates' Court. He was released on unconditional bail - and is due at the same court on August 20 for the next hearing. The group's much-anticipated appearance at Glastonbury has been criticised by PM Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. Mr Starmer said this week it is "not appropriate" for the group to perform at the festival, which started on Thursday. Asked by The Sun on Sunday if he thinks Kneecap should play, the PM said: 'No I don't. 'I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won't say too much, because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' Ms Badenoch also said the BBC "should not be showing" the band's set in a post on social media. Her post said: "The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. "One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. "As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism." The band are not currently listed for live broadcast. Avon and Somerset Police said: "Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby." In response to the charge, Kneecap said in a post: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us... 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' Hezbollah - founded in 1982 - is an Iran-backed Shiite militia. The Lebanese terrorist organisation voiced support for the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 2023 before launching guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli-occupied positions the following day. Israel has retaliated with strikes on Gaza - and the conflict remains ongoing, with thousands of people, including civilian children, killed. Kneecap has said they "do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah", condemned all attacks on civilians, and alleged footage was "deliberately taken out of all context" as part of a "coordinated smear campaign" over their criticism of "the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people".
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
BBC issues statement about Kneecap's Glastonbury performance
The BBC has issued a statement about rap trio Kneecap 's performance at Glastonbury, saying it would not broadcast it live but would 'look to make an on-demand version available' on iPlayer. Kneecap's Saturday performance at the festival comes amid significant criticism from politicians. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, faces a charge under the Terrorism Act for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a London concert in November. The Belfast-based band has drawn criticism for its explicit lyrics, political statements, and alleged shouts of support for Hamas and Hezbollah, though members deny supporting these groups. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier said it would not be appropriate for Glastonbury to provide a platform for the band, while festival organiser Emily Eavis maintained that everyone is welcome.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Irish rap group Kneecap set to play at Glastonbury despite criticism from politicians
Irish-language rap group Kneecap is set to perform Saturday at the Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with support a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. He is on unconditional bail ahead of a further court hearing in August. The Belfast trio has been praised for invigorating the Irish-language cultural scene in Northern Ireland, but also criticized for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references and for political statements. The band draws, often satirically, on the language and imagery of the Irish republican movement and Northern Ireland's decades of violence. Videos have emerged allegedly showing the band shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' and calling on people to kill lawmakers. Members of the group say they don't support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor condone violence. They have accused critics of trying to silence the band because of their support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza. Several Kneecap gigs have been canceled as a result of the controversy. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, when asked by a journalist, that it would not be 'appropriate' for the festival to give Kneecap a platform. Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the publicly funded BBC should not broadcast 'Kneecap propaganda.' The BBC, which airs many hours of Glastonbury performances, has not said whether it will show Kneecap's set. Some 200,000 ticket holders have gathered at Worthy Farm in southwest England for Britain's most prestigious summer music festival, which features almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages. Headline acts performing over three days ending Sunday include Neil Young, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii. Glastonbury highlights on Friday included a performance from U.K. rockers The 1975, an unannounced set by New Zealand singer Lorde, a raucous reception for Gen X icon Alanis Morissette and an emotional return for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, two years after he took a break from touring to adjust to the impact of the neurological condition Tourette syndrome.
