Ollscoil gan teanga. Ollscoil gan anam.
Haigh! I'm Malachy and I am a second year student studying Irish from Belfast. As the current president of An Cumann Gaelach (The Irish Society), I promise to continue promoting the Irish Language and Culture on campus. Now that the Identity and Language Act of 2022 has been put to Royal Assent, it is now more important than ever that the community surrounding the language is visible on campus. Through my time participating in the Cumann, I have seen first-hand the need for more events and support for the Irish-speaking community, and I believe if elected, I will be able to provide great insight as to how this can be done.
During my time as the president of the Irish Society, I have shown that the necessity for the promotion of preserving and developing the language and culture is vital to many students, inside and outside of those studying Irish. For example, our events, such as our conversational circles every week, with solid attendance, provide a necessary space for Irish speakers to speak Irish outside of the classroom, something that Queen’s lacks. I believe that Queen’s should facilitate this need more than ever now that an Irish Language Act has never been closer. The experience that I have garnered through my time as president of the Cumann has prepared me for this role.
I have experience in challenging Queen’s on their unfulfilling policies regarding the Irish Langauge. Take for example the pressure that myself and others have put on Queen’s for their ambiguity around the Irish Language Residential Scheme. Should I be elected to this role, I will have a greater platform to voice the opinions of those in the Scheme, some of whom I keep in contact with regularly. I believe that Queen’s should keep the promise to bring the Residential Scheme to the Malone House, and that it should be properly advertised, as there were sufficient numbers, despite the lack of advertising provided by Queen’s.
A significant issue that Queen’s are blatantly ignoring is the provision for Bilingual Signage on campus. This lack of acknowledgement for an ever-growing group of people who attend Queen’s highlights the fact that they are happy with the status quo, and since the removal of these bilingual signs in the Student’s Union after the Good Friday Agreement, they have resisted at every turn to bring them back. I vow that if elected, this lack of clarity will be challenged.
This is greater than just a vote for myself. Your vote is crucial to the direction in which Irish Language rights are steered for the years to come, Queen's is a large institution which is more than capable of providing these needs for a growing population of students. The normalisation of the Irish language is essential for it to grow. Acht Anois.
Ollscoil gan teanga, Ollscoil gan anam.