Queen’s University society to continue fight for dual language signs putting indigenous Irish on equal terms with English

Irish language campaigners at Queen’s University have vowed to continue their fight to get dual language signs that put Irish on equal terms with English across campus.

An Cumann Gaelach held a protest last week calling for bilingual signage at the university.

Young unionists railed against the proposal saying the money would be better spent providing free sanitary products.

A spokesperson for the university said at the time: “Queen’s management team are keen to listen and engage on the issues that matter most to our student body and staff.”

But now An Cumann Gaelach says talks with university management have broken down.

A spokesperson told us: “We are extremely disappointed and frustrated to announce that our meeting with Queen’s University Belfast management was unsuccessful.

“Talks broke down after the university made it apparent that physical bilingual representation of the Irish language would be unsustainable.”

They group hit out at the university’s “refusal to recognise the language on equal terms with English as the indigenous language of this state”.

It said multilingual digital signage would help create “a more welcoming and inclusive campus for our international students”.

“This, however, is not enough for the Irish speaking community in Queen’s University, who pay thousands in fees year after year,” the group added.

“According to their own Public Authorities Report 2023/24, QUB is a public authority, as mentioned in, ‘Section 75 and Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998′, a piece of legislation which public authorities must adhere to.

“QUB have a duty to uphold, as a public authority, to protect and develop the Irish Language on campus.

“We will not give in on our demands, and we are happy to announce that we will be returning to the campaign trail, until QUB are happy to fulfil their duties.”

The Irish language and Queen’s University have a chequered past.

In 1997, the students’ union removed English/Irish signs saying it “had no choice”.

A subsequent campaign by QUB Irish society, An Cumann Gaelach, for bilingual signage failed in 2018.

A QUB spokesperson said the university was “always keen to listen and engage with our student body and earlier this week, the university leadership met with Cumann Gaelach”.

“We discussed the progress made to date in promoting the Irish language, such as the creation of accommodation for Irish speakers, and the appointment of a support officer for Irish at the University’s language centre.

“Discussions are ongoing to identify other measures that could help promote the language within the context of the wider student experience at Queen’s and we will continue to engage with Cumann Gaelach.”