For over 1,000 people wanting to learn the Irish language in Belfast, their journey started at the TURAS (Irish for Journey) Centre in east Belfast.
The TURAS at East Belfast Mission offers weekly Irish language classes for a range of abilities and levels.
Since its opening in the Skainos Centre on the Newtownards Road in 2014, it says demand for classes has been growing steadily since.
One of the missions of the centre is to “connect people from Protestant communities to their own history with the Irish language.”
The Irish language bug is catching in east Belfast – connecting people
Demand for learning the Irish language in east Belfast has been growing ever since the TURAS opened on the Newtownards Road in 2014.
Since opening, 1,275 people have taken Irish lessons there. Currently, the centre has 187 people from the Protestant community, which makes up almost half of their students.
One of the students is Lesley Halliday from Donaghadee. Irish language classes were never offered throughout her school career. So, it begs the question, if it’s not taught in school, where do you start?
The TURAS Centre – enthusiastic and welcoming
Lesley Halliday took up learning Irish again in January, joining the beginner bunrang classes at the TURAS Centre.
She said, “So many people from around here have said: ‘Well, it wasn’t offered at school.’ And that’s exactly me.”
On the centre’s Facebook page, it says that one of its missions is to “connect people from Protestant communities to their own history with the Irish language.”
Paul Taylor is another member of the Irish language community learning the language at the TURAS. He said, “With the centre being in east Belfast, it was easier for someone like me to go to it.
“I don’t think I would’ve had the confidence to go to one of the Irish culture centres.” He says that taking classes at the centre has helped open the door for him.
He went on to say, “If Protestants are worried that they would feel marginalised or unwelcome, they can rest assured that it is simply not true.”
East Belfast and the Irish language – preservation and revival
The Irish language bug is catching in east Belfast as more people from all communities are taking on classes to learn the language.
East Belfast has already had a significant role in the preservation of the Irish language. A branch of the Conradh na Gaeilge ( the Gaelic League) was established there in 1895. This was two years after it was founded in Dublin.
Here, the Irish language was promoted and continued to grow until there were five branches in east Belfast. Members included army officers and the Grand Master of the Orange Lodge.
Paul Taylor said, “The Irish language is for everyone; we can all share it, we can get together and speak it.”
Furthermore, last year, the first Irish-medium pre-school opened in east Belfast. There is hope of this leading to the first Irish-medium primary school as well.
