Lá Dearg Irish Language Protest In Belfast

News from Irish Branch of the Celtic League:

Saturday’s Lá Dearg in Belfast was an historic day by all accounts.  Irish language speakers and supporters marched for their rights, for equality and for justice through the streets of Belfast with the demand that an Irish Language Act be introduced in the Six Counties.  An estimated 12,000 people attended, mainly from the Six Counties, but with strong contingents of support from Irish speakers from Gaeltacht regions and the Twenty Six Counties.

Irish language groups and the Irish speaking community must now come together in every corner of the country and propel the Dream Dearg movement to fight for our linguistic rights at every level.  Although each locality has different needs, and it is essential that focus is put on the social and economic questions at play in Gaeltacht areas, all sectors of the Irish speaking community must come together to support one another.  Ar scáth a chéile a mhairfeas muid.  We now have a unique opportunity to move things forward and we must strike while the iron is hot.

Níl aon dabht faoi ach gur lá stairiúil a bhí sa Lá Dearg, an mórshiúl a reachtáladh i mBéal Feirste Dé Sathairn seo chuaigh thart, ar son cearta, cothromas agus cóir do phobal na Gaeilge agus mar aidhm agus mar éileamh aige Acht Gaeilge a bhaint amach sna Sé Chondae. Meastar go raibh tuairim is 12,000 duine i láthair, daoine as na Sé Chondae don chuid is mó ach tacaíocht ann fosta ó Ghaeil na Gaeltachta agus áiteacha eile sna Sé Chondae is Fiche.

Is mithid do ghrúpaí pobail agus grúpaí Gaeilge teacht le chéile in achan chearn den tír anois agus ollghluaiseacht dhearg a chur faoi lán seoil. Ní hiad na tosaíochtaí céanna atá i ngach uile cheantar, agus ba cheart díriú go háirid ar na ceisteanna sóisialta agus eacnamaíochta atá ag goilleadh ar cheantracha Gaeltachta, ach caithfidh pobail Ghaeilge i ngach páirt den tír a bheith ag tacú le chéile. Ar scáth a chéile a mhairfeas muid. Tá deis ar dóigh anois idir lámha againn ach caithfear an t-iarann a fhreastal agus é te.