Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast
Encyclopedia
The Gaeltacht Quarter in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, is an area surrounding the Falls Road in the west of the city. A Gaeltacht
is an area where the Irish language
is widely spoken. The area aims to promote the Irish language and provide tourist attractions associated with it, as well as Irish culture.
Education is a mainstay of the Quarter and has always been highly valued. Throughout the Quarter many Irish Medium institutions can be found; Gaelscoil an Lonnáin, Gaelscoil na bhFál, Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh and Coláiste Feirste. Third level institutions in the area are Coláiste Ollscoile Muire which has been at the forefront of Irish medium teacher training.
Proposals for a Gaeltacht Quarter began in 2002, as a recommendation of the Joint West Belfast/Greater Shankill Task Force. The plan was then adopted by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
and Belfast City Council
.
Key sites and events in the quarter include the An Chúlturlann arts centre, Conway Mill and the Féile an Phobail
.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, is an area surrounding the Falls Road in the west of the city. A Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
is an area where the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
is widely spoken. The area aims to promote the Irish language and provide tourist attractions associated with it, as well as Irish culture.
Education is a mainstay of the Quarter and has always been highly valued. Throughout the Quarter many Irish Medium institutions can be found; Gaelscoil an Lonnáin, Gaelscoil na bhFál, Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh and Coláiste Feirste. Third level institutions in the area are Coláiste Ollscoile Muire which has been at the forefront of Irish medium teacher training.
Proposals for a Gaeltacht Quarter began in 2002, as a recommendation of the Joint West Belfast/Greater Shankill Task Force. The plan was then adopted by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
and Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
.
Key sites and events in the quarter include the An Chúlturlann arts centre, Conway Mill and the Féile an Phobail
Feile an Phobail
Féile an Phobail , also known as the West Belfast Festival is a community arts organisation known for its August Féile . The organisation is prominent for its promotion of Irish and international culture...
.