Letter: Unionism should embrace Ulster Irish/Gaeilge Uladh rather than resist it
A letter from Stephen McCarthy:
Recent opposition from some within unionism to the introduction of Irish language signage at Belfast’s Grand Central Station and Queen’s University feels, once again, less like a reasoned cultural objection and more like a knee jerk retreat. It’s not that the effort is misguided — it's misplaced.
Instead of treating the Irish language as a threat or a political encroachment, unionists would do well to recognise that Ulster Irish or Gaeilge Uladh is a unique and distinct dialect.
It is not simply “the same Irish” as spoken in the south and that the display of it in public places erodes our sense of self — it reflects the specific heritage of this place, shaped as much by its contact and connection with Scots Gàidhlig, and indeed English, as by its Middle Irish roots.
That’s something that could, and arguably should, be owned and held up by unionism as further evidence that Northern Ireland is — and always has been — distinct from the rest of the island, and that it always has been a stepping stone between Ireland and Britain. A crossroads central to the cultural identities and histories of these islands rather than a cultural backwater that can only say "no".
Language is never just about words — it’s about identity, legitimacy, and belonging. Trying to shut down Irish signage because it doesn’t sit comfortably within a narrow definition of cultural unionism risks ceding ground, not securing it.
The smart approach would be to embrace and even promote Ulster Irish as one more thread in the complex and compelling tapestry of what makes Northern Ireland different — and therefore legitimate.
Push for signage in Ulster Irish/Gaeilge Uladh in Grand Central Station, Queen’s University and anywhere else that wants it. It's the form of Irish that children are taught in Northern Irish schools, and the form they'll speak when they visit the Gaeltacht.
If the response from the Irish Language Community or nationalist politicians is to reject this reality and instead to insist on An Caighdeán Oifigiúil or Official State Irish then the request for great visibility of our language is not about the language at all.
For once, unionism, seize the opportunity to be in the right.
Stephen McCarthy, former Ulster Unionist councillor