Irish Language

Legislation providing for official recognition of the Irish language in Northern Ireland for the first time has received royal assent. The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill grants official status to the Irish language as part of a package of measures to promote and respect Northern Irela

The Supreme Court has held that the State unreasonably delayed the publication of certain environmental legislation in the Irish language. The respondents were seeking to challenge a compulsory purchase order for lands in the Connemara Gaeltacht and claimed that they did not have reasonable access t

Northern Ireland’s High Court has, for the second time, declared that the Northern Ireland Executive is failing in its duty to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language. There has been inaction on this point since the provisions were introduced in 2007. In this judicial review

Northern Ireland's High Court has ruled in favour of Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge in a judicial review regarding the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to adopt an Irish language strategy. Mr Justice David Scoffield ruled that the Executive was in breach of its statutory duty under

Northern Ireland's only Irish language theatre company has launched legal action against the Arts Council over its decision to withdraw funding from the group. The theatre group, Aisling Ghéar, is challenging the decision on the basis that it is unfair and irrational. The annual funding from

A centuries-old ban on the use of the Irish language in the Northern Ireland courts will be repealed under language legislation introduced to Westminster today. The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill will grant official status to the Irish language as part of a package of measures to prom

Legislation aimed at making more public services available in the Irish language has been approved by the Oireachtas and will now be signed into law. Under the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019, the number of Irish speakers recruited to the public service will be increased to 20 per cent of n

Proposed legislation to promote the Irish language is set to be strengthened through 32 amendments approved by ministers. The government has published the heads of 32 amendments to the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill, which will be presented at report stage.

The family of an Irish-born woman have won the right to include an Irish language epitaph without an English translation on her gravestone in Coventry. Margaret Keane, who was born in Co Meath but lived in Coventry since the 1950s, was widely known for her dedication to the GAA in the UK.

An ecclesiastical court in England will this month hear an appeal from a woman who was refused the right to include an Irish language epitaph without an English translation on her mother’s gravestone. The family of the late Margaret Keane, who was born in Ireland but lived in Coventry, want to

Irish language ability would be required for qualification as a solicitor or barrister or appointment to the Supreme Court under legislative amendments proposed by an Oireachtas committee chairperson. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has proposed amendments to the Official Languages (

A requirement that a fifth of all new recruits in the public service will have to be competent in the Irish language will be introduced by the end of 2030 under new government plans. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019, currently being considered by the Oireachtas, will be strengthened by g

Kerry County Council breached planning laws by failing to implement a language condition attached to a planning permission for a housing development in the West Kerry Gaeltacht, An Coimisinéir Teanga has said. The Office of the Language Commissioner carried out an investigation on a provision

A fifth of those recruited to the public service should be competent in the Irish language under a new plan underpinned by legislation. The Cabinet has approved the publication of the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019, which builds on the landmark Official Languages Act 2003.

A man convicted of possessing explosives and making hoax bomb threats has failed in an appeal against his conviction which focused on his Irish language rights during the trial. Lawyers for Dónal Billings, 67, whose trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court was heard in both Irish and Engl