Cymdeithas support demo for an Irish Language Act

PobalOn Saturday 24 February Gwyn Sion Ifan, Sel Jones and Huw Jones will travel to Belfast on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg to attend a demonstration for an Irish Language Act for the north of Ireland, and to show their support to the 160,000 Irish-speakers in the north. The Society has already sent an official message of support to the demonstration organisers. As well as the march itself, there will also be concerts and other language activities.

Catrin Dafydd, Chair of Cymdeithas’s Welsh Language Act Group said:"Cymdeithas supports the march in Belfast. Our campaign for a new Welsh language act in Wales is part of a worldwide movement to ensure the basic human rights of the peoples of the world. As we demand our rights for the people of Wales, we stand with others such as the Irish-speakers of Northern Ireland as they demand their rights through legislation”.The march will meet at the culture and art centre 'Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich' at 1pm and march to the Poets Square in Belfast city centre, where it will be greeted by guest speakers (Janet Muller, ChiefExec. of POBAL, the Irish language umbrella organisation; Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Féin; representaives of the SDLP, plus senior members of other Gaelic organisations)The umbrella language movement POBAL - www.pobal.org - has been working for three years on a language act and they have submitted detailed proposals and a draft bill which would give official status to Irish in Northern Ireland, rights to Irish-speakers to use the language in the fields of education, the courts, the media, political institutions, the workplace etc. and it would set up the post of an Irish Language Commissioner and a planning body.Irish is the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. In 2003 the Republic passed the Official Languages Act. In January 2007 Irish became one the official languages of the European Union.Ní géilleadh go hAcht Gaeilge, La Nua, 26/02/2007Hundreds take to the streets to demand equal rights for Irish, irelandclick.com, 26/02/2007Mo cheol sibh! irelandclick.com, 26/02/2007Rally to demand Irish Language Act for the Six Counties, anphoblacht.com, 16/02/2007

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