WEST Belfast Irish language organisation Glór na Móna have received £500,000 funding from Belfast City Council towards a first class redevelopment and expansion on their current site.

Based on the Whiterock Road, Glór na Móna’s current facility An Ghael Ionad, has built a reputation both nationally and internationally as a ground-breaking community hub for grassroots language regeneration, and Irish-medium youth work which has become a vital component of the burgeoning Irish language network across the city. 

An Ghael Ionad facilitated significant growth and expansion in Glór na Móna’a community project delivery and necessitated the growing demand for a second phase capital proposal which aims to build and further develop their ambitious vision on the vacant council land adjacent to the centre.

It will be known as the Croí na Carraige (Heart of the Rock) capital project.

Following Monday night's Belfast City Council meeting, approval was granted for £500,000 worth of Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund money for the project.

Glór na Móna Executive Director, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, said the approval is testament to the "hard work and dedication" of generations of committed activists.

"Monday night’s decision at full council to ratify capital funding for our Croí na Carraige proposal is fantastic news for the Irish language revival in the west of the city," he said.

"This decision is testament to the hard work and dedication of generations of committed activists who have built the Irish language movement from below, often against seemingly insurmountable odds.

"Whilst standing on the shoulders of giants, Glór na Móna was established in 2004 by a group of local community activists with the modest intention of providing social and educational opportunities for the local Irish-speaking community in the Upper Springfield.

"Led by an inspiring new generation of young people over the past decade, Glór na Móna has now developed into an ambitious, locally rooted, working-class organisation that pioneered Irish Medium youth work in the city and links the language revival to grassroots community development and regeneration.

"In recent years, our staff and young people have had to campaign and lobby vigorously to retain our youth services which were under threat of closure. The success of this campaign and the energy and drive of the Glór na Móna community in continuing to develop engaging grassroots community development practice has ensured widespread local support for the Croí na Carraige concept."

The potential of the project as a flagship national language revival facility was further emphasised by Glór na Móna chairperson, Conchur Ó Muadaigh.

"We are delighted to have secured the support of Belfast City Council and express our deep gratitude to our local Sinn Féin councillors for their consistent support," he added. "For us, however, this is only the beginning and we will be endeavouring to secure the remainder from capital funds and government departments in the weeks and months ahead

"We will undoubtedly require continued, active party political support to make this community vision a reality in the time ahead.

‘We believe that Croí na Carraige is a ground-breaking grassroots community-led project that will become a flagship national Irish language regeneration project that will serve as a best practice example of grassroots minoritized language community development practice that can provide national and international inspiration to those working in language revitalisation movements."

Local Sinn Féin councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly also welcomed the funding.

"I am delighted that Belfast City Council agreed to award Glór na Mona £500,000," she said. "This is towards a first class redevelopment and expansion on their current site.  

"This will make an incredible addition for an already buzzing service within our community which will have a ripple effect throughout the city.

"Croí na Carraige is a hub for language, heritage, culture and arts within our community. I’m delighted to see this positive regeneration in our community."

Other West Belfast projects that will receive funding as part of the Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund are:

  • Fáilte Feirste Thiar – The Mountainview Hotel (£1.5m)
  • Michael Davitt’s GAC – Michael Davitt’s Community Heritage Centre (£647,000)