IRISH language activist Linda Ervine has said an Irish-medium nursery school due to open at Braniel Primary School will relocate to a "more central" location after being targeted by a campaign of "lies and rumours".

Naíscoil na Seolta, which was due to open at Braniel Primary School, made the decision to relocate after what it described as a "small-scale social media campaign" against the school. 

In a statement, Naíscoil na Seolta said: "We would like to thank Diane Dawson, Braniel Primary School, its governors and parents for the generous opportunity they extended to us to use a mobile building on their school grounds. We received a hugely warm welcome, and have loved bringing the Irish language to Braniel, which we look forward to continuing. There was, however, a small-scale social media campaign launched to attempt to move us on. This was dealt with using the correct channels. Nonetheless, with the children's wellbeing at the front of our minds, we have decided to take up a new opportunity.

"The Braniel site was always a temporary location, as we developed plans for a permanent home in east Belfast. In the last weeks, it emerged that a new site had become available to us. The new site is bigger, more conveniently located for parents, and builds on our existing relationships in east Belfast. The new location will be announced very soon, after we have spoken to parents and funders.

"Naíscoil na Seolta has always been about deepening community relationships, and these relationships will continue, regardless of our location. We remain committed to, and excited about, bringing integrated Irish medium education to East Belfast." 

Irish language campaigner Linda Ervine said the school will move to a "more central" location, which will be announced in due course.

"It's disappointing that we felt we had to move, but it's a different venue with the same ethos, the same plan, the same vision – nothing else has changed," she told the South Belfast News.

She said a "small number" of people falsely claiming to represent the parents of Braniel Primary School had engaged in a campaign of "lies and rumours".

"I've been teaching Irish in the school since March and I've been teaching hundreds of children whose parents have consented to them doing Irish, that doesn't say to you that these people are intolerant, in fact, it says the opposite."

Lisnasharragh Councillor Séamas de Faoite said those behind the social media campaign should "be ashamed of themselves."
 
 "Those who ran this campaign of hate against nursery school children are truly warped and twisted," he said.

"This school wasn’t even open yet, it was due to welcome its first pupils in September and has already been forced to move. This lack of tolerance is disgusting and is in no way representative of the majority of people in East Belfast.  

“The opening of an Irish language nursery school in East Belfast should have been a symbol of how far we have come in the past few decades, instead it has now become a symbol of how far we still have to go in Northern Ireland.   

"That the prospect of infants learning Irish while attending an integrated nursery sparked such a campaign of hate really is hard to comprehend. It’s also a slap in the face to the great work Linda Ervine and others have been doing in the community to open up opportunities around the Irish language to a wider demographic."

South Belfast MLA Deirdre Hargey said: “Parents, children and school staff should not have to put up with this type of disgusting behaviour.

“Irish medium education is inclusive and it’s thriving across Belfast and these disgusting attempts to deter progress will not be tolerated.

“Online abuse of any form is disgraceful, but particularly when it’s attacking a nursery school.

“We need a strong message from right across society and from political leaders that this campaign of hate against this Naíscoil is wrong.”