ULSTER University is teaming up with An Droichead, the Irish language and cultural organisation for South and East Belfast, to offer postgraduate students a scholarship towards studying the Irish language.
The scholarship is currently open for applications from current or prospective students of Irish and will remain open until Saturday 24 September.
The scholarship was first introduced by An Droichead in 2016, however difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a lack of fundraising opportunities. As a result, An Droichead was unable to reach its £3,000 goal to fund the scholarship between 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, the organisation saw a return to its pre-Covid fundraising and is able to once again provide its support to those who wish to continue studying the Irish language.
Welcoming news that the scholarships are returning, Gearóid Ó Domagáin, Lecturer in Irish and Course Director for Ulster University's Diploma Programmes, said: “This partnership initiative between Ulster University and An Droichead epitomises our commitment to community engagement and widening participation, supporting the study of Irish language, and enhancing the opportunities for students to avail of third level courses.
“This also reflects the outstanding contribution of An Droichead to this area, fostering language learners across Belfast and providing facilities and opportunities for achievement at the highest level.
"The scholarship has made a material difference since its inception in 2016 and its re-instatement for this academic year with a broader course catchment will ensure that a range of successful applicants can avail of this financial assistance at a time when it is greatly needed.”
The CEO of An Droichead, Pól Deeds, added: “An Droichead is all about getting people interested in learning Irish and using Irish. Our partnership with Ulster University is one of the important ways that we can do all three.
"In particular, we want to show students in our classes and in our community that there is a clear path to recognised proficiency in Irish. At the same time, we want to provide more opportunities for third-level students to fully take part in the Irish language movement and in an Irish language social life as provided through our cultural programmes.”
An Droichead Irish Language Development Officer, Fionnuala Nic Thom, said: “We have restructured the scholarships to make sure we can support as many students as possible in a meaningful way. We want to reach those who need the extra cash and also to find people who will stay involved in building an Irish language community in this part of Belfast.
“Among the suite of support services that An Droichead offers – which includes a membership scheme that provides 50 per cent discount on all of our activities – we are delighted to be able to make a direct financial contribution that will help with the continuing journey of Irish language students.
"Some of these will have already grown up through An Droichead in the primary school and our youth services.”
An Droichead is considered one of the largest Irish cultural centres in the UK, hosting a range of classes including music, dance, and Irish language classes.
The organisation has also achieved all-Ireland success, earning the top prize in the prestigious Glór na nGael competition in 2021 for their Irish language education program.
Building on that all-Ireland success, they have committed themselves to ensuring their charitable fundraising efforts can continue to raise the monies for the scholarship both in the current year and going forward.
If you’re interested in applying for a scholarship, visit the An Droichead website.
