A GROUNDBREAKING new Irish Medium youth project has been launched in West Belfast as part of the Fleadh Feirste festivities. 

Sólas na nÓg is aimed at providing bespoke youth provision through Irish to children and young people with additional learning needs.

The event was launched by the Northern Ireland Children’s Commissioner at Glór na Móna community hub. The unique project, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, is the first of its kind, providing another milestone in the continued development of Irish-medium youth services.

Introducing the project in Gaelionad Mhic Goill, Chairperson of the Project Steering group and Director of Irish Medium Regional Youth representative umbrella body Fóram na nÓ, Orliath Mhic Leannáín said: “Sólás na nÓg is a huge development for the Irish Medium revival and especially for those young people with additional learning needs who struggled to access our mainstream Irish medium youth services. We originally piloted the scheme in 2019 when I worked as Youth Coordinator here in Glór na Móna, with support from EA. We then further developed the concept through the National Lottery Awards for All scheme in 2020-21. 

“This gave us a foundation to build a youth-led steering group and an advisory support panel of parents and practitioners who informed our research process carried out by Dr Orla Nig Oirc, who was carrying out her PhD at the time at Queen's on Educational Inequality in the Irish Medium Education sector. We  would like to thank the National Lottery, Community Fund for putting faith in this fantastic project and our inspirational young people who dared to dream big for a service that they not only needed but are also entitled to."

Orliath’s comments were followed by Youth Project Co-ordinator, Padraigín Nic Mhathúna who added: “Due to securing this valuable funding support from the National Lottery Community Fund, the Sólas na nÓg project now has myself as a full-time coordinator and six part-time youth workers. We now operate three nights per week across two sessions and cater for junior and senior members aged eight-to-18. 

“Our holistic programme is shaped by the project sub-title, ‘Comhbhá, Cothú agus Cumasú’ which means ‘compassion, nurture and support’. Our programmes are led by the unique and diverse needs of our young people and aim to enhance the personal, social, and emotional capacity of our young people in a nurturing and welcoming safe space that also embeds their sociolinguistic needs. This involves a wide-ranging programme of training, learning and therapeutic interventions that these young people have never had the opportunity to avail of previously. We are excited about what the next four years can bring and how our young people can grow and develop.”

Northern Ireland Children’s Commissioner, Koulla Yiasouma, who launched the event at Gaelionad Mhic Goill, said: “What does it mean to respect the rights of young people? It means that we don’t discriminate, it means that we are centred on their survival and development and it means that we hear  their voices. I can see children’s rights being lived and experienced in this place and its right that the lottery fund that.  And I really hope to see youth projects like Sólas na nÓg scaled up across the north, wherever there is a school, there should be a youth service nearby for those children with SEN who need it.”

The packed venue then heard from a young person Cian Ó Riardáin, who was amongst the first cohort involved in the project back in 2019. Commenting on his importance of the project, Cian said: “When Sólás na nÓg formed in 2019 I was invited to attend by my classroom assistant Roibeard who supported me educationally on a one to one basis. It immediately became my safe space. A place where I felt understood and had a great sense of belonging. I was able to create relationships and friendships with others, something I never really understood before.

“At present, I continue to volunteer with Sólás na nÓg and being afforded the opportunity to volunteer gave me the opportunity to understand kids that were just like me. This helped me add to my skill set. From a young age I had always dreamt of being a funeral director. I always felt judgement around this but the Sólás na nÓg team encouraged me to pursue this. Not only did they encourage me but they helped add to my skill set with training opportunities including an OCN qualification as well as developing my social skills. This gave me the confidence to call into organisation and express my interest in wishing to be employed as a funeral director. In July of this year I was successful in gaining employment and becoming the youngest funeral director in Ireland. I am currently furthering my study with the national association of funeral directors, something I thought would never happen. 

 "Having Sólás na nÓg in our community means that young people have a safe space that provides tailored services for their needs through the medium of Irish. As a young person this is the only service I can access that is specific to me and my needs, having this available in Irish allows me to develop in every aspect of your life. I left school last year and still feel that this service is essential for me, although I am in full-time employment it is a place where I can develop, make use of my Irish and be me.”