Irish Officer, Marcus Ó Conaire, assisting Cllr Donal Lyons (IND) with a Gaeilge translation before the start of Galway City Council’s first fully bilingual meeting. Photograph: Cormac MacMahon
HISTORY WAS made on Monday when Galway City Council hosted a fully bilingual meeting.
Coinciding with Seachtain na Gaeilge, the first ever bilingual meeting in the history of Galway City Council took place in City Hall.
Galway’s unique position as a bilingual and Gaeltacht city, and as a Gaeltacht Service Town was acknowledged during the meeting. The proposal for a bilingual meeting arose from the newly formed sub-Strategic Policy Committee for Gaeilge in December 2024.
80% of people in Galway would like to use more Irish every day, according to research undertaken by Gaillimh le Gaeilge, with similar messages in surveys from Gaeilge ABC and Ireland Thinks.
Interpreters were available through headsets throughout the March meeting, with meeting documentation available in English and Gaeilge. Several councillors put forward motions and made contributions as Gaeilge.
Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Peter Keane (FF) said, “Galway City has two large Gaeltacht areas in Knocknacarra and An Bruach Thoir, comprising Terryland, Coolagh, Menlo, Ballindooley, Ballinfoyle, Parkmore and parts of Castlegar, as well as being adjacent to the Conamara Gaeltacht. Our native tongue can frequently be heard on the streets of Galway City, in cafes on Shop Street, in schools and in businesses – this is a unique feature of Galway City, and it behoves us as the Elected Members of Galway City Council to protect and promote our native language and our cultural heritage”.
Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Leonard Cleary outlined, “In 2016, Galway City was honoured as a bilingual city by now President Michael D. Higgins. A special meeting was held at the time with one agenda item fully as Gaeilge. This fully bilingual meeting is a great opportunity to showcase Galway as a bilingual city and our commitment to the language. It’s important that we strive to make public services accessible through Irish in the coming years. We want Irish-language speakers to feel included and welcome in Galway City, and this is one of the many steps we are taking to address that”.
Galway City has four Language Schemes spanning 2006-2022. Since the language plans commenced in 2006, Galway City Council has committed to provision of seirbhís trí Ghaeilge by phone and in person, with initiatives including bilingual advertising, press releases, website, consultation and promotional materials; Irish classes and training for staff and Elected Members; and support of initiatives which promote Gaeilge in the community, including funding Gaillimh le Gaeilge and the recent bilingual Tonnta festival.
The Irish Language Schemes are now subsumed into the Official Languages Act, which requires all public bodies to deliver services as Gaeilge on an equal basis with English. Recent obligations include the requirement to publish a minimum of 20% of advertising bilingually, with a minimum of 5% of advertising to be on Irish language media. Under the Official Languages Act, all Public sector organisations are obliged to have 20% of staff competent in the Irish Language by 2030.
The initiatives have been welcomed by Galway City Council who said wish to see an active Gaeilge offering in visibility and usability for native speakers, for those learning the language, and for the two million tourists who visit Galway annually to appreciate and experience our culture.
