An overwhelming majority - nearly 92% - of student voters at Queen's University Belfast have voted in support of Irish language rights.
The Queen's Students' Union (QSU) received a petition to hold an All-Student Vote, or referendum, on “Language Rights in Queen's University Belfast” from members of the Irish language-speaking community on campus.
The proposal asked students if the QSU should advocate for Queen’s University Belfast to "develop and implement a comprehensive Irish Language Policy to include a bilingual corporate identity for the University and Students’ Union, as well as campus-wide physical bilingual signage."
The proposal additionally sought for QSU to advocate for the formal recognition of Irish and English equally as official languages of the University.
Further, the proposal sought for QSU to advocate for the immediate reinstatement of bilingual signage in the Students' Union and to improve access to University services through the medium of Irish.
Independent groups of students organized both "yes" and "no" campaigns advocating for and against the proposal, QSU said on Friday.
Voting took place online from March 10 through March 19 and saw 5,088 students, representing 20.3% of eligible voters, vote in the Irish language proposal.
On Friday, QSU announced that 4,607 votes (91.88%) were cast in support of the proposal, 407 votes (8.12%) voted against the proposal, and 11 students recorded an abstention and therefore did not agree or disagree with the proposal.
The majority outcome of the vote means that QSU is required to progress the proposal. The QSU's elected Executive Management Committee will now consider how best to bring forward these detailed and multifaceted proposals to the University.
The QSU noted that it remains committed to parity of esteem and cooperation and will continue to engage with all groups to foster mutual respect, understanding, and meaningful dialogue amongst all communities on campus.
Amy Smith, Queen’s Students’ Union President, said: “With over 5,000 students participating in the referendum, a strong mandate has been received by the Students’ Union to advocate for Irish language rights across the University.
"The measured tone of the debate amongst students demonstrates how our society can discuss difficult issues.
"Queen’s Students’ Union will now engage with the University and other groups to agree a way forward, acknowledging the outcome of the referendum, whilst also remaining committed to promoting mutual respect, understanding and cooperation amongst all communities on campus.”
"Yes" campaigners noted that Queen's University Belfast removed dual-language signage in 1997 and, since then, has implemented an ‘English-only’ approach to signage and branding.
While support for the Irish language on campus never ceased outright, it has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years.
In 2018, a motion was passed to amend the Constitution of the QSU to create a new role, an Irish Language Officer.
And in 2022, the university launched its Irish Language Residential Scheme, which was developed in response to a formal request by staff, students, and alumni to create a programme similar to those already in place at other universities. The university describes the scheme as "a place where students live together through the medium of Irish."
Last October, the university announced that it saw a 227% increase in the number of students who are registering for Irish courses, which prompted the Language Center to put on extra classes.
View this post on Instagram
Leading the charge on the "yes" campaign was An Cumann Gaelach QUB, the university's Irish language society, and one of the oldest societies at QUB.
Speaking on behalf of An Cumann Gaelach, Eoghan Ó Conghaile said on Friday: “Today marks a defining moment for the Irish language community at Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste.
"In a university whose Vice Chancellor once hailed our language as provocative, intimidatory, and offensive, their student body has overwhelmingly voted in favour of language equality. They have endorsed our message of positivity, inclusivity and diversity.
"We are extremely grateful to each of the [insert vote number] students who took this opportunity to make their voices heard."
He continued: “This result reinforces what we, as a Cumann, already knew; that there is significant interest, demand and support for the Irish language right across Queen’s campus and beyond.
"An Ghaeilge continues to thrive and grow right across society, enriching the lives of everyone who chooses to engage with it.
"The outworkings of this referendum will completely alter the linguistic landscape of a university whose outdated, monolingual approach has spanned across decades.”
He added: “Our experience with Queen’s University has become a microcosm of the everyday lived experience of countless Irish speakers right across the north; where our most reasonable calls for equality are consistently sidelined or vetoed, pending support or approval from a tiny minority who are fundamentally opposed to the Irish language. This approach has fostered an environment of exclusion and marginalisation, rather than that of inclusion and equality that the university should pride itself upon.”
Ó Conghaile concluded: “We now eagerly await the immediate reinstatement of dual language signage in Queen’s Students Union and the erection of that same signage right across Queen’s University campus and take this opportunity to call on the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer, to provide a public timeframe and commitment for the development and implementation of a comprehensive Irish language policy for Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste.”
Comments