There was a good attendance last night in the Grand Central Hotel Omeath at an illustrated talk given by Stiofán Carson (Turas Project Belfast) on the role of Presybterians and Protestants in promoting the Irish language in Ulster.
Stiofán presented an historical outline of the involvement of noted Gaelic scholars, collectors, enthusiasts, and Churchmen who all hailed from a Presbyterian/Protestant background, some of whom were stoutly Orange, and who were actively engaged in preserving and promoting Irish.
Stiofán acknowledged the research work of Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, Ruairí Ó Bléine and Rev. Cosslett Ó Cuinn and drew on material in a highly commended recent publication “The Reverend Andrew Bryson – The Life and Times of an Irish-speaking Presbyterian Minister” (Edited Godfrey Brown, Peadar Mac Gabhann, Janet Taylor, and published by UHF).
The talk is one of a series of educational lectures that are being organised by Oriel Connects Us – Oirialla a thugann sinn le chéile.
The next scheduled talk is
Charting the Decline of Native Irish in South Armagh and North Louth in the 19th-20th Centuries by Ciarán Mac Murchaidh, Wednesday 15th October 2025 @ 7.30pm, Grand Central Hotel Omeath
