When the Turas Irish language centre in East Belfast officially opened in 2012, it was called a miracle. Up until recently no one could have conceived of the idea that people would be learning Irish on the Newtownards Road, yet today over 700 people of all ages attend classes every week. Turas has made a breakthrough in what must be considered a less than promising environment, by stressing that the Irish language belongs to everyone.
On Friday March 20 (8pm) at Cahans Meeting House, Linda Ervine will tell the story of Turas, its creation and development, the positives and negatives of being the first ever Irish language development officer in a loyalist working class area. She will describe the barriers that they have faced; the criticism from some individuals within the unionist community, along with lack of support and misunderstanding of the purpose and ethos of their work. However despite the challenges she will show how the Turas project has changed mindsets and softened hearts, eroding long held negative attitudes and providing a new context for the Irish language as a language of healing and reconciliation.