First Irish language school in east Belfast to relocate after 'hate campaign'

A Belfast primary school has blamed a social media "hate campaign" after it emerged that an Irish-language nursery will not open at the site as planned.

Naiscoil na Seolta was due to open to 16 children at Braniel Primary School in September, the first Irish language school in the east of the city.

The pre-school would have been separate from Braniel PS but was to be housed in a classroom on the same site.

But the primary school released a statement to parents to say that it would not now happen due to the actions of "those who are not of our school community".

A school statement said: "It is with great sadness and regret that we had to inform our school community today of the decision of the Integrated Naiscoil na Seolta to relocate to another site due to actions of individuals not connected to the school.

"Due to an ongoing social media hate campaign against some individuals and the integrated Naiscoil na Seolta, it is with great sadness that it is choosing to relocate to an alternative location.

"A social media campaign was started and fuelled by those who are not connected to the school, nor are parents of our school and who are clearly not interested in facts and truth, who allowed disgusting comments to be posted that were littered with unfounded erroneous allegations about certain individuals and the Naiscoil.

"Braniel PS is not and should never be thought of as a contested space.

"We are proud to be a shared space for all. We welcome all children, parents, families and individuals irrespective of religion, faith, creed or language and always will.

"The comments, made mostly by those who are not of our school community, on social media do not in any way reflect the opinions and beliefs of the governors and entire staff of the school."

The statement was signed on behalf of the board of governors, principal and staff of Braniel Nursery and Primary School.

A spokesperson for Naiscoil na Seolta said: "We have been offered another venue which is in a better location and which is a larger space which will allow us to grow and develop."

The nursery recently received £73,000 from Foras na Gaeilge, the north-south body for the promotion of the Irish language, for its running costs.

Its stated aim was to bring integrated Irish-medium primary education to the area.

Linda Ervine, Irish language development officer of Turas, the language organisation which has been running Irish classes for adults in the Skainos centre in east Belfast for a number of years, is among those behind Naiscoil na Seolta.

Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said: “It’s outrageous that Naíscoil na Seolta, due to open at Braniel PS, have been forced to relocate following a campaign of online abuse and hate.

“Parents, children and school staff should not have to put up with this type of disgusting behaviour.

“Irish medium education is inclusive and it’s thriving across Belfast and these disgusting attempts to deter progress will not be tolerated.

“Online abuse of any form is disgraceful, but particularly when it’s attacking a nursery school.

“We need a strong message from right across society and from political leaders, that this campaign of hate against this Naíscoil is wrong.”

SDLP East Belfast city councillor Séamas de Faoite has said those behind the campaign of hate should be ashamed of themselves.

The Lisnasharragh councillor said: “Those who ran this campaign of hate against nursery school children are truly warped and twisted.

"This school wasn’t even open yet, it was due to welcome its first pupils in September and has already been forced to move.

"This lack of tolerance is disgusting and is in no way representative of the majority of people in east Belfast.

“The opening of an Irish language nursery school in east Belfast should have been a symbol of how far we have come in the past few decades, instead it has now become a symbol of how far we still have to go in Northern Ireland.

“That the prospect of infants learning Irish while attending an integrated nursery sparked such a campaign of hate really is hard to comprehend. It’s also a slap in the face to the great work Linda Ervine and others have been doing in the community to open up opportunities around the Irish language to a wider demographic.

“News like this is something that should have been left long in the past.

"That these things are still happening in 2021 is really disheartening.

"Those behind this campaign of hate should stop and take a long hard look at themselves and their pathetic actions, they have achieved nothing more than blackening the name of their neighbourhood and upsetting young children and their families.

“I welcome that the Naíscoil has already found a new site in east Belfast and hope that this campaign of hate will now end once for all and pupils and teachers are given the opportunity to settle into their new surroundings when school starts in September.

"I’m sure the vast majority of people in east Belfast will be delighted to welcome them.”