Elected representatives and Irish Language Officers from six Local Authorities in the West/ North West of the country met in Galway City Council recently (Friday 30 January), to discuss opportunities to promote and deliver services through Irish.
Representatives from Galway City, Galway County, Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Clare came together to share experiences and to discuss actions to progress key elements of the Official Languages Act, including the requirement for 20% of local authority staff to be competent in Gaeilge by 2030.
Councillor Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easpaig, from Donegal County Council, chaired the discussion, with each local authority highlighting achievements to date, and the opportunities for Gaeilge, both in Gaeltacht areas, and Gaeltacht Service towns in Donegal, Galway City and County, Mayo, Clare as well as interesting developments in Sligo.
Attendees also shared feedback on development of Irish language matters in their respective local authorities, and ways in which regional and national cooperation could enhance the use and visibility of Irish in local government.
Issues relating to local planning and Gaeilge were also discussed, with contributions from Councillor Frank Fahy (Galway City), Councillors Tomás Ó Curraoin, Pádraig Joe Joe Mac Con Iomaire, Michael Leainde (County Galway) and Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easpaig (Donegal).
It is anticipated that the group will collaborate in future on issues relating to provision of services through Irish, and to support delivery of same as well as its regularised usage in Council.
This cross-council collaboration took place following a meeting of the newly-formed Galway City Council Gaeilge sub-Strategic Policy Committee earlier in the day.
The Galway City Council Gaeilge SPC met for the first time in December 2024. In March 2025, Galway City Council hosted a fully bilingual meeting (Gaeilge/ English) – the first such meeting in the Council’s history – with the proposal for the bilingual meeting coming from the Gaeilge SPC.
The cross-council delegation also joined in a launch of a new Galway City Council initiative to encourage the everyday use of Irish across the organisation - the “Tá Gaeilge agam” lanyard for staff and Elected Members of all levels of fluency, willing to engage in conversation trí Ghaeilge.
Image (from left to right):
Caroline Ní Fhlatharta, University of Galway; John Prendergast, Conradh na Gaeilge; Cllr Eibhlín Seoigthe, Galway City Council; Cllr Eddie Hoare, Galway City Council; Máirtín Ó Donnchadha, Galway County Council; Tomás Ó hÓgáin, An Bruach Thoir; Cllr Mary Hoade, Leaschathaoirleach Galway County Council; Aoife Ní Dhubhlaoich, Mayo County Council; Ailish Rohan, Galway City Council; Clíona Ní Ghallachóir, Donegal County Council; Marcus Ó Conaire, Galway City Council; Edel Mhic Amhlaidh, Sligo County Council; Cllr Frank Fahy, Galway City Council; Jim Molloy, Sligo County Council; Bríd Ní Chonghóile, Gaillimh le Gaeilge; Róise Nic Laifeartaigh, Donegal County Council; Paddy Doherty, Donegal County Council; Cllr Martin Scanlon, Donegal County Council; Saoirse Higgins, Galway City Council. Photo Aengus McMahon
