Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to hear that Gaeilge is being studied in east Belfast. I served with the Royal Irish Rangers 40 years ago and when we were overseas, we were Irish. That was it. Our identity was Irish. We had no other identity. We only parted on sectarian grounds or on nationalist versus unionist grounds on the boat when we passed the Isle of Man on the way home on leave. I believe that all of us, North and South, unionist and nationalist, identify ourselves as Irish and Foras na Gaeilge is to be congratulated for making inroads into east Belfast and places like that. We have a lot of work to do down here. People like myself need to rekindle our Gaeilge and be more proud of the language that is several thousand years old.

I thank Mr. Seán Ó Coinn and Mr. Ó hEidhin for coming. If Mr. Ó Coinn would like to make a concluding statement, I would be delighted to hear it as Béarla nó as Gaeilge.