On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the heart of Dublin became a sea of banners, flags, and passionate voices as an estimated 25,000 people marched through the city center, demanding urgent political intervention for the protection of the Irish language and the Gaeltacht regions. Dubbed CEARTA: The National Protest for the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht, the demonstration marked the largest mobilization in support of the language in over a decade, according to The Irish Times and RTÉ.
The protest, which began at the Garden of Remembrance and wound its way through the bustling city streets—including the iconic O’Connell Street—brought traffic to a halt. The march concluded at Leinster House, the seat of Irish government, underscoring the political nature of the demonstrators’ demands. Organizers, a coalition of language rights groups and community organizations, said the turnout was a testament to the urgency of the issues facing Irish speakers and the communities that sustain the language.
Participants came from every corner of the island. Buses arrived from rural Gaeltacht regions, urban centers, and even from north of the border, as Irish language groups, Gaeltacht residents, students, teachers, artists, musicians, parents, and children converged in Dublin. The diversity of the crowd reflected the broad base of support for the Irish language, but also the shared concerns about its future.
At the forefront of the protest were calls for action on four key fronts: language rights, housing, education, and funding. The sense of urgency was palpable as speakers addressed the crowd, painting a picture of a language and culture at a crossroads.
One of the most prominent voices was Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, president of Conradh na Gaeilge and spokesman for An Dream Dearg, a language rights group active in Northern Ireland. Describing the protest as “historic,” Mac Giolla Bhéin declared, “For hundreds of years we have been fighting for recognition, for dignity and respect for our language in our own country.” He didn’t mince words when it came to government inaction, asking pointedly, “Why can’t our Government in Dublin do the same thing? Why is Irish still in the ha’penny place when we’re told that the State has more money than ever before?” (as reported by The Irish Times).
Mac Giolla Bhéin highlighted a stark statistic: the Irish language budget, administered through Foras na Gaeilge, is down 45% since 2004. “It’s a disgrace that the Irish language budget through Foras na Gaeilge is down 45 per cent since 2004. It’s a disgrace that the state in the south spends 0.1 per cent on Irish and the state in the North spends 0.02 per cent [of its budget]. That shows the importance they place on our native language,” he told the crowd. The upcoming budget, he said, would be a “litmus test for their sincerity around the language.”
The frustration extended beyond funding. Mac Giolla Bhéin criticized politicians who “never miss a chance to express their ‘grá’ for Irish yet consistently miss every single opportunity to support it with action and funding.” His words resonated with many in the crowd, who have watched as community groups have been forced to make difficult decisions—cutting back schemes, closing offices, and letting staff go—due to financial constraints.
Housing was another major flashpoint. Adhna Ní Bhraonáin, founder of BÁNÚ, a pressure group advocating for more housing in the Gaeltacht, brought the issue home: “I was raised in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht, where Irish was the only language we spoke—at home, in school, in sport, in music, in every part of life. That richness is now under threat. Young people are being driven out because they cannot find homes in their own communities. Without homes, there can be no communities—and without Gaeltacht communities, the language cannot survive.”
Education, too, came under scrutiny. The protest highlighted the growing number of students—one in every 20 secondary pupils—who are receiving exemptions from studying Irish, a trend that many see as symptomatic of deeper systemic issues. Protesters called for the introduction of a more suitable Irish language curriculum and greater provision of Irish-medium education to meet demand.
Many in attendance carried Palestinian flags or banners, linking their cause to broader struggles for justice and inclusion. Mac Giolla Bhéin condemned “the genocide in Gaza as a stain on humanity” and voiced solidarity with Palestine, while also denouncing far-right extremism: “We say to our newcomer communities, ‘Céad míle fáilte romhaimh go léir’. The future we envisage for the language is an inclusive one, one that stands against far-right extremism and fascism. Our language activism is rooted in internationalism and solidarity not intolerance and hatred.”
Support and inspiration also came from beyond Ireland’s borders. Heulyn Rees, chief executive of the Cardiff-based Welsh language advocacy group Menter Caerdydd, spoke about the Welsh experience. “Growing up in Cardiff in the 1980s, the city only had one Welsh language primary school and no secondary schools. Today, there are over 20 Welsh language schools in Cardiff alone, with unprecedented demand for a fourth secondary school over the coming years. For any language to thrive, it must be supported, not just by words and gestures but through legislation, investment and meaningful opportunities to use the language. The Irish language, it’s not a relic, it’s not a museum piece to be kept behind glass, it is a living breathing soul of the people. It is the rhythm of your poetry, the fire in your protest and the lullaby in your cradle and it deserves not just respect but rights. Never whisper Irish. Shout it, teach it, demand it. Let it ring from Belfast to Derry, from Derry to Dublin. Let it be the voice of your future and not just your past.”
While the protest highlighted frustration, it also showcased hope and determination. In a statement, Minister for the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary acknowledged the calls for greater funding, saying he is working on securing more in Budget 2026 and noting that funding has increased over the last five years. However, Conradh na Gaeilge General Secretary Julian de Spáinn responded, “Yes funding has increased, but it is easy to be talking about increases when you are coming from such a low base to begin with. Approximately 0.1% of State expenditure goes towards the language and the Gaeltacht. That is just not good enough. So when Minister Calleary is talking about securing more funding, I hope it is realised that nothing short of a radical increase is warranted.”
As the marchers dispersed, their message lingered in the air: the Irish language is not just a relic of the past, but a living, evolving part of Ireland’s present and future. The day’s events made one thing clear—those who care about the language are prepared to shout, not whisper, until their voices are heard in the halls of power.
