Bursaries for ten teenagers to study Irish at the Gaeltacht approved at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

Post-primary pupils can further their Irish language studies in the Gaeltacht area of Donegal during residentials at a cost of between £300 and £500, councillors were told.

Glengormley Sinn Fein Councillor Rosie Kinnear has requested that £2,500 of her allocated budget to the office of the Deputy Mayor of £5,250 be used to fund ten bursaries of £250 to teenagers who will be attending the Gaeltacht.

Airport Sinn Fein Cllr Maighréad Ní Chonghaile, proposed supporting the recommendation saying: “It is great to see it coming into place. I would like to see it as a more substantial scheme.”

Her proposal was seconded by party colleague Dunsilly Cllr Annie O’Lone who said she attended the Gaeltacht during her school days.

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Meanwhile, a report to the committee noted an Arts and Culture Grant Aid Programme was approved by the council to provide arts grants to individuals of up to £500 to participate in specialist training or study with language. Applications from post- primary pupils to this programme for attendance at the Gaeltacht have been approved previously.

In response to a query from Antrim DUP Cllr Paul Dunlop BEM regarding the Arts and Culture Grant Aid Programme, Ursula Fay, director of community development, said it has a budget of £14k, which she described as “a very modest sum for the whole community across a wide range of categories”.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter