Belfast gets a 'Gaeltacht' quarter

Part of republican west Belfast has been designated a Gaeltacht area in a drive to promote the city during the centenary of its…

Part of republican west Belfast has been designated a Gaeltacht area in a drive to promote the city during the centenary of its city hall.

It is hoped the Gaeltacht branding of the Falls Road will bring more visitors to the district.

Belfast City Council has published a bilingual map of the city - which includes trails through its "Cathedral", "Queen's University", "Titanic" and now "Gaeltacht" quarters - as part of the Celebrate Belfast festival.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Maskey said the designation would improve the area's image and attract tourists.

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"Places like San Francisco have Little Italy and Chinatown, so what's to stop Belfast having its Gaeltacht quarter? Tourists coming to any country will expect to hear the native language being spoken and in this respect the Falls Road is no different from Donegal."

But DUP councillor Christopher Stalford warned the city could soon boast "more quarters than make a whole".

However, Mr Stalford insisted he was not hostile to the idea. "I just think we should have parity of esteem in terms of the money which is spent on the Ulster-Scots movement.

"In 1995 there were two Ulster Scots bodies but now there are around 200. Anywhere else but Northern Ireland that would be classed as a cultural revival, but instead we have a huge funding gap between what is spent on Irish and what is spent on Ulster Scots."