Debate contribution: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

Debate contribution by Miss Deirdre Hargey on 14 September 2026.

MLA: Miss Deirdre Hargey
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 14 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5685966

Text

I had not intended to speak until I heard Matthew and other Members speak. I have a six-year-old niece called Banbha. My mummy was an Irish dancer and always wanted her to get into Irish dancing. She had always said no, but, one week after the fleadh, she joined an Irish dancing school and is now dancing. That shows the power of the arts, music, dance, culture, language — all those things — if they can have that impact on a six-year-old. She also made 30 quid when she threw her coat down and danced with a group of other young ones in Verner Street during the Féile na hAbhann fleadh fringe event. That shows what is possible for next year. Pedestrianisation is an important issue, but it needs to be much wider, with a rethink of our urban planning and our public realm. If Members look at Belfast planning maps from the 1960s and 1970s, they will see that Belfast once worked as a connected system, which was then segregated because of defensive planning and a containment strategy. Our neighbourhoods and our city centre are still feeling the impact of those regressive strategies. Inner-city communities, which are mostly working-class, such as the Market area where I live, Donegall Pass, Sandy Row, the Shankill Road, the Falls Road, Carrick Hill, Brown Square, among others, really feel that disconnect. The fleadh has shown all of us how we can rethink public spaces and look at having a restitching and reconnectivity strategy for those communities and for communities beyond the inner city.
Yes, of course.
Part of pedestrianisation is about encouraging the use of public transport. Those communities suffer high levels of asthma, for example, and that is because of the air pollution in the city. If we can therefore rethink what the city looks like, create greater connections and allow greater pedestrianisation and more cycling, that will hopefully improve health outcomes in those very neighbourhoods. That is what the Belfast agenda and, hopefully, the emerging eastern transport plan will start to do. There is a serious discussion to be had, and if there is unity of purpose, we can achieve that over the next period. It was unfortunate that David used this opportunity to attack the féile. That was despicable, to be honest. Féile an Phobail is Ireland's largest community festival. It was borne out of the community — one of the most socially deprived communities, I have to say — in the 1980s. Since then, hundreds of its events, including this year, have brought people together from across the city and beyond. This year, it gave a platform and space to people from the unionist community, minority ethnic communities, women and the LGBT community. It also had a social media reach of 78·5 million when it came to people's retweets of those events and the different festivities.
Allow me to continue. This year, again, we saw no bonfires across nationalist areas in Belfast. That has been a huge achievement by Féile an Phobail, working with corresponding festivals in south, east and north Belfast. Of course, we saw thousands of young people attend the different events, including concerts and other music events. I know that there were young people there from the Newtownards Road, the Shankill Road and Sandy Row, as well as areas in my own community, such as the Market and the Falls Road. I also know that Féile an Phobail has worked with the likes of Woodvale Festival, because it wants to see other community festivals happen. I know that because I have first-hand experience of what they were trying to do in Woodvale. Féile was also very supportive of that organisation. It is unfortunate, therefore, that there was an attempt to demonise that community. That community overcame demonisation in the '80s and '90s, and it will overcome it again in 2026. I am delighted to say that Féile an Phobail, just like the fleadh, will be back next year, bigger and better, for everyone to enjoy the craic agus ceol.

673 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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