Debate contribution: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on .
- MLA
- Ms Cara Hunter
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 14 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5685986
Read the official Assembly record
Text
When growing up in Northern Ireland, it can, at times, feel like quite a depressing place that is quite bleak and still very deeply divided, but the fleadh offered us an opportunity to really share each other's cultures, learn something new and move forward to the future. This Building can sometimes feel hopeless. I feel that, often, we regurgitate and reiterate the same lines about the same problems and same challenges with the same divisiveness that we have had for decades. However, the fleadh gave us a moment in time in which we had a shared understanding of what can be. What Belfast achieved when hosting the fleadh was genuinely something special, particularly for young people who come from parts of the North that are still deeply divided and where they may not meet people who are different from them. It was an opportunity to witness the best of us, because it was such a positive event. If you look online at comments sections, you will see that Northern Ireland still appears to be a place deeply divided by race, colour and creed, but the fleadh was about gathering and sharing traditions. It was about the people who keep culture alive across the North and South and across village halls and city pubs. On the very streets where violence took place a number of decades ago, we saw people gather to enjoy a bit of craic and some incredible music. When Belfast played host this year, it was clearly a very magical moment for people of all ages. Belfast City Council, alongside hundreds of volunteers, managed to get right something that is genuinely very complex to host. That is so admirable, but what really struck me was that, while, yes, we saw Irish traditional music celebrated, we also, as others have mentioned today, saw bands from the unionist tradition feature prominently. Not to be cheesy, but that is the North of Ireland — the Northern Ireland — that I believe in: not one of tokenism but one of genuine respect and of understanding each other's cultures. Different communities shared the same stages, the same streets and the same sense that something good and positive was happening, and they understood that they could be part of it. It matters that we can celebrate the things that define us culturally without it becoming a zero-sum game and without it meaning that someone else's traditions get diminished. That is a lesson that is worth learning, not just for one event but when it comes to how we think about Belfast and the wider North moving forward. The fleadh showed us what happens when you invest in culture and hospitality. Visitors came from all over and realised that Belfast is a place worth visiting and a vibrant city with things to do, places to gather and different communities that can very much do things together. Those visitors supported our businesses, and we know that many will come back. It is a win for so many people in so many ways. If we are serious about building on that, we need to think differently about our policies here. Other Members have mentioned pedestrianisation, which is important. Accessibility is really important to inject a bit of life back into our towns and cities, because, over the years, we have seen a true decline.
As other Members have mentioned, arts and culture funding is not a luxury. Arts and culture are literally what make life worth living, and they give our communities a sense of identity and pride, which is really powerful.
Over the years, my party has spoken passionately on the issue of flexible licensing. There are a number of breweries in my constituency, so I am well aware of the issues. The fleadh worked because the hosts in the area had room to breathe and put on spontaneous sessions that made it feel special. At a time when the cost of living is consuming so many of us and so many of our constituents, with the burden on families, the uncertainty of jobs and futures, ongoing division and all of those negative things, the fleadh was a form of escape. It reminded us of the importance of art and solidarity with one another in our right to express our culture. At a time when the world feels bleak, it has been powerful to see how our culture can be shared and how it can be a bridge. Pride in our traditions does not have to mean the dismissal of anyone else's. Belfast is a city that celebrates all of its diversity and not just one version of it. I believe that it is a city that will thrive and go from strength to strength; it is almost as good as Derry. It is worth affirming the importance of a sense of togetherness, of cross-community working and of demonstrating to our young people that the place that they come from is a place that they can be proud of. My timeline has been inundated with TikToks of young people in America and Australia saying that they cannot wait. They wish they could have got home for the fleadh, and they are coming next year. That speaks to how important it is.
875 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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