Debate contribution: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5674052
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Yes, absolutely. I congratulate the organisers of the fleadh for the way in which they went about their work and how they tried to make it inclusive and representative not just of Belfast but of Northern Ireland as a whole. There were great opportunities for people to feel welcome and involved. The Member is absolutely right: that does stand in stark contrast to what we saw at the west Belfast festival. Unfortunately, it is becoming commonplace that it is an event that glorifies terrorism. Even this year, we had the promotion and platforming of the evil ideology of Martina Anderson and everything that she had been involved in, and disgracefully so. It would be better for everybody in Northern Ireland if we had a little bit more fleadh and a lot less féile next year.
135 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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