Member's statement: Ted Howell, Gearóid Ó Cairealláin agus Pádraig Ó Snodaigh
Member's statement by Ms Aisling Reilly on .
- MLA
- Ms Aisling Reilly
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 13 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement (made as a minister)
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Ted Howell, Gearóid Ó Cairealláin agus Pádraig Ó Snodaigh
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4737837
Read the official Assembly record
Text
For those who wish to avail themselves of the translation service, I say that I will make my remarks in Irish.
Is cúis mhór bhróin domh a fhógairt gur imigh Ted Howell ar shlí na fírinne. D’imir Ted ról lárnach sna cainteanna síochána agus i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta. Nuair a labhraíonn daoine faoin chineál fir a bhí i dTed, deir siad go raibh sé greannmhar, cineálta, dílis agus go raibh a saol tiomanta don phoblachtachas. Lena chois sin uilig, ba fhear céile é, daidí, daideo agus cara agus ba mhaith liom comhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh le muintir Howell.
Mo léan, d’imigh Gaeil eile ar shlí na fírinne le linn shos na Nollag. Bhí Gearóid Ó Cairealláin ina uachtarán ar Chonradh na Gaeilge ó 1995 go 1998, agus is iomaí togra ceannródaíoch a raibh baint aige lena mbunú: an nuachtán ‘Lá’, Aisling Ghéar, an comhlacht amharclannaíochta, Raidió Fáilte, Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, agus Meánscoil Feirste. Bhí Gearóid lárnach do athbheochan na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste, agus bhí sé mar chroílár inti. Ba mhaith liom, arís eile, comhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh le muintir Uí Chairealláin ag an am seo. D’imigh iaruachtarán Chonradh na Gaeilge eile, Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, uainn le déanaí. Bhí Pádraig ina uachtarán ar Chonradh na Gaeilge ó naoi déag seachtó a ceathair go naoi déag seachtó a naoi. Bhí sé ar dhuine de phearsana móra shaol na Gaeilge agus shaol cultúrtha na hÉireann: mar bhunaitheoir an tí foilsitheoireachta Coiscéim, mar údar, mar fhile, agus mar ghníomhaí teanga. Déanaim comhbhrón ó chroí le muintir Uí Snodaigh, agus go háirithe le mo chomhghleacaí Aengus, ar Teachta Dála i dTeach Laighean é. MórGhaeil go smior imithe uainn. Mar Ghael, gabhaim mo bhuíochas le Ted, le Gearóid agus le Pádraig as ucht bhur gcuid iarrachtaí ár dteanga, ár gcultúr agus ár bhféiniúlacht a chur chun cinn. Ní bheidh bhur leithéid arís ann.
312 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not qualifying”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.06 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.94).
- Subject area: Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-qualifying threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.17 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.05 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.03 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.06 | At or below not-qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.94 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.06 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.98 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.01 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:42 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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