Tour with Dr. Gordon McCoy | 19th June 2019
We had the opportunity to meet the Education Officer, Dr. Gordon McCoy, from the organisation ‘Turas’ in June of 2019. Gordon is an expert on the Gaelic history of East Belfast, and we were very fortunate to tak a tour around East Belfast with Gordon.
Who are Turas? (East Belfast Mission)
Situated in East Belfast, ‘Turas’ is a project which seeks to bring people together by increasing awareness about the Irish language. Turas promotes the concept of a shared heritage, and the organsation was founded in 2011. Turas believe that the Irish language belongs to everyone, and this message is very much evident through the various events that they provide; the leader of the project, Linda Ervine, facilitates workshops and talks about the link between Protestantism and the Irish language, along with various other topics associated with Irish culture.
Tour with Dr. Gordon McCoy
Because the Gaelic history of East Belfast is very much hidden, this tour was an excellent opportunity to learn about the roots of the Irish language in the East. We received a fascinating insight into a number of things, from lord Conn O’Neill (c. 1480-1559) to the foundation of the first branch of the Gaelic League on the Beersbridge Road (1895). The video below shows only a small snippet of what is available; Turas organise a bus tour once a month, and tickets can be purchased at the following link: https://www.musicglue.com/east-belfast-mission/
We would like to thank Dr. McCoy and Turas for facilitating the tour.