Máire Nic an Bhaird

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Máire Nic an Bhaird (IPA: [ˈmˠaːɾʲənʲəcəˈwaːɾʲdʲ]; English: Moira Ward; born 1982) is a secondary school teacher and Irish language activist from Dunmurry, County Antrim in Northern Ireland.^[1] On February 26 2007 she was found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined UK£100^[2], arising from an incident in May 2006 in West Belfast.^[1] She maintains she was arrested for speaking in Irish to an officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).^[3]

Contents 1 Court case 2 Irish language dimension 3 See also 4 References 5 External Links

[edit] Court case

Nic an Bhaird was arrested after leaving a public house on the Malone Road in south Belfast with friends after a night out.^[2] She became involved in an altercation with police officers, who alleged that she said Tiocfaidh ár lá, Irish for "our day will come", a phrase associated with republican support for the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Nic an Bhaird maintains she said Tiocfaidh bhur lá, "your day will come", meaning "you'll have your chance".^[2] The court case was adjourned several times between June 2006 and January 2007. At her first court appearance her lawyer made it clear he would be talking to his client in Irish and made a submission that she should have the right to defend her case wholly in Irish.^[4] Her counsel was considering on 30 October 2006 whether to apply for a judicial review of the case. In February 2007, the presiding magistrate ruled that Nic an Bhaird had consumed a "substantial amount" of alcohol, and "continued to address police officers in a loud and aggressive manner", and could thus be found guilty of disorderly behaviour. She intends to appeal against her conviction.^[2]

[edit] Irish language dimension

It has been variously claimed that Nic an Bhaird is a native speaker of Irish,^[4][3] and that Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún taught her Irish.^[3] Irish-language organisations, including Na Gaeil Óga ("the Young Gaels") of which Nic an Bhaird is an active member, have condemned her case as victimisation based on language, and have charged that she was assaulted by the arresting PSNI officer.^[4] Nic an Bhaird claims police demanded she speak English before releasing her from custody after her arrest.^[2] The Good Friday Agreement does provide for some official accommodation for the Irish language in Northern Ireland,^[5] but the required level of support is not precisely specified.

[edit] See also

• Language politics
• The Celtic League

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Irish speaker denies charges. Irish Times (2006-10-31). Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Irish language teacher in Belfast guilty of disorderly behaviour (February 26 2007). Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Court protest at teacher hearing. BBC (2006-07-19). Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
4. ^ ^{a b c} (Autumn 2006) "The Case of Máire Nic an Bhaird, the Irish Language and the PSNI". CARN (135): 13. ISSN 0257-7860. 
5. ^ Agreement reached in the multi-party negotiations. CAIN (1998-04-10).

[edit] External Links

• Máire Nic an Bhaird case highlights need for Irish Language Act from Sinn Féin online
• Language protest at Belfast court from Eurolang online