ULTACH Trust
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| Formation | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Aodán Mac Póilin |
| Type |
Gaelic in Ulster Gaelic culture |
| Headquarters | Belfast |
| Website | ultach.org |
The ULTACH Trust (Irish: Iontaobhas ULTACH) is a charitable trust established in 1989 aimed at promoting the Irish language in Northern Ireland. Its current director is Aodán Mac Póilin.
The word Ultach means 'person from Ulster' but in the case of the organisation it is also an acronym for 'Ulster Language, Traditions And Cultural Heritage', therefore the organisation's title appears in capital letters.
The principal aim of the organisation is to promote the Irish language throughout the entire community of Northern Ireland. A core objective is to encourage cross-community involvement in the language, and the membership of the Board of Trustees reflects both major religious traditions. The offices of ULTACH are also located in 'neutral' Belfast city centre to facilitate visits by members of all sections of the community.
Originally supported by both the Central Community Relations Unit, a branch of the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland, and by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the Republic of Ireland, the Trust is currently core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish-language agency of The North/South Language Body.
The Trust was for some time the only dedicated Irish language funding body in Northern Ireland. Since 1990, the organisation has distributed approximately £1.5 million in grant-aid to hundreds of Irish language projects. Approximately 50% of this funding was allocated to the Irish-medium education sector, and most of the rest was used to support the voluntary sector.
As a consequence of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, structural changes were implemented to support the Irish language in Northern Ireland. The Trust now tends to concentrate its resources on in-house projects and partnerships with other organisations rather than grants. The following list summarises the Trust’s current key areas of activity: engaging in cross-community work; developing learning resources; forming strategic partnerships with relevant community, research, educational and statutory agencies; advising government and statutory agencies on language planning and policy issues; campaigning for the establishment of an Irish-language broadcasting sector in Northern Ireland; publishing material on the Irish language and related issues; working towards an effective Irish language arts policy for Northern Ireland; initiating innovative language projects; and funding Irish language projects.
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