“Not since the 1960s has there been such a large attendance of Irish language speakers in Enniskillen,” says one of the organisers of an Irish Language Summer School in the town.

Over 45 people, young and old travelled to Fermanagh House to engage in three levels of classes, starter, medium and high level.

While most of the attendees were indeed Fermanagh people, others had attended from neighbouring Dromore and Leitrim and some had made the journey from Saintfield in County Down.

Opening the school, Sruth na hÉirne’s representatives paid an open tribute to Mrs. O’Reilly formerly of Townhall Street who, as secretary of the then Conradh na Gaeilge, had kept the Irish language alive in Enniskillen in the 1960s.

Within the pupils taking part in the foundation class, the presence of young Aoise King, the great granddaughter of Mrs. O’Reilly bore living testimony to the tradition of the language being handed on.

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, councillor Barry McElduff said “flabbergasted” by the enthusiasm there was for the language now happening in Enniskillen and was heartened to see the revival of classes and events throughout the year being driven by Sruth na hÉirne since reforming as a branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in 2022.

Key to the success of the summer school was that it was meeting a gap in Irish language provision at a time when gaeilgeoiri (Irish language speakers) were preparing to go to gaeltachts for the summer according to Sruth na hÉirne’s secretary Jim Ledwith.

The summer school was co-funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and by Conradh na Gaeilge under its Ciste Spreagtha (inspired) programme and organised locally by Sruth na hÉirne.