It’s September and Irish language classes are back throughout Belfast.

Announcing details of their courses this week, Ionad Uíbh Eachach – the Irish language community centre based in Iveagh Crescent behind An Chultúrlann – have a wide range of Irish courses available both in the morning and the evening.

Ionad’s adult education programmes are supported by Queen’s Open Learning and Gaelchúrsaí, with all courses are in the Ionad itself.

Morning courses include Beginners Irish (Thursday), Step 3 Irish (Thursday). Step 4 Irish (Tuesday) and GCSE Irish (Wednesday). The centre will also be making provision for Level 2 Irish (Monday) and Irish Conversation (Monday or Friday). Ionad Uibh Eachach will also continue its daytime Post-GCSE Irish class on Friday mornings.

The evening programme includes Beginners Irish (Monday or Thursday), Step 3 Irish (Thursday), Step 4 Irish (Monday) and Conversation (Thursday) as well as GCSE Irish (Wednesday) and AS/A2 Irish (Tuesday). There will also be a Level 2 Irish (Tuesday). In October there will be provision for Irish for Parents and Access courses.

The above classes start week beginning Monday 14th September. There will be enrolment sessions today, Monday 7th (10.am-12. morning and 7pm-8pm evening), and Thursday morning 10an-12.

Following on from last month’s tremendous GCSE results (5 A*, 9 As, 6 Bs) Ionad, supported by Gaelchúrsaí, will be running their GCSE Irish course for children. Primarily aimed at ex-bunscoileanna pupils the course also welcomes pupils in fifth year (Year 12) doing GCSE this year.

Ionad will also be running a post-GCSE course for ex-bunscoileanna pupils who have completed their GCSE, this course is aimed at students from year 9 to year 12. This course is particularly useful if the student is not doing Irish at secondary school.

Both these youth courses will start Wednesday 23 September at 7pm.

Ionad’s autumn programme also includes a series of talks starting with a talk on The Easter Rising leaders and the Irish language in October and a talk in November on the Bulmer Hobson and Denis McCullough. Dates for these talks to be confirmed. Other events will involve an all-day crash course on Saturday 24th October and a cultural day trip to Tara, also in October.

For more information contact Diarmuid @ 90329180, email diarmuid@ionad.eu or at www.ionad.eu. Alternatively anyone interested can call into the Ionad at 34a Iveagh Crescent, BT12 6AW.