Linda Ervine
Manager of Turas and Co-founder of Scoil na Seolta
Linda Ervine is the Manager of Turas, an Irish language project in East Belfast, and co-founder of Scoil na Seolta, an integrated Irish-medium primary school and nursery.
Linda's journey with the Irish language began in 2011 when she took part in a six-week cross-community Irish class organised by East Belfast Mission and An Droichead. Inspired to continue learning, Linda enrolled in further classes, and her story quickly attracted widespread attention. As interest in Irish grew within the local community, East Belfast Mission launched its own Irish language classes. In 2012, Linda became the organisation's first Irish Language Development Officer, and the project was named Turas, the Irish word for journey.
Since then, Linda has played a leading role in making the Irish language accessible to thousands of new learners from all backgrounds. Her work has been recognised with an MBE for services to the community and the Irish language. She has been awarded honorary doctorates by Queen’s University, Trinity College Dublin and The Open University and in 2025 she was made a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Recently she was appointed to the Irish Council of State by President Catherine Connolly.
"Irish is the perfect medium of reconciliation... It is a bridge which unites our communities and reminds us of our shared history."
I've chosen a mix of experiences celebrating music, language, heritage, storytelling and the many traditions that make the Fleadh so special.
The itinerary
Linda's top picks
Tuesday 9 June
The inspirational story of the creation of the Gaeltacht in west Belfast. Irish speakers and learners in Belfast owe a great deal to the vision, determination and hard work of the people who made it happen.