{"id":101711,"date":"2026-08-12T06:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/101711\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T06:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:05:10","slug":"gordon-lyons-says-belfast-fleadh-shows-united-kingdom-has-room-for-everyone-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/101711\/","title":{"rendered":"Gordon Lyons says Belfast Fleadh shows \u2018United Kingdom has room for everyone\u2019 \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fleadh Cheoil in Belfast has been a tremendous success and a real boost for our city and for Northern Ireland as a whole. It has shown what is possible when cultures are put on display together in a genuinely inclusive way. This was no narrow event. It was open to everyone, and people from every background took part and enjoyed it. <\/p>\n

That is the key point. The Fleadh<\/a> was for all communities. Pipe bands stood alongside Irish dancers. Traditional music from different traditions shared the same stages and the same streets. Families from across Belfast and beyond mixed freely. It offered a clear insight into how our different cultures can sit side by side without anyone being expected to dilute who they are. <\/p>\n

I particularly want to praise the hard work of Councillor Tracy Kelly and Councillor Sarah Bunting. Along with the Belfast Bands Forum and the many bands that stepped forward, they ensured that the Ulster-Scots and marching band traditions were properly represented. Their efforts meant our culture was not sidelined or treated as an afterthought. The Ulster Bands Showcase at the Titanic Slipways was a proud moment. It was positive, professional and full of talent. That is the image of our community we should be projecting. <\/p>\n

Compare that to some of the scenes associated with the West Belfast Festival. While the Fleadh brought people together in a spirit of celebration that was open and welcoming, F\u00e9ile has too often featured elements that divide and offend. Public tributes to convicted terrorists and the platforming of those who glorify a campaign of violence have no place in genuine cultural celebration. Victims and their families deserve better than selective silence or romanticisation of the past. The contrast with the positive events in East Belfast and across the city during the Fleadh could not be clearer. <\/p>\n

\"Shankill<\/a>\"Landmark<\/a><\/p>\n

We need more of what we saw this week. All of our cultures can and should be on display together. Northern Ireland works best when people are free to express their identity with confidence and without apology. Whether you are in a pipe band, an Irish dancer, or a member of the Indian community celebrating at the Mela festival, this place can work for you. A confident Unionism has always understood that. The United Kingdom has room for everyone. The Fleadh has once again confirmed that it does. <\/p>\n

\"MusiciansMusicians and dancers entertain thousands the Fleadh cheoil na h\u00e9ireann 2026 in Belfast. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN <\/p>\n

Belfast looked its best. Visitors left with a positive impression of our city. Local businesses benefited. Young people saw their traditions valued. That is good news for Belfast and good news for Northern Ireland. Let us build on it. Let us continue to support events that bring people together on the basis of mutual respect rather than exclusion or historical revisionism. <\/p>\n

The success of the Fleadh shows what can be achieved when the focus is on shared enjoyment rather than political point-scoring. It is an example others would do well to follow. Northern Ireland is stronger when every community feels it has a stake and a platform. That is the future we should be working towards. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Fleadh Cheoil in Belfast has been a tremendous success and a real boost for our city and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101712,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[956,9972,2865,39787,34556,7557,19856,42798,674,14,5,42797,6,4299],"class_list":["post-101711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-culture","tag-dup","tag-east-belfast","tag-feile-an-phobail","tag-fleadh-cheoil-na-heireann-2026-belfast","tag-gordon-lyons","tag-irish","tag-irish-dancing","tag-music","tag-politics","tag-uk","tag-ulster-scots","tag-united-kingdom","tag-west-belfast"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/117081035507396891","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}