Gearóid Ó Cairealláin
Gearóid Ó Cairealláin (October 1957 – 20 December 2024) was an Irish activist of the Irish language who was credited with playing a huge role in promoting the Irish language in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, especially in Belfast West.
Biography
Ó Cairealláin was born in October 1957. He hailed from Belfast West, where he attended St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Belfast. It was there that he became interested in the Irish language.
After leaving school, he worked in various clerical positions but became more active in several Irish language organisations. He founded the weekly publication Preas an Phobail, which evolved into the Irish language daily newspaper Lá in 1984. He was a founding member of Aisling Ghéar - the Irish-language theatre group, Raidió Fáilte - the Irish-language radio station, and Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich - the Irish language cultural centre on the Falls Road, Belfast.
He helped establish Meánscoil Feirste which became Coláiste Feirste, the only secondary-level Irish-medium school in Belfast.
From 1995 to 1998, he was president of the Irish language advocacy group Conradh na Gaeilge.
In 2006, he suffered a stroke which left him paralysed from the waist down but he continued to advocate for the Irish language.
Ó Cairealláin was also a successful musician. He was the father of Naoise Ó Cairealláin aka Móglaí Bap, a member of the Kneecap band.
Ó Cairealláin was married to Bríd Ó Gallchoir and had three children. He died at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on 20 December 2024, at the age of 67.