Founder of the Irish Language movement in East Belfast, Linda Ervine MBE talks to veteran journalist and writer Eamonn Mallie.
Popular UTV series ‘Eamonn Mallie Face to Face with…’ makes a return this evening (Tuesday 30th April) with the veteran journalist and writer sitting down with the founder of the Irish Language movement in East Belfast, Linda Ervine MBE.
In this wide-ranging interview, Linda talks about her family and upbringing; her mental health challenges in her 20s and what saved her; how her passion for the Irish language began; and how she has dealt with threats and negativity over the years.
Eamonn kicks off by asking her about her childhood and she talks about her Trade Unionist grandfather, and her dad and uncles with their array of different political views. Because she came from this politically diverse background, she explains she ‘didn’t have sectarian baggage’ that other people had. She also talks of the ‘devastating effect’ her parents’ divorce had on her as a young child.
Linda Ervine MBE
On her teenage pregnancy, she tells Eamonn, “I was afraid, and that began a lifetime of fear for me.” She went on to have a breakdown at 27, and attempted suicide.
When Eamonn asks her, “What pulled you back?” she reveals, “I didn’t pull back – I was found.” She goes on to explain that therapy, education and finding faith helped her recover.
On her faith she says, “I was attracted to Christianity but I was frightened of it,” and as her faith journey continued she says, “God wouldn’t turn on me or harm me.”
She talks about how she developed an interest in the Irish language, from doing a six week introductory course, to embarking a degree course which she is just about to finish. She founded Turas, the east Belfast Irish language project in 2012, and says to Eamonn, “It didn't feel radical, it was important to me, I loved the language.”
She goes on to talk about how there were “members of different paramilitary groups and security forces who came to learn Irish”, and tells Eamonn about her research into the hidden history of Protestants and the Irish language.
Finally Eamonn and Linda talk about the Irish language nursery school she has set up in east Belfast and the subsequent hate campaign and threats she had to deal with.
The Linda Ervine episode airs on Tuesday 30th April at 10.45pm on UTV.