Professor Mairéad Nic Craith delivered a talk at Queen’s University Belfast last week. She discussed the connection between the Irish language and efforts to combat Ireland's ecological crisis.

Nic Craith stated that the Irish language embodies a system of beliefs tied to the environment. She argued it fosters a sense of connection to the land through historical naming practices. Every hillock and all 60,000 townlands in Ireland received unique Irish names with stories attached, according to her presentation.

The professor explained that Irish grammar assigns gender to objects, making them more valued. She contrasted this with English, which treats nature as genderless items. Nic Craith said Irish blurs distinctions between humans and animals, reflecting equality rather than human dominance.

She described Irish as an ecological language that challenges the superiority of people over nature. Nic Craith noted that place names build empathy and value for the environment. She highlighted their use in reintroducing species, such as golden eagles.

Nic Craith observed growing recognition of the language's importance in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.