Status of the Irish language Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, learned Irish while in prison, a development known as the "Jailtacht". Although the language was taught in Catholic secondary schools (especially by the Christian Brothers), it was not taught at all in the controlled sector, which is mostly attended by Protestant pupils. Irish-medium schools, however, known as "Gaelscoileanna", were founded in Belfast and Derry and the Gaelscoileanna movement has since expanded to across much of Northern Ireland similar to its expansion in the Republic of Ireland. An Irish-language newspaper called "Lá" (later called "Lá Nua") produced by The Andersonstown News Group (later
Mícheál Mac Donncha Mícheál Mac Donncha Mícheál Mac Donncha (born Michael McConkey) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician, who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin from 2017 to 2018. He has served as a Dublin City Councillor for Beaumont-Donaghmede area since May 2014. He was co-opted onto Dublin City Council in 2011, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Killian Forde. He was elected in 2014 for the Beaumont-Donaghmede local electoral area. He contested the General Election in 2016 as a Sinn Féin candidate in Dublin Bay North, one of two party candidates, his running mate Denise Mitchell being elected.