Northern Ireland Life & Times Survey, Words Matter: Public Attitudes to the Irish language and Ulster Scots
Recent research from the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey shows broad public support for the Irish language and Ulster-Scots. The study, led by LIFELANGS Co-PIs Dr Aisling O’Boyle and Professor Lorna Carson, and ARK Co-Director Dr Paula Devine , found that robust public support for both Irish language and Ulster-Scots as enriching life in Northern Ireland. For learning and knowing about two of Northern Ireland’s languages, heritage and cultures, adult language learners favour accessible, community-based, and experiential forms of linguistic and cultural engagement rather than formal or institutional learning models
The Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) Survey is a joint research initiative by Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, led ARK (Access Research Knowledge), Northern Ireland’s social policy hub. The findings of the research report were widely featured in the media.
Queen’s University Belfast Press release 4 June 2026
Results of the LIFELANGS Logo Contest
We are pleased to share the results of our logo contest, which was open to any young person aged under 18 residing in Ireland or Northern Ireland. The winning entry was designed by Olivia McConaghy, aged 12, from County Armagh.The panel found her work to be a truly creative, original drawing that beautifully represents the themes of shared languages and identities on the island of Ireland. The runner-up was Eatoin McCullagh, aged 11, who also created a compelling design, full of personality and colour. All entrants received a certificate marking their accomplishment, and we thank the entrants for taking time to share their fantastic ideas with us!
LIFELANGS – set to begin its important and timely work…
LIFELANGS Co Principal Investigators, Lorna Carson & Aisling O’Boyle
Prof. Lorna Carson, TCD, explains: “LIFELANGS will gather knowledge from the fields of language, education, and social sciences to produce practical, research-based resources for everyone. This project will build better understanding of how to build better shared dialogues, more social cohesion, and greater inclusivity for a shared future on the island of Ireland. Our goal is to help build a more inclusive stronger future for everyone.”
Dr Aisling O’Boyle, QUB, says “Our first task will be to design a multilingual and multimodal corpus representing the linguistic diversity on island, and to start to collect the language data to fill this corpus. By the end of the project in 2029, this will be available to the public as an interactive searchable multilingual website that can be used for educational and research purposes, with information about all the languages spoken, signed and seen in Ireland.”
Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute features the LIFELANGS project
“In its upcoming online launch on the 4 December 2025, the LIFELANGS team will share its inclusive vision for the Living Observatory, and highlight ways for interested researchers and stakeholders to get involved. The project will also draw heavily on partnerships with local groups as researchers aim to collect data that reflects the needs and experiences of all citizens, including those who are often overlooked or difficult to reach due to social, political, or geographical factors.”
Project Manager joins the team
We bid a warm welcome to the LIFELANGS Project Manager, Abdullah Karaakin. Originally from Turkey, Abdullah holds a MSc degree in Translation Technology from Dublin City University, with his research focussing on translation in crises.
Introducing LIFELANGS Research Fellows
We are delighted to announce news of the Post-Doctoral Research Fellows who have been recently appointed to the LIFELANGS team. Welcome to Dr Maria Dimitropoulou, Dr Jayne Duff, Dr Agnieszka Pedrak and Dr Antoin Rodgers. We are proud to work with you!
€16 million in funding for major cross-border research collaborations
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD today announced the allocation of €16 million in funding for four major cross-border research collaborations between higher education institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The investment is delivered through the second call of the North-South Research Programme (NSRP), administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Launch of LIFELANGS research project on 4 Dec 2025
The LIFELANGS research project will be launched online on Thursday 4 December at 4pm (Irish Standard Time). A registration link will be shared here. Join our webinar to hear about the project’s plans, team and external partners.
Trinity’s School of Linguistic, Speech & Communication Sciences announces LIFELANGS project
Funded under the Emerging Hubs of Excellence Strand, the LIFELANGS observatory will aim to secure a more inclusive and resilient future for all and create a critical mass of interdisciplinary expertise and evidence-based resources in languages, education, and social sciences. With Trinity’s Professor Lorna Carson, LIFELANGS Co-PI.
LIFELANGS announced by Queen’s Centre for Language Education Research
The Centre for Language Education Research is partnering with the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences at Trinty College Dublin for a new research project called LIFELANGS. With Queen’s Dr Aisling O’Boyle, LIFELANGS Co-PI.