Belfast’s Deaf Communit(ies): Language, Education, Poverty and the Law, 1850-1920

This talk will look at one of Ireland’s indigenous language communities: the Deaf community, and the history of this emerging linguistic and cultural group as it formed and grew in Ireland (and in particular Belfast) during the nineteenth century.

Dr Cormac Leonard has been a professional Irish Sign Language / English interpreter since 2005, as well as a trainer of interpreters, and also a keen genealogist and family history tutor. He has a long-standing fascination with the history of Deaf people and the historical development of Irish Sign Language, and submitted his PhD thesis, “Deaf People in Ireland: Education, Poverty, and the Law, 1851-1922” in April 2022.

This event will feature British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters.

This year, as part of our 250th Anniversary celebrations, Belfast Charitable Society hope to use our talks and events to help raise funds for our ongoing philanthropic work, therefore we will be offering these free, with a ‘pay what you can’ donation. All funds raised will be used to support those most in need. Thank you in advance for your support.

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