North South Ministerial Council approves appointment of CEO of Foras na Gaeilge

Seán Ó Coinn appointed CEO of Foras na Gaeilge

A Plenary Meeting of the North South Ministerial Council took place in Armagh City on Monday, 8 April, the first since 2021. At that meeting, the Ministerial Council approved the appointment of Seán Ó Coinn as CEO of Foras na Gaeilge.

Foras na Gaeilge is one of the agencies of the North South Language Body, established under the Good Friday Agreement.

Seán Ó Coinn was appointed CEO of Foras na Gaeilge for the first time in 2016. In 2021, in the absence of a North South Ministerial Council, it was not possible to approve his reappointment as CEO until this week, when the first Plenary Meeting of the Ministerial Council since 2021 was held.

Welcoming the appointment, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said:

"I congratulate Seán on his appointment and I wish him every success in his work in the months ahead. We all understand the challenges facing the North South institutions, but we now have an opportunity to face those challenges with the return of the Executive and North/South Ministerial Council meetings."

It is hoped that a meeting of the languages sector of the North South Ministerial Council will be held before the summer.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Image available here .

Biographical note:

Seán Ó Coinn is from Mullaghbawn in County Armagh, where he lives with his wife Áine.

Seán has worked as a presenter on BBC Radio Ulster, as a teacher of Irish at secondary level and as a researcher at Queen's University Belfast for the Northern Ireland Place Names Scheme. Seán was also a Project Manager with the Tí Chulainn cultural centre in Mullaghbawn and an examinations' translator with the NI Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. He spent 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, the organisation established for the promotion of Irish-medium education in Northern Ireland. He was one of the founders of Naíscoil & Bunscoil Ard Mhacha. He was appointed as Deputy CEO/Director of Education Services in Foras na Gaeilge in September 2011 and as CEO of Foras na Gaeilge in December 2016.