AN Irish language activist in east Belfast has been awarded an MBE for services to the community.
Linda Ervine said her journey started in 2011 after newspaper articles appeared about her as the wife of then PUP leader Brian learning Irish.
The publicity generated led to a string of inquiries for East Belfast Mission for classes and the founding of Turas, which is now one of the biggest Irish providers in Belfast.
"It became very successful and the job has really grown over the years," she told PA.
"Yes, we run Irish classes and we are one of the biggest providers of Irish in Belfast, but also we have a tourism project and are in the process of opening a Naiscoil (Irish medium pre-school), we started another organisation Cairde Turas (Friends of Turas), we sell our own merchandise, we have a library with over 4,000 resources in Irish, Ulster Scots and we run a scholarship scheme with eight people at university."
Mrs Ervine said the key objective for Turas is to "change the narrative" around the Irish language belonging to only one side of the community, but to all, including the Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist tradition".
She said she was "pleased and very honoured" by news of her MBE in the Birthday Honours list.
"I was very surprised, you don't really expect these things but it was a lovely surprise," she said.
