(Alt é seo ónár bhfoireann Gaeltachta.  Is féidir leat an bunleagan as Gaeilge a léamh anseo.)

THE ANNOUNCEMENT A few weeks ago that an Irish language version of Bluey was to be broadcast on RTÉ Junior was met with a warm welcome — but complaints are now being made that the Irish language version of the series featuring the beloved Australian cartoon character cannot be viewed north of the border.

For those unfamiliar with Bluey, she is the small dog who attracts the biggest audiences among children around the world, and an Irish language version of the programme has been available on RTÉ Junior for the past few weeks.

Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, advocacy manager for Conradh na Gaeilge in Northern Ireland, was on holiday with his family in the Donegal Gaeltacht when his two daughters were delighted to find Bluey on television — and speaking Irish.

“Our own family visited Donegal recently and my young girls, who are three years old, thoroughly enjoyed Bluey in their own language, Irish, on Easter Monday,” he told The Journal.

“On returning home to Belfast, we tried to access it online and were told it was not available.

“‘Cá bhfuil Bluey(Where is Bluey)?’ the girls asked me. And the same thing happened to us previously with Dora on Cúla4.”

The reason Bluey — and Dora before her— is blocked on the RTÉ and TG4 players respectively is that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are treated as two separate jurisdictions in terms of broadcasting rights, and streaming rights on the broadcasters’ players are subject to the same restrictions.

In response to an inquiry from The Journal, a spokesperson for RTÉ said the series was not available on the broadcaster’s player in Northern Ireland due to “rights restrictions.”

“Bluey as Gaeilge will be available on RTÉ 2 later this summer and that is available on all platforms in Northern Ireland,” the spokesperson said.

Ó Tiarnaigh said, however, that the restriction on the Irish language version of Bluey being available on the broadcaster’s player in the North was “a source of embarrassment” for RTÉ.

“It is incredibly shameful that, almost 30 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, RTÉ themselves are making arrangements to purchase  television programmes and make them available through Irish, and then blocking these programmes for the Irish language community living in the six counties,” he said.

“They must surely be well aware that there would be the same demand and appetite for these programmes among young children in the North as there is in the South.

“RTÉ and TG4 would do better to provide equal services in the North instead of actively excluding children and families who are doing their utmost to access entertaining content through Irish, all because of broadcasting contracts that are tailor-made for the 26 counties alone, with seemingly zero regard or consideration to Irish speaking families in the North,” he said.

We are sick and tired of channels and broadcasters treating us as second-class citizens. Put an end to the Irish language partition. Bluey in the North now.

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The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 — reached in the days before streaming — provided that efforts would be made to remove restrictions that would discourage or act as an obstacle to the promotion and development of the Irish language. It also provided that the British Government would work towards making the Irish language television service — as it then was, now TG4 — available in the North.

Claire Hanna MP, the leader of the SDLP, told The Journal that the party had “raised these issues repeatedly and continues to engage with both the UK and Irish Governments, as well as RTE management on solutions to finally resolve this”.

“Bluey is cultural phenomenon, a uniquely relatable but uplifting TV show that parents enjoy as much as children,” she said.

Families using the Irish language in Northern Ireland are just as keen as those in the south to get this programme as Gaeilge, and watching content at that age is proven to support language development.

“While we understand the complexities around broadcasting rights, this is a single island and many viewers in the North rely on RTÉ for news, culture, sport and other content that forms an important part of daily life. Bluey has helped a whole generation to navigate parenting and many would be excited to watch this in Irish

This article was originally written in the reporter’s native Irish and has been translated to English here. AI was used as part of the translation process before final edits.