Irish language skills of Great War soldiers from loyalist heartland revealed

Richard Guthrie and Carol Duggan, from the Great War Gaeilgeoiri of East Belfast project (Liam McBurney/PA)

Researchers studying the backgrounds of Great War soldiers from a part of Belfast traditionally associated with loyalism have discovered that 74 of them were Irish speakers.

Many of the gaeilgeoirí from inner east Belfast who fought in the First World War were Protestant, the historical project found.