Who would have thought?

If you were asked where the inspiration would come from for the next big push for the promotion of the Irish language, you'd hardly have pointed to supermarket giant Sainsbury's.

But in fact it's commitment to bilingual signage in its new 65,000 sq ft store in West Belfast (which will also host its internet shopping hub for all of Ireland) — where 350 people are employed, many former workers at the Curley's supermarket it took over — is a milestone in the development of the Irish language.

Belfast has a proud bilingual community and it's great to see that respected and acknowledged in this way for it means that Sainsbury's believes it makes commercial sense to use Irish in this way. And where commerce leads, society often follows.

How sad then for me to see that 27 years after Whiterock Leisure Centre opened — we organised a people's opening and unveiled a plaque in Irish — there is still no signage as Gaeilge due to the Council's shortsighted hostility to the language. No surprise then that Irish is also being given third-class status in the offical reopening ceremonies at City Hall.

Cutting the ribbon at the opening of the £30m store were Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long and West Belfast MP Gerry Adams.

The 'ceapairí' sign is in the Sainsbury's garage, pic taken with my Blackberry, the other signs are in the main store, pics of opening by Mark Jones of Belfast Media Group.