McDonald's issues statement on use of Irish in NI outlets

McDonald's customers across the Republic of Ireland can now place their food order in Irish using the burger giant's self-service kiosks.

But use of the language in Northern Ireland "remains under review". McDonald's last week launched a nationwide rollout of Irish language ordering across its self-service kiosks in restaurants.

The moves comes following a successful trial period in McDonald's Westside Shopping Centre, Galway in January of this year, with the aim of making the McDonald's experience more inclusive and accessible for Irish speakers.

However, asked if the move would be extended north of the border, a spokesperson for McDonald’s UK and Ireland said: "The Irish language is not yet available on kiosks in Northern Ireland, however this remains under review."

According to the company, the initiative in the Republic is part of McDonald's Ireland's "ongoing commitment to embracing and celebrating Ireland's rich linguistic and cultural heritage".

A McDonald's spokesperson said the introduction of the Irish language option will allow customers to seamlessly navigate the menu, customise their orders, and complete transactions in Irish at the touch of a button.

RTE star Daithi O Se was at the launch of the Irish Language Kiosks on Shop Street in Galway, with the Rose of Tralee host hailing the initiative as 'a great step forward for Irish speakers'.

"It is fantastic to see McDonald's supporting the Irish language at this level," he said.

"This initiative gives people the opportunity to use the language naturally in their daily lives, which is so important for the future and development of Irish."

"This is a great step forward for Irish speakers and for the wider community in Ireland."

Commenting on the launch, Aaron Byrne, Franchisee of McDonald's Westside Shopping Centre in Galway, said: "We are thrilled to introduce Irish language ordering to our self-service kiosks nationwide."

"The overwhelmingly positive response from our Galway trial highlighted the demand and enthusiasm for this initiative."

"As a brand that is deeply rooted in Irish communities, we are proud to support the Irish language and provide our customers with the option to engage with us in the language of their choice."

McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Ireland on Grafton Street in 1977 and have expanded to 95 locations across the country, supported by 19 franchisees and 8,880 dedicated staff members who serve nearly 170,000 customers each day.

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