Northern Ireland Assembly Celebrates Polish Community at Parliament Buildings

Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots MLA hosted members of the Polish community at Parliament Buildings today, Saturday 31st May 2025.

The special day was dedicated to encouraging, recognising, it’s the strong and vibrant Polish community, which has flourished in Northern Ireland over the past two decades.

The event featured a welcome address by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, followed by remarks from the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Belfast, Mirosław Sycz. Attendees heard from MLAs and Nadia Mackiewicz, a member of the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly with Polish heritage, who discussed the importance of diverse representation.

A cross-party panel discussion included MLAs John Blair, Peter Martin, Ciara Ferguson, and Patsy McGlone, alongside representatives of the Polish community, Maciek Bator and Ola Sobieraj.

This session built on the work of the Friends of Poland cross-party group, established last year to strengthen links between the Polish community and elected Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The group's aim to increase awareness of the Polish community's contribution and enhance their connection to political life was a key theme.

The day's programme also included music by the Polish Folk Band 'Made in Poland', guided tours of Parliament Buildings with translators, and a session for children and young people from the Polish Saturday school – who learned more about Assembly and how it works.

The Speaker said: “Today's event underscored the significant contributions Polish individuals and families make to the daily social, cultural, and economic life of Northern Ireland.

“With over 25,000 Polish people now living in Northern Ireland, the Polish community is the largest ethnic minority group in the country, and Polish is now the second most-spoken language after English.

"It is extremely important that the Assembly is open to every part of the community it serves and today was a great opportunity to open our doors to the Polish community”.

ENDS

Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots MLA meeting with members of the Polish Bikers group at Parliament Buildings as part of the Polish Heritage Day celebrations

Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots MLA presented with a ‘biker’s t-shirt’ as part of the Polish Heritage Day celebrations at Parliament Buildings. 

Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots MLA with Polish Folk Group ‘Made in Poland’ at Parliament Buildings as part of the Polish Heritage Day celebrations.