Lisnaskea teenager calls for action on climate crisis at Belfast rally

The rally – which had the motto, ‘March for justice, for people, for planet’ and coincided with the international COP27 meeting in Egypt – began in Belfast at noon with a march from the Cornmarket to Belfast City Hall, where speeches and chants were then held.

Selene Fee marching at the rally in Belfast.

Eibhlinn, who is from Lisnaskea but is currently studying Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast, explained that she was asked to speak at the rally as a youth voice due to her involvement with environmental organisations including RSPB Youth Campaigners and Ulster Wildlife Youth Forum.

“One of the people on the [rally] organising committee was looking for a youth speaker who hadn’t spoken last year [at a similar rally], and I was suggested by someone who was in both groups as well, who was helping organise it,” said Eibhlinn.

She added that it meant a lot to her that a young person was given a platform at the rally.

“My speech is about how inexperience should not be a barrier to action. So to have a young person who didn’t have a degree and a PhD, or who wasn’t the head of a trade union or head of the RSPB, to have a young person who just simply cared, it meant a lot to be able to get my voice out there,” she said.

Passion and concern

Addressing the crowds on the Saturday afternoon at Belfast City Hall, Eibhlinn began her speech by explaining that she got involved in environmental action out of passion and concern.

“One of the beliefs I stand firmly on is that inexperience should not be a barrier to action,” she said, going on to share a quote from Anne Marie: “We do not need a handful of people advocating for our environment and climate perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Saying that this “message rings true”, Eibhlinn added: “You don’t need degrees or a wealth of experience to simply get involved.

Eibhlinn Fee speaking at the Climate Coalition Northern Ireland rally in Belfast.

“You just have to show up, to use your voice and be open to not knowing everything,” she said, noting that joining together to “raise our collective voice” is an “incredible tool”.

She called on everyone at the rally to play their part; to email their political representatives, get involved with environmental organisations, to have conversations and encourage others to care.

“Because caring is crucial,” she said, going on to acknowledge how it can be easy “to shut off”.

“Climate anxiety is real and crippling, and apathy is easy to succumb to, but the best way to combat this is through unity,” said Eibhlinn, concluding her speech: “If we show up, and speak up, we can turn this thing around.”