Northern Ireland has appointed its first ever Irish language commissioner.
Pól Deeds, who is currently deputy chief executive of Foras na Gaeilge has been appointed to the role.
He is expected to take up his new position next month.
His role will be to provide guidance to around 100 public bodies in Northern Ireland on the promotion of the Irish language.
He is one of two commissioners to be appointed by Stormont's Executive Office.
The other will fill the office of Commissioner of Ulster Scots and Ulster British Identity.
That job has gone to a former DUP advisor Lee Reynolds who also previously worked in the Ulster Scots sector.
Both will be paid in a band between £79,000 - £89,000 and will have a five-year term.
The appointment process began back in March and in the summer it was reported that both men had been selected.
There was disquiet when the appointments were not confirmed leading to speculation that political wrangling between Sinn Féin and the DUP was behind the delay.
But the roles were confirmed by Stormont's Executive Office this afternoon.
The news of the appointments was welcomed by Irish language bodies, including Conradh na Gaeilge.
President Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin said he expected to see "immediate guidance" from the new Irish language commissioner on issue of "urgent public interest".
"In particular we welcome recent support from Dr Deeds for dual language signage in Grand Central Station and for Belfast City Council's newly agreed Irish language policy.
"We anticipate that he will use his office to propose and endorse effective Irish language policies as many of our public authorities begin that journey," he said.
SDLP Irish language spokesman Patsy McGlone noted that the commitment to establish the commissioners had been made in a political deal agreed five years ago and enacted by Westminster legislation in 2022.
"I welcome confirmation that the ongoing uncertainty has now ended and that the language commissioners will soon take up their posts.
"This is an opportunity to move on from the contention we have seen around these issues and to promote respect and accommodation for differing traditions," he said.
"Everyone has the right to celebrate their culture, and it's deeply disappointing that this has so often been used as a political football."
Sinn Féin's spokesman Declan Kearney described the announcement as "a monumental step forward for the rights of Gaeilgeoirí living in the north".
The Irish language has seen a resurgence in Northern Ireland, but it has sometimes been embroiled in controversy.
A plan for dual language signage in the city's brand new bus and rail station is currently before the courts where it is being challenged by amongst others the DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.
There has been a push back by some unionists after Belfast City Council adopted a new branding scheme to incorporate Irish and earlier this month a dual language street sign in east Belfast was attacked with an angle grinder.
Later this week, around 10,000 Irish speakers from across the island will descend on Belfast for the annual Oireachtas na Samhna 2025 - a cultural festival which will see dozens of competitions and other events.
