Row at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council over bi-lingual signs

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) will now provide Irish and English signage that will affect 89 settlements in the local authority map, according to a committee report.

Six years (2019-2025) of the council’s equality and good relations reference group involving 12 meetings, could not reach consensus, with the matter then sent to the strategy, policy and resources committee this week for decision.

Downpatrick SDLP rep, Gareth Sharvin said: "We, as a party, did discuss in detail the other options and we feel content with ‘Option 1’ bi-lingual signage.

“This addresses what we have today as a policy for council. So, more than happy to support that.”

The signs are to identify the city, towns, villages and small settlement zones in the district.

Other options on the committee table included replacing existing signs like for like and agreeing an alternative approach for new signs.

NMDDC currently has a bi-lingulaism policy to promote the use of English and Irish language in the district.

The policy is reviewed every four years, the most recent being in January this year.

Rowallane DUP rep, Callum Bowsie responded: “I have no issue with the Irish language any more than I have an issue with any language. As people move, rightly or wrongly so do language and culture.

“I do have an issue with a council that claims it wants to respect the diversity of cultures and languages in our district while at the same time it wants to systematically impose Irish signage in every town throughout the district regardless of the culture or wishes of those communities.

“As someone who regularly gives talks and writes articles on Irish place names, I would be willing to sit down and having a civilised conversation about how Irish place names can be promoted in a way that is accurate, proportionate and respectful.

He added: “But what we will not support is an illogical and radical campaign by a local authority to go into every town and force that community to have their place name entrance signage leading in a language that the vast majority in that community do not identify with or use and that is not promoting good relations.

“The council will be taking upon itself as it sees fit to make Irish place name equivalents for many places that were never Irish place names. They will be inventing new Irish place names to appease a republican agenda, that is not promoting Irish, that is engineering Irish and it is why I would never advocate for Ulster Scots names in places it never existed.”

DUP colleague, Cllr Henry Reilly told the chamber that “forcing this policy through is immoral”.

The Mournes rep also referred to a recent social media post by East Derry MLA Cara Hunter (SDLP) on X, when she posted: “The coloniser mindset runs deep. I literally cannot fathom hating the Irish culture/heritage/language this much when your own reps stood proudly wearing shamrocks a fortnight ago.”

Cllr Reilly added: “This from a woman who’s name, ‘Hunter’, is an Anglo-Norman name, who calls me, ‘Reilly’ whose ancestry goes back into the midst of Irish history, a colonial.

“I find that very offensive, and the SDLP should call her in and reprimand her for what she said, that is absolutely disgusting. This is the type of division these matters bring about.”

Slieve Gullion UUP rep, David Taylor alluded to a “cold house” for unionists being created in the chamber by the majority “imposing its viewpoint on our communities…that will cause division”.

Downpatrick Sinn Fein councillor, Oonagh Hanlon said: “I just want to remind the UUP and the DUP, that there is council policy here already, we are just moving it into the gateway signage, it’s not rocket science, it’s not changing the world or putting it on an axis.

“It is basically rolling it out to meet the gateway, nobody’s head is falling off because Down Leisure Centre is in bi-lingual signage. It’s on all the council brandings, so to me it is just the natural progression and we will be advocating for the bi-lingualism.”

Committee chairperson, Alliance rep, Tierna Howie added: “I would just say, as there is no other Alliance reps in the room, I am disappointed how the Irish language has become so divisive tonight, the language is not for one community or the other. It is my view that the Irish language is for all communities.”

The bi-lingual policy was approved with a majority vote of 10 in favour and three against.