Five Irish language street signs vandalised in three months

Five Irish language street signs have been vandalised since they were installed three months ago.

Last week a bilingual sign at the junction of Haypark Avenue and Sunnyside Street in South Belfast was vandalised, much to the disappointment of local residents.

It is one of a number of signs featuring the Irish language that have been installed across the city, although five of these were found to have mispellings on them and needed to be replaced.

Belfast City Council has said that five of the signs have been vandalised in the past three months, with four having graffiti sprayed on the Irish wording in the Downview Park West area of North Belfast in October.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “A sign on Haypark Avenue at the junction of Sunnyside Street was identified as damaged by a member of Belfast City Council staff on 27 December and a replacement sign was ordered.”

The vandalism of the sign on Haypark Avenue was condemned by Botanic SDLP councillor Gary McKeown who said that it had caused upset among local residents.

He said: "It’s really disappointing that someone has decided to destroy the bilingual street sign on Haypark Avenue. I actually feel sorry for whoever did it as it shows a lack of confidence in their own cultural beliefs if they feel the need to vandalise things that matter to others. Aside from that, the Irish language belongs to everyone, so this is an attack on the entire community.

"I have had a number of constituents contact me about this, and have asked the council to repair the sign as soon as possible, as it’s important that we respond quickly to mindless acts like this to put things right.

“I would urge anyone with any influence to direct those thinking about attacking bilingual signs to step back. It’s only through mutual respect and a recognition of the diverse range of cultural beliefs that contribute to this city that we can move forward together as a community.”