Threat to burn down Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre over Irish language signage

Threats were made to burn down a multi-million-pound leisure centre in east Belfast over plans to put up Irish language signage at the popular facility.

The sinister threat to torch Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre was made at a meeting in 2019 with details only emerging after a tribunal ordered the release of Belfast City Council documents linked to a row over Irish language signage.

Confirmation of the latest threat came to light just days after Irish language classes were cancelled in Castlerock, Co Derry, after loyalists threatened to torch a council owned hall.

The abandoned Irish language classes were due to begin at the Peter Thompson Hall last week.

Released documents now reveal that a similar threat was made during a consultation process to put Irish language signage at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre.

A document, marked “not for publication”, shows that during a public meeting in November 2019 “a comment was made that we will burn it to the ground before an Irish sign goes up”.

The document also reveals that “strong hostility towards Alliance and Sinn Féin was voiced” and that it was also suggested that “this is a united Ireland through the back door”.

Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh from Conradh na Gaeilge, which forced the release of the document, said “there is a very sinister pattern emerging here where violent threats are being directed at Irish language learners and communities”.

“Threats in recent days and years to burn community facilities to the ground for facilitating classes or promoting the language through dual-language signage are absolutely unacceptable and needs to be unequivocally condemned by political leaders across these islands,” he said.

Dr Ó Tiarnaigh said the Good Friday Agreement “promised resolute action for Irish in line with the European Charter for Regional Minority Languages”.

“No-one should feel threatened for engaging in local community activities and people should not feel in anyway in danger for promoting or using Irish,” he said.

“That is in total contravention of all of our peace agreements.”

The £20m state of the art Lisnasharragh leisure facility opened on the site of the former Robinson centre in December 2019.

It has been at the centre of controversy in recent years over a loyalist ‘eleventh night’ bonfire built on its grounds.

In 2023 it emerged that a Nazi symbol and anti-Catholic graffiti had been plastered over a loyalist bonfire builder’s den, dubbed the ‘hut of hate’, which is on the site.

A flag bearing an image of a crouching masked man holding a rocket launcher including the words ‘Clonduff Rocket Team’ has also been displayed at the site.

It is understood this is the name used by a local gang of youths based around the nearby Clonduff estate.

In recent weeks some residents in the estate have opposed plans to locate a temporary building on a site at nearby Montgomery Road for an Irish language primary school, Scoil na Seolta.

Details of the Lisnasharragh torch threat came after a tribunal sitting at Belfast High Court overturned a decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office to uphold a refusal by Belfast City Council not to release details on legal opinion linked to a row over Irish language signs at Olympia Leisure Centre.

Just last month the council gave the plan to erect signs at the south Belfast centre the go-ahead.