Parties clash over Irish street sign applications for streets in North and South Belfast

PARTIES have clashed at Belfast City Council over Irish street sign applications for two streets.

At the recent People and Communities Committee meeting councillors were informed of requests for dual-language street signs in Ballysillan Road and Sunningdale Park North in North Belfast and Ebor Street in the Village area of South Belfast.

Following a debate the Committee agreed to defer consideration of the decision on whether to carry out surveys of the occupiers of Ballysillan Road and Ebor Street until applications already received for other streets had been processed and to proceed with a survey of the occupiers of Sunningdale Park North

At Monday night’s full Council meeting, DUP councillor Jordan Doran called for the three applications to be dropped altogether.

“Ballysillan Road and Ebor Street received applications for Irish language street signs. It was agreed in Committee that this would cause divisions in communities that were predominantly unionist,” he stated. “The Committee agreed to defer them but I now have a community who feels this is lying over their head and I propose that the applications are dropped.”

SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite said he was “deeply disappointed” to be debating dual-language street signs again and urged others to stop this “needless pushback” on people asking for dual-language street signs which is their right.

DUP councillor Tracy Kelly said Council officers identified that Irish street signs would have an “overwhelming negative impact on community relations” in a recent report. She said she is from the Village area of South Belfast where Ebor Street is. She knows the community well and said a consultation would cause an adverse reaction.

A row then erupted between TUV councillor Ron McDowell and Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee over the application for Irish street signage in Sunningdale Park North.

TUV councillor Ron McDowell said there were “good community relations” in Sunningdale Park North and said that proceeding with Irish language street signage in the area was an “oppression of one side of culture and heritage” and the “promotion” of another. He stated the area was “neutral” with no sign of one culture or the other and said “nothing at all” was better for everyone in the area.

Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee offered a complete alternative take on the area.

“Let’s talk about the peaceful community that everyone gets on well and the letter that went around five years ago calling for a one-off parade. This wasn’t a one-off parade. They have continued,” he said.

"Let’s talk about flags which go up every year in this so-called shared community. Let’s talk about the beacon, which hasn’t been there for the last five years – it has been a bonfire with the Irish tricolour on top of it.

“This was a shared and peaceful community up until the last five years.”

Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin reminded fellow members that requests come in from local residents and that we have to “honour that” and that the party recognises “sensitivities”.

Alliance councillor Sam Nelson said the issue is getting repetitive at every Committee meeting and Council meeting.

“We have a process in place so that we can ask residents what their views are,” he stated. "At what point are members from unionist parties going to accept that people have a right to request dual-language street signs to express their culture and language.

“The policy is picked apart every time simply because it is the Irish language.”

Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn told councillors that the Irish language has had a positive impact in his own constituency of East Belfast and reminded councillors that it is all part of our shared history.

The proposal by DUP councillor Jordan Doran was lost, with 41 votes for and just 16 against, meaning the Committee decision remains.