Mid Ulster Irish-English bilingual sign survey results continue to vary greatly

Residents of Kilnaslee Road, Galbally, will not have Irish-English street signage erected, as they failed the ‘majority test’ by the tiniest of margins in a recent survey.

A total of 51 survey letters were issued to residents of Kilnaslee Road by Mid Ulster District Council on December 11, with just 31 returned by January 8.

14 replies were in favour, 14 against, and three were deemed invalid, meaning that only 50 per cent of residents who did express a view were in favour of bilingual signage – just short of the 51 per cent required.

Interestingly, the only majority that came out of the survey was the number of residents who declined to express a view one way or the other – a total of 20 residents.

As always, survey results vary greatly from one area to the next, when it comes to requests for Irish-English bilingual street signs.

In Woodland Drive, Cookstown, 26 survey letters were issued, and 16 returned. Nine were in favour of bilingual signage and seven against, equating to 56% of residents in favour.

On Rehaghy Road, Aughnacloy, 240 survey letters were issued, with only 80 of these – only one third – being returned by January 8.

Of those who did express a view, 21 per cent were in favour of bilingual street signs, and 56 against. Three invalid survey letters were also returned.

This means that only 27 per cent of Rehagy Road residents who did express a view were in favour of bilingual street signage.

At Rossin View, Donaghmore, seven survey letters were issued. Six were returned, with five residents in favour, and one invalid return. This equates to a a majority of 100 per cent of views expressed in favour of bilingual street signage.

Likewise, at School Lane, Coalisland, 10 residents were surveyed. Six out of the six replies received were in favour of bilingual Irish-English signage.

Meanwhile, Mid Ulster District Council has received requests for Irish-English street signs at West Street, Stewartstown, and Donaghmore Road, Dungannon.

This means that survey letters will be issued accordingly to residents of the above areas, to ascertain their views on the matter.

In addition, survey letters are currently being sent to residents of Lisnastrane Road, Coalisland.