Long-awaited Irish language signs approved at Olympia Leisure Centre

Bilingual Irish and English signs at a leisure centre - which were held up for three years after a split in opinion among councillors - have been finally agreed.

A Belfast city council committee gave the plan to erect signs at Olympia Leisure Centre the go-ahead on Friday.

There had been some controversy surrounding the proposal, given that the centre is located right by the largely Protestant Village area.

In a recent public consultation, 79.1% of respondents supported the signs and SDLP councillor Carl Whyte said that it is “hugely welcome and reflects the diverse city that we live in”.

In September 2021, Sinn Fein passed the proposal through the council committee. However, in January 2022, the DUP tabled the motion by arguing that the move could have a potential negative impact on Olympia’s neighbouring community.

In February 2024, a legal battle was won by Conradh na Gaeilge, an organisation which promotes the Irish language, when the majority ruled that transparency was needed surrounding the council’s decisions on this matter.

The tribunal marked the first time Irish had been spoken inside a Belfast courtroom in 300 years.

Mr Whyte explained that “people from a vast array of backgrounds visit this leisure centre daily and it’s important that everyone feels welcome, with inclusive signage being an important part of that”.

“Irish language use is growing right across our city in every community and this must be reflected in public spaces. I have visited the Olympia many times and it is a first class facility that we should all be proud of,” he added.

Despite progress, Mr Whyte criticised the council’s “pace of delivery” in the face of Irish language policies.

“Serious questions must also be asked of the Executive who have thus far failed appoint an Irish Language Commissioner. This leads to entirely avoidable situations like the one witnessed recently at Grand Central Station,” he said.

“All levels of government need to get their act together and ensure that the rights of Irish language speakers are respected and that the language continues to flourish in our city and across the north.”