EYE ON THE PAST – August 1983: Irish street signs banned

No plans  to review anti-Irish street names legislation

THE British Government’s confirmation that it is unequivocally opposed to the erection of Irish translations of street names, has been met with a clamour of protest from Nationalists.

News of the British stance came on 22nd July in an answer by Chris Patten, Minister with responsibility for the Environment, to a question by Plaid Cymru MP Dafydd Wigley. At the request of a Belfast Gaelgoir, Mr Wigley asked Mr Patten if he would “review his policy with regard to permitting the use of the Irish language in street names…where residents wish them to be shown in Irish.”

In a brief reply, Mr Patten said he had “no plans” to change the 1949 law which forbade names “to be put up or painted otherwise, than in English.” The law introduced by Stormont has not been enforced once during its 34 years on the statute books.

However, a Belfast man was arrested in the St James’ area in May while erecting Irish street names and Belfast City Council may yet take legal action against him.

To date, only Twinbrook has become a completely bilingual estate, although in St James’, Lower Falls, Ballymurphy, Turf Lodge and parts of Andersonstown, a majority of people have expressed a wish to have their street names, most of which originate from the Irish, Gaelicised.

Condemning the Minister’s “intransigence”, the Belfast Executive of Conradh na Gaeilge, the country’s biggest Irish language organisation, accused him of “prescribing a British way of life for Irish people.”

Commented a spokesperson: “British policy in this regard is undemocratic and repressive as it ignores the popular affinity with the Irish language which undoubtably exists in the Six Counties. Conradh na Gaeilge reaffirms its support for the ongoing campaign to erect Irish translations of street names in areas where this is in keeping with the wishes of the local people.”

Sinn Féin also lashed out at the British Government, accusing them of “endorsing the sentiments of the Unionist Ascendancy” and thus making "nonsense of their talk about respecting the so-called two traditions here”.

“The British Government has a long and ignoble history of suppressing the Irish language, a unique symbol of Irish nationality, and even today refuses to afford it the recognition given to Welsh and Scottish Gaelic,” the Sinn Féin spokesperson added.