DUAL language Irish street signs have been approved for two major North Belfast streets despite warnings from a Unionist councillor that they will be "vandalised" or "ripped down".
At Wednesday evening's monthly Council meeting, councillors clashed over an application for Irish dual-language street signage on Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road.
At a meeting of the People and Communities Committee last month, it was agreed signs including Irish be erected on both streets in ‘suitable locations’ following the results of a residents survey.
In Donegall Park Avenue, 36.1 per cent were in favour with 25.85 per cent against. The threshold for erecting signage is 15 per cent.
One resident said they had concerns about erecting dual language signs at the bottom of the avenue as it would cause conflict or incite vandalism.
In the Oldpark Road survey, 17.99 per cent were in favour, with 7.67 per cent against
One survey contributor commented that the upper part of the Oldpark Road is a unionist area and is part of UK. Another resident stated the survey process causes friction and upset and that money will be wasted as the street signs will be damaged.
At Wednesday evening's Council meeting, Councillor Tomás Ó Néill proposed erected the signage along the whole of both Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road, with the Sinn Féin man arguing that both meet the 15 per cent threshold.
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said, if passed, it would be a "profoundly unwise decision."
"I fear it will risk damaging community relations and create entirely unavoidable tension," he said.
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough
"It is the residents who will have to live with the practical consequences.
"I represent that area and I know the residents. They are good, decent, hardworking people who are not motivated by hate and are entitled to have their views respected.
"The survey showed different desire for Irish street signage from one end of the street to the other.
"It is a long street and clearly sections of it with different views. The policy allows for committee to erect signage only in appropriate sections of a street.
"The sensible compromise is to provide signage where it is wanted and do not impose it where it is clearly not wanted which respects both communities, reflects the feeling on the ground and is reflective of the policy."
Green Party Councillor Áine Groogan said it is “entirely problematic” to say that Irish language is okay in certain parts of the street and not in others.
"I think that creates an incredibly dangerous precedent. Irish language should be normalised and promoted for what it is – a language. Language rights are rights in general."
DUP group leader Sarah Bunting said: "I am sick talking about this every single month but there is no consistency from the parties opposite.
"Every month they try and re-write the policy that they created. It is absolutely shameful."
She proposed delaying a decision as councillors wait for a review of the dual-language street sign policy in August.
Oldpark DUP Councillor Jordan Doran added: "The Oldpark Road is over five miles long. It is absolute madness that residents in the middle can dictate to residents at the bottom when they are clearly two different communities."
TUV Councillor Ron McDowell warned that erecting Irish street signs on the entire length of both would result in them being "vandalised or ripped down".
"We live in a time [when] there is relatively settled communities in North Belfast, probably for the first time in a generation, but there were more peace walls built after the Good Friday Agreement than before it," he said.
TUV Councillor Ron McDowell
"Some people see Irish language street signs as nothing more than territory marking.
"When we say that signs will be vandalised, cut down and communities will rally towards the Irish language more than they have ever done, that is a matter of fact."
He told Sinn Féin councillors to “back off” from the policy and “give us a chance.”
Following a vote, Councillor O'Neill's proposal to erect dual-language signage along all of Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road was carried with 31 votes for and 25 against.
Another vote to approve Irish street signage in Pilot Street in Sailortown was lost by just one vote – with 29 votes against and 28 for.
A further vote for Irish street signage in West Belfast streets Caffrey Avenue, off the Glen Road, and Glenwood Green in Poleglass was passed.
