Banned Christmas sign goes up
Irish language enthusiasts in West Belfast have gone ahead and placed
an Irish language sign on top of Andersonstown Leisure Centre despite
a decision by the Unionist-dominated Leisure Services Committee at
Belfast City Hall that permission for it was being refused on the
grounds that Irish should not be publicly displayed.
The Christmas crib and accompanying sign wishing Beannachtai na
Nollag has become a regular feature in recent years, but when Glenand
youth training programme's request to put up the sign came before the
Leisure Services Committee on Tuesday evening, December 13th,
permission was refused following unionist objections.
The move to prohibit the sign being displayed was headed by DUP
councillor, Robin Newton, who said it shouldn't go up unless English
alone appeared on the sign.
Sinn Fein councillor Martin O Muilleoir, one of those who helped put
up the sign on Wednesday afternoon, despite the City Hall dictat
said:
``The unionists believe the Penal Laws are still in operation but they
can rest assured that their monolingual dictates don't cut much ice
with the people of Andersonstown''.
O Muilleoir also commented: ``One wonders where this decision by the
mandarins of Belfast City Council leaves the unionist Lord Mayor who
sports the emblem `Erin go Brach' on the chain of office''.
Phoblacht 15 December 1988
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