Row over ‘Irish first’ signage

Dungannon councillor Walter Cuddy claimed the Irish language is a “cultural language” and should not come first on dual language street signs across the district of Mid Ulster.

Speaking at a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council’s policy and resource committee the UUP group leader raised the issue during a discussion of council’s draft equality scheme.

Council officers were seeking approval to go out to public consultation and had recommended some changes to the existing scheme including the addition of an inclusive communications statement and the extension of the policy review process from two to four years.

Councillor Cuddy sought to outline his dissatisfaction that on dual language street signs the Irish language is given top billing.

“Our equality scheme was agreed almost five years ago, back in 2016 and to me, equality is all about balance,” said Cllr Cuddy.

“When you read the details of the existing scheme it is all about trust, respect and inclusiveness.

“To me, we have watched and heard about so many street signs being damaged. It tells me anyway, that we have a main language we all talk, 100 per cent of us use it everyday.

“We have another language that is a cultural language and is very important to a lot of people as well and we do support it with hundreds of thousands of pounds, and I have nothing against that at all.

“But when we have a scheme that has signage that the minority language here is first and the main language we all use is second, there has to be something wrong, that is not equality.”

Councillor Cuddy continued by saying that after five years it is clear that all ratepayers want signage that is good for everyone and is respected.

“All I’m saying is that in this here, it might give us a chance to see how things have gone for us these last five years and see if we can try and get back to the main language that we all talk,” said Cllr Cuddy.

“We have a secondary language and we have no problem as a party that it is there, it is important to a lot of people but it is a minority language and we should be sticking to the main default language.

“We will certainly be putting a response in Chair, we are open for discussion. We certainly don’t want to see damage being done but can understand why damage is done.

“Sections of the community are not happy with what we have agreed and it is important to remember that equality is about bringing everybody forward, it is not about bringing the majority forward.

“We have to address this in this review.”

The committee Chair, Councillor Malachy Quinn thanked Cllr Cuddy for his remarks though he explained he simply could not agree with what was said.

“While I respect your view, to describe Irish as a cultural language is not true in any way, shape or form, especially to the people I grew up with,” said the committee Chair.

Councillor Phelim Gildernew also hit out at this description of the Irish language.

“The Irish language is in no way a cultural language,” said the Sinn Fein councillor.

“I am very aggrieved at Councillor Cuddy, it is our native language, like it or not. Our town lands, our roads, our hills and valleys are all named using the Irish language.

“It is the native language of Ireland and I am proud to propose we go ahead with this.”

His party colleague, Councillor Sean McPeake, said: “There is always a ‘but’ in the language discussion with some members of the Unionist party.

“They can agree but there is always an issue with the Irish language. The reason why the Irish language, a minority language, is given prominence is because it is line with the European Regional Minority Languages best practice.