Unionist parties say republicans are ultimately to blame for anti-Irish language poster outside Northern Ireland primary school

While the DUP and TUV said the unionist community has genuine concerns about the imposition of an Irish language act, they agreed there were better ways to voice those concerns.

There is no suggestion that the Irish language has been forced upon pupils at the controlled Cumran Primary School in Clough, though the school is understood to offer lessons for those wanting to learn it.

The sign, which read "Keep Irish out of our kids classrooms. St Malachy's not welcome at CPS. Signed, parents!", is being treated by police as a sectarian hate crime.

It was put up a days after staff from St Malachy’s High School, a secondary school in nearby Castlewellan, visited the primary school ahead of an open night.

Following the incident the school said that “respect for others is paramount”.

DUP councillor Alan Lewis, a former pupil at Clough PS which became Cumran PS after amalgamation in 2005, said he had met police, is liaising with the school and will work alongside the community to resolve any issues which may exist.

He said: "Historically, the Irish language has unfortunately been mistreated and misrepresented for political gain, this has led to genuine concerns within the unionist community, making the very mention of it being used or taught toxic.

"However, mysterious billboards and ultimatums have the potential to be sinister, to frighten people – this is unwelcome.

“The school has been credited multiple times and recognised by both the ETI and EA as educational leaders, the children are high achievers – nothing should distract from that.

“I hope this situation isn’t repeated, I call for dialogue and mutual respect.”

TUV Councillor Harold McKee said: “Clough is a village with a strong loyalist identity and I am not surprised that there are people in the area who are concerned about Irish language which has been imposed across the council area against the wishes of many communities.

“Obviously there are avenues which any concerned parents should explore with the school directly rather than erecting a poster like this and I would encourage parents who have any concerns about this to use that route.

“I do, however, reject the attempts of Sinn Fein and other nationalists to portray the people of Clough as somehow backwards and bigoted.

“The reality is that it is not loyalists who spoke about Irish being capable of being deployed as a weapon in ‘the freedom struggle’, but rather republicans. The language has unquestionably been weaponised by republicanism down through the years so any backlash against it lies at the feet of that movement.

“With Irish language legislation set to be imposed on Northern Ireland in order to pacify Sinn Fein I believe there will be an increase in tensions over Irish.

“As the situation in Clough illustrates, it results in division and people feeling their identity is at best being treated as second class. Such a situation is not conductive to harmonious community relations.”

Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said the “racist threats” were a clear attempt to intimidate school children learning the Irish language.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said: “This type of hatred cannot be allowed to succeed.”