Letter: Irish street sign decision on Shandon Park in east Belfast at odds with wishes of the majority
A letter from W J Craig:
I write to express my deep concern and disappointment at Belfast City Council’s recent decision to impose Irish language street signage on Shandon Park in east Belfast - in blatant disregard for the clear wishes of the local community.
The facts speak for themselves. Of the 244 residents surveyed by the Council, only 41 were in favour of Irish signage, while 121 opposed it and seven expressed no preference. That means almost three times as many residents rejected the proposal as supported it!
Despite this overwhelming opposition, the council’s policy - which requires just 15% of residents to support a bilingual sign - was used to justify going against the wishes of the majority.
Even the council’s People and Communities Committee was split evenly on the matter, with the unionist chair rightly using her casting vote to block the signage.
Unfortunately, this was overturned at full council, where Sinn Féin, the SDLP and others used their numerical strength to force the decision through - outvoting unionist and Alliance councillors alike.
This is not democracy - it is cultural imposition.
The council’s policy clearly allows a small minority to dictate outcomes for entire communities, creating unnecessary division where none existed.
Respecting identity must go both ways. Imposing Irish signage in a middle class unionist area where it is not wanted - and where the majority have explicitly said so - is an act of provocation, not inclusivity.
W J Craig, Belfast BT5