Kneecap concert: Nationalist councillors attack DUP over change of venue for Londonderry gig

At a Full Council Meeting last week, some members claimed that DUP members were scaring promoters and argued that no single political party should have the power to veto events at council venues.

The concert was initially set to take place on November 2 at St Columb’s Park, Waterside, but was postponed until November 23 following objections from the Unionist community.

Senior Solicitor, Philip Kingston, confirmed that council had received an Entertainments Licence Application for a concert to be held at the cityside’s Templemore Sports Complex on the same date.

Mr Kingston explained that entertainment licences would normally be ratified at Full Council Meetings but as the next meeting was due to take place on November 20, meaning any call-in period would have expired after the concert date, he asked members delegate authority to the Health and Communities Committee.

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson said that, as a Waterside representative, he was “extremely disappointed” about the venue change.

He added: “There are many people in the Waterside that were keen to see this, that have been angered when they hear the area they love being described as a Protestant Unionist Loyalist (PUL) community and somewhere where Irish language isn’t welcome.

“I hope that in future acts of this calibre will be welcomed by everybody within this chamber.”

SDLP councillor Brian Tierney said the public handling of the planned concert had been “dangerous and disastrous for the city and district”.

“I don’t think its been good at all,” he said. “And people should reflect on that.

“I worry now that promoters looking to bring concerts to the city and district will factor into their minds, particularly if it’s in the council venue, what the DUP will think of a particular band.

“I’m glad we’re having this meeting because it will send out a message that no single political party has a veto on what happens in any council venue.

“I asked officers how many valid objections had we received and was told there is about five genuine objections, which could have been addressed through the committee and through working with officers.

“But they weren’t allowed to because representatives ran onto Radio Foyle, frightened the promoter and he has now switched the venue,” Cllr. Tierney claimed, adding:

“Promoters are being scared out of having events in council premises in the Waterside for no apparent reason.

DUP Alderman Niree McMorris said she had spoken to the media on behalf on PUL communities in the Waterside, and objections had followed a process.

“There was an application made, people objected and they had the right to do that,” she said. “We have a right to voice our opinions and the majority of the people that contacted us was opposed to this being in a shared space within the Waterside.

“That same process will be followed wherever they put in the application for and the people in Templemore have the right to oppose it or agree with whatever it is that they want to do, but the people made representation in the Waterside.

“No threats were put to this promoter, he decided to move the venue and rightly so.

“It has nothing to do with us and it doesn’t bother me whether it’s in Irish, English, or whatever language.

“It was to do with the lyrics that was in some of their songs so you might want to put this as a DUP thing, but I can tell you now the people in the Waterside objected.”

Councillor Tierney said. “I didn’t say that the DUP have a veto, I said they need to get the message that they don’t have a veto.”

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said the situation was “unfortunate” and the DUP were “completely out of touch”.

He concluded: “If anybody in the unionist community don’t think there’s going to be young Protestants from the Waterside at the Kneecap [concert], they’re seriously deluded.”