Irish Speakers Demand Equality
The Irish language movement in the Six Counties has stepped up its campaign for equality in recent months, the latest aspect being the demand for bilingual road signs.
The various campaigns of the language movement have been met with consistent hostility by the elected representatives of unionism.
In the last week, DUP councillor Nelson McCausland has vociferously opposed plans to provide visitor information at Belfast City Cemetery in Irish as well as English. The City Cemetery is situated on the Falls Road, where hundreds of children are educated through the medium of the national tongue and plans are well advanced for the establishment of a Gaeltacht quarter.
Councillor McCausland described plans to make the Cemetery a bilingual venue as “horrid”.
Politicians from both the DUP and UUP have also called for the prosecution of activists who have placed stickers on road signs demanding their translation into Irish.
Éirígí spokesperson Daithí Mac An Mháistír said the attitude of unionism towards the rights of Irish speakers is almost racist in nature.
“Irish language activists in the Six Counties are not demanding that Irish speakers be given rights at the expense of those who speak only English. They are merely demanding that they be treated with parity of esteem. Consequently the reaction of unionist politicians can only be seen as discriminatory and bigoted.”
Daithí continued, “The thousands of young people who are now being brought up and educated through the medium of Irish deserve to live in a society that respects their right to use their own language in their own country. It will be interesting to see if Stormont has the ability to deliver on this right.”