Irish language campaigners have welcomed the approval of the first dual language street signs in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area.
The application for Irish language street signage in the Woodside Gardens area, off the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, received approval at a full council meeting of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council on Monday 23 September.
No Irish language signage had been approved by the unionist controlled council since it first came into existence in 2015.
A previous vote at the council’s Planning & Regulatory Services Committee ultimately saw the defeat of the proposal after MP Carla Lockhart of the DUP told that meeting that the plans were part of “a concerted effort to cleanse this area of Protestantism”.
The plan came back before the committee last week and was passed after winning support from Sinn Féin and Alliance members, and all unionist councillors abstaining.
In order to be successful, applications for dual language street signs in the council require support from 66% residents on the electoral register living on that specific street. 90% of all residents on the street supported the application, with 100% of all of those who responded to the survey voting in favour.
Cuisle Nic Liam, Language Rights Coordinator with campaign group Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “The unanimous support for Woodside Gardens is testament to the determination of the local Irish language community in reaffirming their right to see their language in public; a right which is enshrined in the council’s own dual language street signage policy.
“There was never any question around the desires of the residents of this street. The Council should, at all times, seek to apply it’s own policy fairly as informed by the expressed wishes of every single respondent.
“This application is an historic first for ABC Council and a move that should be celebrated as heralding a new era of language equality in the area.”
Speaking after the full council meeting, Sinn Féin councillor Paul Duffy said: “The recognition of the Irish language by ABC council is long overdue.
“Residents of Woodside Gardens in Portadown entered into our bi-lingual street signage process, followed all aspects of our policy and tonight the signs have been given the go-ahead. I welcome this and commend the community of Woodside for their persistence.”
