Belfast City’s Council voted against the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on Monday and decided to continue the tradition, started in 2011, of hanging an Irish “Happy Christmas” sign above Belfast’s City Hall.
Last year the festival signs were featured in English on the front of the building and in Irish over the side entrance.
On Monday night at Belfast City Council’s policy and resources committee, the DUP proposed to replace the Irish sign with one which would feature 18 different languages, those languages spoken by residents of Belfast City.
However this proposal backed by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) was outvoted 29 to 19 by the Alliance Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and Sinn Fein.
Mervyn Jones of the Alliance Party told the Belfast Newsletter, “To be honest, any sign which had 18 languages on it would not be visible from the road. The end result of it all was that things remain the same as they were last year.”
DUP’s Alderman Ruth Patterson said, “It makes you wonder how important equality really is to those parties that voted against us. The languages of all those ethnic minorities who live and work in Belfast will now not be included.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.citizen69 | Oct 10, 2012, 03:07 PM EDT
Sorry IrelandNorth but where are the Union flags in Dublin? I've never noticed them myself. One thing i have noticed is that hotels never have the Union flag amongst the plethora of national flags often seen fluttering from their premises, even though over 50% of tourists to Ireland are from the UK. Basically these hotels wouldn't survive without the Brits.
IrelandNorth | Oct 10, 2012, 08:50 AM EDT
RedBranch/CraobhRua (CraveRooa)! Most definately, in the interests of good neighbourlines. The international (intra-national?) norm is to fly them equilaterally if at slightly different heights, similar to Olympic podia. Many Union Jacks fly around Dublin, despite the inclusion of the St Patrick's Cross, and nobody kicks up a stink about it. A reunited Ireland within the Commonwealth of Nations threatens neither tradition on the Island of Ireland. The continued partition of Ireland only defers the day when the Island of Ireland can have the "partnership of equals" (of which HM EIIR spoke in her Queen's Speech in Dublin Castle yesteryear) with the neighbouring Island of Great Britain. I urge all Ulster unionists to embrace a voluntary and democratic form of unionism of a nation once again most appropriate between two island nations, instead of the imperial variant more appropriate to an empire once ago.
citizen69 | Oct 09, 2012, 11:54 AM EDT
...Oh, and i welcome it as a citizen of Belfast as well. Problem in NI is that everything becomes politicized and aspects of culture are claimed/owned by one side or the other. Sad how we treat our heritage as weapons.
citizen69 | Oct 09, 2012, 11:29 AM EDT
As a unionist i welcome the sign.
Bocktherobber | Oct 08, 2012, 06:39 PM EDT
What do Ulster planters have in common with Americans?
Seanmor | Oct 08, 2012, 05:54 PM EDT
Nollaig shona Béal Fierste. (Hppy Christmas Belfast). How many cities in the Southern Irish state have "Nollaig shona" signs over their city halls? Even if such signs were displaed, how many city councillors would approve of them- or even understant them?
WoundedKnee | Oct 08, 2012, 04:37 PM EDT
donegalcali: I know the North of Ireland pretty well. I have never heard the Loyalists/Unionists express the slightest identification with Scots Gaelic. They have absolutely no interest in it.
TayandCake | Oct 08, 2012, 04:27 PM EDT
once a upon a time we where all pagan and spoke Celtic languages.
donegalcali | Oct 08, 2012, 03:43 PM EDT
@Woundedknee. The Protestants and Unionist claim their heritage from Scots.
WoundedKnee | Oct 08, 2012, 03:12 PM EDT
donegalcali: I am intrigued. Why would they put it in Scots Gaelic?
merefalow | Oct 08, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT
stupid intransigent political correctness ,if you enter a country to live,learn the language.simples,happy chrstmass,also some of those ethnicities do not recognise christmass,you people are so pedantic like the eu directive to stop little old ladies using jam jars,health and safety beurocratic pedans,get off our backs,and lets get oput of the eu.
donegalcali | Oct 08, 2012, 12:25 PM EDT
Why dont they put an English, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic version and everyone will be represented. Fairness and equality hasn't quite caught on in places yet have they.
RedBranch | Oct 08, 2012, 09:56 AM EDT
IrelandNorth when Ireland is united will you tolerate a union flag on a second flagpole?
seamus60 | Oct 08, 2012, 08:56 AM EDT
The smell of Freedom is in the air. lol
IrelandNorth | Oct 08, 2012, 07:38 AM EDT
Some DUP Belfast City Councillors obviously consider foreign ethnic minorities before their very own ethnicised majority. DUP Assemblymen also voted down another power sharing gesture last year of flying a Irish tricolour from the second flagpole over Stormont Castle, much to their discredit. Despite the peace process, some unionists are still stuck in 1912 - if not 1690.
freefroggy | Oct 07, 2012, 08:52 PM EDT
Stick this multi-cultural crap where the sun don't shine! If you are in Ireland then you all take a back seat to Irish culture-if that is not acceptable then there are planes and ferries leaving every day feel free to jump on one!
Scrivner | Oct 07, 2012, 05:15 PM EDT
Vhat? No Happy Chaunnuka in Irish?
Renelda M. | Oct 07, 2012, 05:08 PM EDT
I am glad to read that Belfast's City's Council did not give in to non-believers. Please continue to stand strong in Christ. Never take Christ out of Christmas. Be blessed.
Pbstein33 | Oct 07, 2012, 11:47 AM EDT
Finally the Irish stand on the right side of an equation Thank You for standing up to ATHEISTS.....
CelticQueenUSA | Oct 07, 2012, 09:50 AM EDT
Do you not have more important matters to attend to than just how to say Merry Christmas? Get back to work on the real problems. This article is ridiculous!