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Unionists in Down have vowed to stay away from the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, due to a row over flags.
The row erupted over the use of the Irish language on a new flag which is to be presented by Down District Council during their annual March 17 celebration.
The flag contains the symbol of a bishop’s mitre and crozier and has the words ‘Downpatrick’ on one side and the Gaelic translation, ‘Dun Padraig’ on the reverse.
Traditionally, Down council hands out flags with the red and white St Patrick’s Cross to attendees.
In a twist of irony, the flag was designed to defuse tensions that arose from last year’s parade, when a Sinn Fein councilman insisted on carrying a 10ft Irish tri-color during the carnival.
Jim Wells, DUP MLA for South Down told the Belfast Telegraph he will not attend the parade in protest over the use of Gaelic.
“I most certainly will not be attending the parade,” he said.
“It is my personal protest against the adoption of Irish language on the flag. I believe this is a highly retrograde step.
“Unfortunately, by adopting this stance they are alienating moderate unionists who would have very much liked to be associated with the event.”
The event has been running for 26-years and usually attracts more than 30,000 people.
“I have made it clear that I would not be going,” he said. “I was there three years ago and I was happy to lead it, but with the debate over the flag and the use of Irish on it, I believe nationalists are trying to drive a wedge between the two communities.
“This is a step backwards for community relations in Downpatrick and it is extremely disappointing that it has come to this.”
DUP man William Walker told the Telegraph he had “no desire to attend Saturday’s festival”.
Adding: “And, the way that some councilors in Down District Council are getting on, they are not doing anything to entice me to go”.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Mar 20, 2012, 06:46 PM EDT
Gee!! another ignorant fool posting on IC,how surprising. Maybe Allan is trying to be funny.
allan07 | Mar 20, 2012, 05:20 PM EDT
I am nearly 50 years and I have never celebrated St Paddys Day. Who wants a weed stuck on your jumper. Its sad and foolish. It looks like a bit of chewed grass. Not very smart. A orange lily is more attractive.
allan07 | Mar 20, 2012, 05:17 PM EDT
Shouldnt everyone speak in French as Saint Patrick was a Frenchman. In any event St Paddys Day is a waste of space. I prefer the 12th July any day. Good weather, food, music, banter and lets hope the spoil sports dont turn up to throw a few stones. I have never celebrated Paddys day and yes I am the real Northern Irish not one of those Plastic Paddys who make false claims that their Great, great grandfather was born in Ireland. What I dont understand why does the Catholics celebrate a Protestant such as St Patrick was. The proof of that is simple hes buried in the Church of Irelands graveyard in Down Patrick, Northern Ireland.
seanomelb | Mar 19, 2012, 07:25 PM EDT
Ciara wallows in defeatism and a lack of Irishness.
maireadinmelb | Mar 19, 2012, 03:28 AM EDT
Surely in a modern democracy people are free to speak any language they choose! Penal laws were overturned about 200 years ago weren't they!!
oldboreen | Mar 18, 2012, 06:46 PM EDT
It's crossed my mind once or twice-why is'nt Dutch spoken by Ulster Unionists? It was Orange King Billy's native tongue after all!
ciaradexy | Mar 18, 2012, 04:55 PM EDT
As much as I love the Irish language, it will NEVER be the majority language on this island. For Ireland to get out of this recession, we need more Irish people to be able to speak other world languages such as the Nordic languages, Japanese, Chinese etc. There are thousands of jobs out there for people who speak these languages but we dont have people who can speak these languages which is one reason we employ from abroad.
DaithiSuibhne | Mar 18, 2012, 04:13 PM EDT
Speaking of " this is a step backwards" DUP's Jim Wells is a complete eejit. This is the mentality we have to deal with when you try to 'Join' our two different cultures together.
dermotfastnet | Mar 18, 2012, 03:13 PM EDT
Thankfully 29,999 good citizens will make up for the one loss
Gearoid4 | Mar 18, 2012, 02:53 PM EDT
How idiotic is it, that the only real indigenous language of the partitioned country of Ireland, cannot be displayed or even spoken, during the celebrations of Ireland's patron saint, due to the objections of bigots who are illiterate concerning this cultural inheritance of the whole of Ireland?
Seanmor | Mar 18, 2012, 11:09 AM EDT
Many Dáil T.D.s would probably agree with the Unionists' objections to teanga na nGael. All Northern Protestants aren't opposed to an Ghaeile. Around the mid 1990s a group of ladies in the Shankill area of Befast seriously studied the Irish language and won many prizes at feiseann south of the Border. about 10 years ago I listened to a discussion on the North on a NYC radio station. At the end the moderator told a Unionist that he had the last word. This was his response: "Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir".
seanomelb | Mar 17, 2012, 06:48 PM EDT
I think most unionist will take no notice of these two bigots there "raison d'etre" is fading and a new dawn is coming.
jacersagain | Mar 17, 2012, 05:48 PM EDT
Crass idiocy going on here. Don’t the Unionists of the North of Ireland know they are descendants of Celtic tribes shafted out of southern Scotland by the English under Cromwell to stop them stopping the English Crown’s pursuits to subject their families to rule from London? The southern Scots spoke Gaelic, just as the Irish of the whole of Ireland did back then. Do the Unionists of County Down ever think to ask what flag their forebears flew in the face of the English at the borders of Scotland/England and Hadrian’s Wall? It certainly didn’t have a unionist aspiration, that’s for sure! Crass idiocy still prevails in NI - that’s for sure too! The peace of St. Patrick’s love for Christ be with all in Nth Ireland and esp St. Patrick's beloved county of Down today and forever, please God.
citizen69 | Mar 17, 2012, 04:09 PM EDT
Actually these two eejit politicians don't speak for most unionists and as usual both traditions turned out in force to enjoy the day.
aloistmartin | Mar 17, 2012, 02:08 PM EDT
Ah Yes, The Boycott ! How Democratic ~
Searlit | Mar 17, 2012, 12:36 PM EDT
They're still trying to keep the native Irish from speaking or displaying the Irish language? That's terrible!
micky74007 | Mar 17, 2012, 12:28 PM EDT
Let them go back to England where they belong.
Nelsonbarry | Mar 17, 2012, 10:15 AM EDT
Who Cares ???????????????