NI Dec 22 Assembly Election

That is some real hateful threatening signage right there, those fenian monsters 😅

Isn't it just! Life in Fermanagh has never been the same! 😁

You don't 'weaponise' language rights by agreeing in democratic international and local forums a way forward on implementing rights. This kind of behaviour in the pictures below 'weaponises and politicises' it though.

People want the native Irish words there to enhance and enrich the areas in which they live, the people who engage in the behaviour below have no care for resident or place. It is all about 'ownership'. They'd rather burn down the place they live in than relinquish the fantasy that they 'own' it.

What difference does the religion of the residents of a place make?

The Protestant religion has not taken a position on the Irish language.

You are taking a sectarian position here, and siding with sectarian bigots who wish to make religion an issue, which is something we all want to move away from.

P.S. While everyone 'understood' the sign previously, nobody visiting the area 'understood' what the original name and how it was arived at was.

What is wrong with enriching the heritage and culture by displaying that info?

The Alliance, SDLP and others support Irish language legislation, not just SF.

Which makes your 'language of Sinn Fein' comment ludicrious.

The erection of this particular sign was supported by majority decision at the council, where SF doe not have a majority.

Two questions now.

Why single out SF as being responsible for the legislation.

And WHAT has religion got to do with it, why are you sectarianising it?

I agree - it's sad the way that the Irish language has been used for political purposes, both North and South.

For your information.

The campaign for an Irish Lanaguage act was begun by Conradh Na Gaelige and was supported by SF, The Alliance, SDLP, The Greens. And whenever asked, the leaders of the main parties here FG & FF etc supported an legislation as well.

The EU also supported legislative protections and encouraging of minority languages in it's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages to which the British and Irish governments were signatories.

SF did push for that legislation through democratic channels and won a committment in St. Andrew's from the British government. Any attempt to introduce the legislation was blocked by the DUP and UUP/TUV etc.

After the impasse over it, SF and all the campaigners for a standalone act compromised on it and accepted a lesser deal than that which had been agreed.

They 'compromised', and even then the DUP continue to block the roll out of the provisions of that agreement.

Of course the Shinners are the bad guys here with some.

You say "SF did push for that legislation". Yes, we are aware that Republicanism - which in N.I. currently means mostly SF - hijacked the Irish language and the tricolour etc. To the extent most unionists - which in N.I. means many in the Protestant community - do not want anything to do with it. Not surprising, given SF's history.

I use the odd "cupla focail" the odd time, here south of the border, but I fully respect the right of the villagers in the predominant Protestant village in Co. Down to feel offended by signs starting off in the Irish language in their village. I would not like it if I were in their shoes. The thin edge of the wedge etc. If SF get their way, as happened here in the south, wait until the moderate unionists have to do compulsory Irish in school, look at pictures of Irish "revolutionaries heroes" on their walls in their classrooms (1916 in my time, will be Bobby Sands and Co for future generations if SF get their way), need Irish to get in to certain universities, get a government job etc

Again, The Alliance, The SDLP, The Greens. PBP all supported an Irish language act.

Like you have been told other stuff, you have been told 'SF hijacked' it.

They plainly didn't as an ILA had support right across politics and even in the EU and Dublin.

Somebody has to propose legislation. SF certainly did that and they had the support of a majority.

You are swallowing propaganda from anti-democracy parties without filtering it through the facts, again.

'Equality' was very much part of nationalism and republicanism's strategy.

No, I don't think Irish will be compulsory.

the 1950's/60's in Ireland when these pictures adorned school walls (at the behest of FF/FG led Dept of ED BTW) are long gone.

There will be no compulsory Irish needed to access university, republicans/nationalists know only to well about deprivation of educational oppurtunities and have dealt with that in the submissions to the various forums discussing the legislation. There is NOTHING in the legislation forcing the use or knowledge of Irish on anyone.

Do you accept that a majority of political parties supported a standalone ILA and they have compromised on that? Do you accept that the DUP/TUV are STILL blocking the outworking s of that compromise?

The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom providing "official recognition of the status of the Irish language" in Northern Ireland, with Ulster Scots being an officially recognised minority language. Where does this Irish language act say there will be signs with "Failte go..." being the first thing you see entering a predominately Protestant village in Co. Down?

You say "As for Irish being mandatory in the Republic - this is because it is the first official language of the country with English being the second official language. I'm not sure if you know this." I know it only too well as it was forced down my neck, and many other necks, for 13 or 14 years of school. And it was the case universities like UCC, UCG, UCD etc would not accept applicants from Ireland who did not pass Irish in the leaving cert, and there was institutional discrimination against non Irish language speakers in government jobs too etc.

You claim Adams was correct in that unionism is intolerant towards others (Catholics, gays, etc.) - maybe the leadership of the DUP may be intolerant but any everyday unionists I ever met were not, they were ordinary people getting on with their lives. Perhaps any jewish people in N.I. would say the unionists are more tolerant of them than nationalists. Of course you get extremists on both sides of the sectarian divide in N.I.

Just read what you wrote again. “Biligual signage is inclusive for all”. It’s a tad arrogant to think that two languages represent ALL