They Don’t Hate Irish, They Hate Irish-Speakers

The Newsletter reports that Belfast City Council has voted against applying for funds in order to establish an Irish language officer for the council in a motion pushed by the mainstream British Unionist parties in the city and supported by the Alliance Party, a “liberal” Unionist grouping.

“The application was to Foras na Gaelige for funding of £13,000 to go towards funding an Irish language officer with a salary of £40,000.

DUP councillor Lee Reynolds proposed rejecting the plan because the languages policy within the council is currently under review.

Alderman May Campbell, DUP, seconded this motion.

Sinn Fein councillor Conor Maskey said that an Ulster Scots officer had also been proposed.

He complained that he feels there is an “anti Irish language agenda in this council”.

Mr Maskey also attacked the position of Alliance councillor Tom Ekin on the matter.

With the support of the Alliance Party, Mr Reynold’s proposal to stop the application was voted through.

Meanwhile a request by the Orange Order to use Ballysillan Playing Fields as a gathering point on July 12 is expected to be passed at the next meeting.

DUP councillor Gareth McKee said he was disappointed that it had been delayed…

Alliance councillor Laura McNamee told the council that now she had more information about the event, she was happy to support it.

There was a small gathering of around 30 protesters in support of the Union flag outside City Hall on Monday evening.”

So once again the indigenous language of the island of Ireland will take second place to the English language and Belfast’s Irish-speaking citizens and communities will continue to be institutionally discriminated against in their own city. How quickly the Alliance Party has dropped its pose of being political “moderates” and is now once again firmly in the British separatist camp, opposed to any signs of Irishness in the north-east of the country. The age of colonialism may be over in most parts of the world but in “British” Ireland it is as virulent as ever.

Talking of which, a typical fluff piece related to the Irish language on thejournal.ie drew these two responses from long-term Commenters:

“Frank2521: This is where the Irish name places on estates will cost lives as sat nabs and non national drivers will be delayed from trying to work out the Irish names. Kids will die and sick people will suffer as a result of bloody Irish language agenda from SF. Trying to divide society like Belfast. Irish should be banished from schools and the money spent creating jobs.”

“Jack Bowden: Yeah. I think the government shouldn’t get involved in what language people want to speak or learn in schools. Irish place names and people’s names in Irish are so hard to pronounce and spell. I don’t know why people change their English language sounding names to something unpronounceable.”

Ah yes, children will die and sick people will suffer because of the Irish-speaking citizens and communities of Ireland. It’s all part of an international Gaelic conspiracy, you know, designed to rule the nation and the world. Just like the Jews…

Sigh.