Antrim and Newtownabbey: seventh application for Irish street sign in two months

The latest application for a street sign to be erected in Irish relates to Finlay Park in Newtownabbey. Councillors were told at a meeting at Mossley Mill on Monday evening it meets the “one-third threshold” as required by the council’s policy.

Members were also informed six applications have now progressed to a canvass of residents with letters due to have been issued by the local authority to residents of Glenville Mews, Bawnmore Terrace, and Mount Street last week.

Canvass letters have been sent to residents of Bawnmore Grove, Bawnmore Place, and Newton Gardens a for response by December 11. Members have been advised that the result of the canvass will be returned to the January meeting of the borough council.

An application for dual language street signs must be supported by a petition representing at least one-third of residents and must have the backing of the local authority before it can proceed to the next stage of canvassing street residents by post to seek their views on the request to erect a street sign in a second specified language.

The council’s Dual Language Street Sign Policy states that two-thirds or more of all those canvassed must indicate they are in favour of the erection of a second language street sign before the application can be brought before the council for a decision.

If a decision is approved by the authority to erect a street sign in a second language, a translation will have to be carried out by an independent body. The second language sign will be placed below the English in lettering the same size.

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 gives councils the power to erect dual language street signs or secondary nameplates in a language other than English.

Speaking at the meeting, Airport Sinn Fein Councillor Maighréad Ní Chonghaile said: “I am delighted to support it and glad to see them coming forward. ”

Cllr Ní Chonghaile added she was concerned about the timing of the canvass during a busy postal period in the run-up to Christmas. “It could have been synchronised better,” she maintained. She also criticised what she described as “a quick turnaround at this time of year”.

The issue of dual language street signs first arose in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough in February 2018 when the council received a request from Abbeyville Residents’ Association for five Irish language street signs which was turned down after councillors voted in favour of a policy retaining street signs in English only.

However, in September 2018, the council was forced to do a U-turn after being challenged in the High Court by a resident who sought a judicial review over a “deeply held concern that the policy adopted by the borough council was unlawful”.

According to the 2021 census, 6.52 per cent of Antrim and Newtownabbey residents have some knowledge of Irish; 2.9 per cent can speak, read, write and understand Irish and 1,164 residents can speak Irish.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter