Protest organised against ‘forcing’ of Irish language signage at Belfast leisure centre

A protest has been organised against the “forcing” of Irish language signage at a Belfast leisure centre.

It comes after dual language signs were approved for the Olympia Leisure Centre by Belfast City Council last September.

The plans had been held up for three years after unionist councillors opposed the move due to the centre being located next to the largely Protestant Village area of the city.

In February 2024, a legal battle was won by Irish language activist group Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG), that transparency was needed surrounding the council’s decisions on this matter.

A public consultation on dual language signs at the centre found that almost 80% of respondents supported the move.

According to a recent CnaG survey, nine out of ten residents on streets that had dual language signs approved supported their installation – while just under 3% opposed.

On Saturday criminal damage was caused to a sign in the Shandon Park area of east Belfast in a ‘hate-motivated’ incident and an anti-dual language signage protest is due to be held outside Olympia Leisure Centre on Friday.

“The Olympia Leisure Centre Protest against the forcing of Dual (Irish/English) signage on the local community will be held on Friday, October 17, at 7.30pm at the front entrance to Olympia Leisure Centre,” a poster for the protest reads.

“Irish language signage not wanted at Olympia. Let us all support this protest!”

A representative for Irish language campaign group An Dream Dearg said that the support for the signage at the centre was reflected in previous consultations which showed an “increasing support for a dual-language approach” and that “support for retaining the current English-only signage” decreased.

“That decision was subsequently supported by a large majority of elected councillors on Belfast City Council and passed through rigorous legal scrutiny,” they said.

“The result is an inclusive, city-wide leisure centre, one that caters for local Irish medium schools and the wider Irish language community on a very regular basis.

“No English language signs have been removed as a result of this policy, rather Irish has been added, and as such, the rights of English speakers have been in no way diminished.

“The very definition of language equality is for both English and Irish to be side by side on signage in shared spaces.”