DUP Oppose Irish Language Signage, Describing Sinn Féin’s Proposals As “Narrow Politics”

By Daniel Rankin

Proposed Irish-language signage at Belfast Grand Central Station was met by opposition from DUP leader Gavin Robinson in an email to his party on the weekend. The signange stands at an estimated cost of £145,000, to which he says his party will put a “marker down” in opposition at Stormont [1].

The opposition was particularly against the decision for the signange being made by Sinn Féin’s Liz Kimmins’ department (for Infrastructure), and not Translink, which operates the £340 million station, still less than a year old [1].

This recent opposition contrasts with significant Irish-language protests at Stormont last week – led by Conradh na Gaeilge – which saw hundreds of activists protesting in opposition to the DUP’s blocking of cross-border funding promoting the Irish language across the island [2]. The Conradh led protests – including many young people – in Dublin as well, particularly to address the €820,000 cuts by Foras na Gaeilge following the DUP’s decision.

On Irish-language signange at Grand Central, Gavin Robinson stressed that the decision made by Kimmins was controversial;

“This is clearly a controversial matter and our ministers will use their position at the Executive table to not only get to the bottom of how the decision was made but put a marker down that public money cannot be used to further Sinn Fein’s pet projects.” [3]

He accused SF of engaging in “narrow” and “partisan” politics, describing businesses of nearby Sandy Row as being “devastated by the station’s impact”, proposing that public funds could instead be used “to fix the potholes that plague our roads” [3].

Mr. Robinson did not specify [1] how his party would seek to oppose language changes at the Executive. Hardline loyalists such as Jamie Bryson and the TUV’s Timothy Gaston have supported, respectively, a judicial review in the Belfast High Court against the DfI, and a petition for a cross-community vote in the Executive [1].

Ms. Kimmins defended her department’s decision for the addition of Irish signage:

“This is something that reflects the thriving Irish language community in Belfast and right across our island” [3].

Grand Central Station was criticised from the start by Irish-language activists as lacking language diversity, with massive protests – again including C na G and various youth movements – at its opening in September [4].

The opposition to the Irish language has often seen threats against various other establishments, such as a Castlerock Irish language class at a council-owned venue [5] and Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre – which had Irish signs – [6] last October; both threatened to be burned down.

On Grand Central, Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly criticised the DUP on X on Sunday: “that this sort of overblown hysterical reaction to a bit of Irish in a public place is ultimately self-defeating” [7].

This debate expects to reach Stormont soon, with mandatory coalition requiring a consensus of power-sharing on controversial matters – the First and deputy First Ministers deciding on what such matters and controversial and requiring of a wider vote [1].

References

[1] ITVNews, (2025). “DUP intends to put ‘marker down’ at Executive on Irish language signs at station”. ITV News, 30 Mar 2025. https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2025-03-30/row-looming-over-plans-to-erect-irish-language-signs-at-belfast-central-station

[2] Kearney, V., (2025). “Stormont protest over DUP block on funding for Irish language schemes”. RTE News, 25 Mar 2025. https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2025/0325/1503963-irish-language-protest/

[3] Young, D., (2025). “DUP intends to put ‘marker down’ at Executive on Irish language signs at station”. The Irish News, 30 Mar 2025. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/dup-intends-to-put-marker-down-at-executive-on-irish-language-signs-at-station-TWHSBDQXFVGCFPNOIKQLCGC7KU/

[4] Kula, A., (2024). “Call for Translink to resist the demands of Irish language activists after massive protest at new Grand Central Station”. News Letter, 13 Nov 2025. https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/call-for-translink-to-resist-the-demands-of-irish-language-activists-after-massive-protest-at-new-grand-central-station-4781887

[5] Young, C., (2024). “Cancelled Castlerock Irish class was because of threat to burn down venue”. The Irish News, 3 Oct 2024. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/cancelled-castlerock-irish-class-was-because-of-a-threat-to-burn-down-the-venue-4XJVXEGDURGULEDS5IDCCVC7EU/

[6] Young, C., (2024). “Threat to burn down Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre over Irish language signage”. The Irish News, 7 Oct 2024. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/threat-to-burn-down-lisnasharragh-leisure-centre-over-irish-language-signage-MMHPTNWFCRDOPFPHBWYIUJTKWI/

[7] Donnelly, D., (2025). 30 Mar 2025, X. https://x.com/DannyDonnelly1/status/1906383824713314357