In Northern Ireland, the Irish language has become a deeply polarising issue, sparking political rows over everything from manhole covers to fisheries vessels. A recent incident in Ballymena saw unionist councillors object to new covers bearing the Irish word 'uisce' (water), which were later scraped off to resolve the dispute.
In the Northern Ireland Assembly, clashes over the language have been frequent. In 2014, DUP MLA Gregory Campbell was barred for a day after parodying Irish by saying 'Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer' instead of the traditional 'go raibh maith agat, Ceann Comhairle' (thank you, speaker). The speaker ruled his conduct fell short of standards, while then deputy first minister Martin McGuinness called it 'bordering on racism'.
More recently, DUP Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen renamed a fisheries vessel from 'Banríon Uladh' to 'Queen of Ulster', citing a move to a 'single language policy'. Irish language group Pobal described the change as 'sad and petty'. In December 2016, DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan withdrew funding for an Irish language bursary scheme, a decision later reversed, which McGuinness cited as a reason for his resignation.
Calls for an Irish Language Act, promised in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement, have intensified. Pobal's chief executive Janet Muller urged parties to resolve the issue, stating there should be 'no return to Stormont without a detailed guarantee and timescale on Irish language legislation'. The Alliance Party supports a comprehensive languages act covering indigenous and other languages.
