Council clash on Irish language labelled 'embarrassing bunfight'

Council clash over Irish language labelled 'embarrassing bunfight'

4 hours ago Share Save Mark Simpson BBC News NI community correspondent Share Save

IWM/Getty Images A row broke out over the Irish Language at Belfast City Council on Monday night

A row broke out over the Irish language at Belfast City Council on Monday night with the Lord Mayor warning those involved "we're not at a football match boys". The clash between Sinn Féin's Ciaran Beattie and the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Dean McCullough was described by another councillor as an "embarrassing bunfight". The argument, during a debate on Irish language policy at the council, began when Beattie said the DUP "do not like Irish" and suggested many people might deem their approach "racist". He said the DUP's opposition to the use of Irish language had cost ratepayers "probably hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees".

DUP Belfast City Councillor Dean McCullough

McCullough responded: "Are you saying we're racist?" "You're anti-Irish," replied Beattie. McCullough asked again: "Are you saying we're racist?" "You're anti-Irish," said Beattie. They then started speaking over the top of each other before Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly intervened. "We're not at a football match, boys," she said. "Councillor Beattie, Alderman McCullough - the point has been taken, can you finish your remarks please."

Sinn Féin councillor Ciaran Beattie, pictured in 2019, spoke during Monday night's meeting

Beattie is the leader of the Sinn Féin group on the council while McCullough is deputy leader of the DUP in the chamber. The Lord Mayor is also a member of the DUP. As remarks were made by various parties, Kelly restored order, adding: "We're not here to shout at each other across the chamber." Séamas de Faoite of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said: "I think it's quite ironic that we were told last week that the two parties that are currently arguing over language have agreed on the appointment of two new commissioners to take forward the piece of work around the promotion and respect of language and language rights. "But yet we're happy to have yet another embarrassing bunfight in this chamber about the promotion of the Irish language."

Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly chaired Monday night's council meeting

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