‘Propaganda’ at Newry roundabout has been condemned by local politicians
Sinn Féin billboards have been investigated. Photo: David Conachy
Sinn Féin billboard has caused controversy. Photo: David Conachy
A Sinn Féin billboard in the Newry area. Photo: David Conachy
Sinn Féin billboards have been investigated. Photo: David Conachy
Sinn Féin billboard has caused controversy. Photo: David Conachy
Hugh O'Connell
Today
Sinn Féin has refused to take down a billboard calling for a united Ireland at the junction of a busy roundabout in Newry despite being instructed to do so by Northern Ireland civil servants.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI), which was occupied by a Sinn Féin minister up until October last year, contacted the party earlier this year asking it to remove the billboard beside the Egyptian Arch railway bridge just off the Camlough Road Roundabout in Newry.
However, the billboard — which states “A United Ireland is for Everyone. Let’s Talk About It” and includes the Sinn Féin logo — was still up when the Sunday Independent visited the site last Friday.
The erection of Sinn Féin billboards at busy road junctions across South Armagh has angered some local politicians from other parties.
Read more
Máiría Cahill: ‘Republicanism has different morals from the rest of us’
The DfI, which owns the site in question, has also confirmed it is investigating whether Sinn Féin has legally erected another billboard promoting the party at another of its sites at the Doran’s Hill junction in Newry.
Separately, the Northern Ireland public transport company Translink said it has taken “appropriate action” over another Sinn Féin billboard at a road junction by the Cloughoge railway bridge in Newry.
In a DfI letter sent to a local politician, who asked not to be named, on September 7, an official confirmed that “those responsible for erecting the current ‘advertising’ have been asked to remove the billboard” at the Camlough Road Roundabout.
The local politician had written to the department’s permanent secretary in mid-August about the billboard which was erected in the same location where a billboard remembering the late Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old who died in Belfast in 2020, had previously been placed.
The politician, who would not speak on the record for fear of a local backlash, said there had been “a complete proliferation of Sinn Féin propaganda all over Newry City and South Armagh”.
A DfI spokesperson said: “The Department has contacted Sinn Féin regarding the removal of the billboard on DfI property at the Camlough Road Roundabout/Egyptian Arch.
“The department has not been in contact with Sinn Féin regarding a billboard at Doran’s Hill but will now investigate and decide if any action is required.”
Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, the North’s former acting first minister, was briefly the minister for infrastructure prior to the collapse of power-sharing last year.
Last Friday there were two billboards at the Cloughoge Railway Bridge, one promoting four local Sinn Féin representatives and another calling on the Irish government to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish Unity.
When contacted, Translink said: “We have looked into this and can confirm that appropriate action has been taken.”
When asked what it meant by appropriate action, the spokesperson responded: “Translink is a non-political organisation, serving all communities in Northern Ireland.”
Sinn Féin did not respond to queries this week about the legality of the three billboards that the Sunday Independent inquired about.
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In a further comment yesterday a DfI spokesperson said: “Sinn Féin has acknowledged the department’s request to remove the billboard on DfI property at Egyptian Arch, however, the billboard has not yet been removed. The department must prioritise its resources and has not yet had an opportunity to investigate reports of a billboard at Doran’s Hill.”
Sinn Féin has refused to take down a billboard calling for a united Ireland at the junction of a busy roundabout in Newry despite being instructed to do so by Northern Ireland civil servants.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI), which was occupied by a Sinn Féin minister up until October last year, contacted the party earlier this year asking it to remove the billboard beside the Egyptian Arch railway bridge just off the Camlough Road Roundabout in Newry.
However, the billboard — which states “A United Ireland is for Everyone. Let’s Talk About It” and includes the Sinn Féin logo — was still up when the Sunday Independent visited the site last Friday.
The erection of Sinn Féin billboards at busy road junctions across South Armagh has angered some local politicians from other parties.
Read more
Máiría Cahill: ‘Republicanism has different morals from the rest of us’
The DfI, which owns the site in question, has also confirmed it is investigating whether Sinn Féin has legally erected another billboard promoting the party at another of its sites at the Doran’s Hill junction in Newry.
Separately, the Northern Ireland public transport company Translink said it has taken “appropriate action” over another Sinn Féin billboard at a road junction by the Cloughoge railway bridge in Newry.
In a DfI letter sent to a local politician, who asked not to be named, on September 7, an official confirmed that “those responsible for erecting the current ‘advertising’ have been asked to remove the billboard” at the Camlough Road Roundabout.
The local politician had written to the department’s permanent secretary in mid-August about the billboard which was erected in the same location where a billboard remembering the late Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old who died in Belfast in 2020, had previously been placed.
The politician, who would not speak on the record for fear of a local backlash, said there had been “a complete proliferation of Sinn Féin propaganda all over Newry City and South Armagh”.
A DfI spokesperson said: “The Department has contacted Sinn Féin regarding the removal of the billboard on DfI property at the Camlough Road Roundabout/Egyptian Arch.
“The department has not been in contact with Sinn Féin regarding a billboard at Doran’s Hill but will now investigate and decide if any action is required.”
Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, the North’s former acting first minister, was briefly the minister for infrastructure prior to the collapse of power-sharing last year.
Last Friday there were two billboards at the Cloughoge Railway Bridge, one promoting four local Sinn Féin representatives and another calling on the Irish government to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish Unity.
When contacted, Translink said: “We have looked into this and can confirm that appropriate action has been taken.”
When asked what it meant by appropriate action, the spokesperson responded: “Translink is a non-political organisation, serving all communities in Northern Ireland.”
Sinn Féin did not respond to queries this week about the legality of the three billboards that the Sunday Independent inquired about.
]
In a further comment yesterday a DfI spokesperson said: “Sinn Féin has acknowledged the department’s request to remove the billboard on DfI property at Egyptian Arch, however, the billboard has not yet been removed. The department must prioritise its resources and has not yet had an opportunity to investigate reports of a billboard at Doran’s Hill.”
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