18 December 2003 Edition
No St Patrick's Parade for Belfast - again
In spite of the fact that St Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by people of all races and religions, it is still viewed as "offensive" by unionists within the Six Counties.
At least so it would seem - based on the recent determination of Belfast City Council's "Good Relations" Steering Panel, which, for the second year in a row, has voted not to fund the St Patrick's Day Carnival Parade.
Representatives of the SDLP and Alliance Parties joined with the DUP and UUP to veto a Sinn Féin proposal that the Carnival should receive official support from the City Council, arguing that the event is offensive to unionists.
The Panel then decided that a total of £30,000 should be set aside to aid "other" events on St. Patricks day instead of a City centre carnival - including an indoor event at a yet to be decided venue and funds for community groups who agree to engage in "education and awareness" about St. Patrick's Day.
Despite strenuous objections from Sinn Féin, the Panel voted to block Council support for the highly successful Carnival, and banned the Carnival Committee and other local groups seeking funding for their participation in the Parade, from being considered under the new criteria.
Chairperson of the St Patrick's Day Carnival Committee, Irene Sherry, is outraged at the decision and has challenged the SDLP's Carmel Hanna to explain why she supported the motion.
"The SDLP has clearly supported a unionist agenda," said a furious Sherry this week. "I am outraged that in the second largest city in Ireland, Belfast City Councillors are refusing to give money to allow Irish people to celebrate their Patron Saint.
"This decision comes after we proved an outstanding success with this past year's celebrations, which attracted more than 20,000 people to Belfast City Centre. Many stayed for over five hours, listening to the superb entertainment and joining in in the fun."
"The Belfast Visitor Convention Bureau reported a ten percent increase in visitors, and the Events Company said there was over £100,000 generated in publicity. Yet in spite of our success, we find ourselves facing a funding crisis once again. It beggars belief. Just three months before St Patrick's Day and we have no carnival support from the council.
"We would welcome any money, but to be realistic there is a proven track record that 20,000 will come into city centre on March 17. Unionists and the SDLP must realise that the days of St Patrick's Day in Belfast being ghettoised are gone."
Sinn Féin North Belfast Councillor Eoin Ó Broin sits on the Good Steering Panel and had argued vigorously that funding for the Carnival be approved. He is furious with the approach taken by the SDLP and Alliance parties.
"Last year the Council spent £18,000 on an indoor event at the Ulster Hall which because of low attendance figures can only be described as a failure," says Ó Broin.
"I think the SDLP's collaboration in attempting to sterilise St Patrick's Day in response to the apparent objections of unionists is absolutely incredible. The St Patrick's Day Carnival Parade is the most successful and well-attended public parade in Belfast, and it is also of major cultural and economic benefit to this city."
The decision of the Good Relations Steering Panel will be presented before the Policy and Resources Committee of the Council later this month before being discussed at full Council in the new year.
While more than £2 million is spent on St Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin every year, Belfast nationalists remain forced to celebrate in private instead of being welcome in the centre of their own city. "What does that say to nationalists?" asks Sherry pointedly.