10/03/2026
𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 '𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲' 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝟐𝟏-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐔𝐏 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭
A recent Belfast News Letter article featuring comments from our Press Officer, Matthew Shanks - DUP, on the QUB Irish language signage referendum:
“A unionist activist has denounced a plan to hugely extend the use of the Irish langauge at Queen’s University Belfast.
Matthew Shanks also said that if the vote succeeds “it could open up the argument that, yes, we need to have multiple languages on signs” as well as Irish.
What is not clear is the extent to which Queen’s would actually heed the results of the vote, which opened today.
The Students Union is inviting students to vote online (using their student login details) on the following proposals:
‘That QUB adopts an Irish language policy that gives the Irish language equal status to the English language as an official language of the university;
‘That QUB adopts an Irish language policy that implements a bilingual corporate identity for the university and Students’ Union, to include: official bilingual name and official bilingual logo for the university;
‘That QUB adopts an Irish language policy that implements physical bilingual signage in English and Irish throughout campus.’
It also asks that students vote ‘for improved services for Irish-speaking students, which may include: official university forms available in Irish, administration services available through Irish, graduation certificates available in Irish’.
Voting ends at 8pm on Thursday, March 19.
Queen’s has not commented on the vote at time of writing.
The Students’ Union has been asked what triggered the vote, and a response is awaited.
Mr Shanks, aged 21 and from south Belfast, is a recent Ulster University politics graduate who has been heavily involved with the Queen’s-based Democratic Unionist Association in the last couple of years – basically, the student wing of the DUP.
He said that “first and foremost” is the question of how much these proposals would cost, adding: “Is this really a worthwhile use of funds?”
He said that “there’d probably be far greater cohort of students at Queen’s University who would be able to avail of Mandarin signs” than Irish, and this could pave the way for signs and branding in that language too.
He said that dual-language signage had been removed from Queen’s in the late 1990s, amid concerns for the impact on community relations.
Since then, the issue has only been “worsened by the sort of vicious agenda pursued by the Irish language lobby”, he said.
“Yes, it is divisive. It’s marking territory,” he said.
“It’s akin to painting kerbs, hanging up flags.
“Ultimately, it’s political – ultimately it’s associated with one side of the community more than another…
“It’s no secret that Queen’s University is already seen as a, to repeat the very widely-used phrase, a cold house fo unionists and Protestant students.
“To have this imposed again I think would have an additional effect [of] creating that cold environment, that harsh environment to be in for people of that political persuasion and background.”
However, he said those driving the campaign are “very well organised” and it is likely the proposals will be voted through.
Sinn Fein’s youth wing is backing the ‘yes’ vote.
West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Orfhlaith Begley said: “As a proud graduate of Queens [sic] University Belfast I would encourage all students to support the bilingual Irish language signage.”
Democratic Unionist Party
