Donegal councillor encourages defacing of English signs in Gaeltacht
A Donegal County Councillor says he is encouraging people to go out and deface English tourism signs in the Gaeltacht region. It comes as a number of the signs including a number for the Wild Atlantic Way were scribbled out leaving just the Irish language version.
Local Independent county councillor Micheal Mac Giolla Easbuig has refused to condemn the attacks on the tourism signs. In fact, he said he encourages anyone who feels strongly enough about the Irish language to go out and take "direct action."
He said "Some people have decided not to be silenced while watching a very beautiful and progressive language dying.
I fully support this action and I would ask others to go out and if they believe direct action then do what they have to do. I will not condemn it.
A number of such signs have been scrawled over in a number of local areas in West Donegal including Gaoth Dobhair and Ranafast. Councillor Mac Giolla Easbuig said he does not accept the destruction of the English language version of the signs will hinder tourists.
He added "If a tourist comes all the way from a remote area of Italy, then surely they can find their way around West Donegal.
"Tourism can play a part and can be of economic benefit to our community and I welcome it to a point. But I don't believe that we should sell out our own language which is thousands of years old and much older than English just for tourism.
"In fact, tourists come to the Gaeltacht area to experience our culture and our language. These are people who are taking a stand for our language and I will not condemn their actions in any way."
