Tag Archives: Signs

Stoneybatter

The ‘Traveller signs’, across from Maureen’s shop in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, explained.

They were created by Japanese artist Shota Kotake, who moved to Dublin in 2004.

Writing for the On The Batter blog, Shota explains:

“A few months ago, my bike was stolen from our back yard and, a few weeks later, my good sports jacket. It was all caused by having no proper prevention on our wall facing Manor Place.

“As Maureen sometimes told us, some people climb up and look inside to see if there are any valuables to steal. We discussed about having broken glass, but that’s illegal to do. We also thought about spreading grease, but then stray cats can’t come into our back yard anymore, so we had no good idea about it. Then I suddenly came up with this idea of having some sort of art work. It could be replicating a Super Mario stage or something like that, but I came up with having Travellers on it and making them say something.”

…

“It was a huge sensation when the video of Davy Joyce replying to Simon O’Donnell came out on YouTube. All the lads in college were talking about it and that was the first time I discovered these Travellers and bareknuckle boxing culture. Everyone thought it funny that these big muscly lads were ranting on each other through the video and they send it to each other to organise a fight. Also, the words they used in the video were funny as well. I found it funny as well, but I found it more like I found a true Irishness in them. They never accept their defeat, they use a lot of unique words to describe something which can be described in a few words like “Here, I want to fight with you on this date, this place”, rather than shouting at each other how they are shit and all. I guess such garrulity is something that only Irish people can have. Moreover, these boxers have unique characters themselves.”

“A Japanese art group from the 1950s called GUTAI is one of the only such groups that became well-known overseas. And the reason they were huge is because they do stupid and meaningless things very seriously. I find Travellers kind of the same. They are doing something that looks stupid to people outside their community and culture, but they’re doing it really seriously. That’s why I love them and respect them.”

Previously: Meanwhile, In Stoneybatter

The story behind Stoneybatter’s latest street art (On The Batter)

Sarah de Búrca writing for TheDetail.tv reveals the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) will proceed with a £1m tourist signage project with Down District Council as long as the signs are solely in English.

The council wanted the signs to be both English and Irish.

The NITB insisted that it would withhold the funding if the council pressed ahead with bilingual signs. The reason?

Signs as bearla agus Irish may confuse motorists, thereby causing carnage on Down’s roads.

Right.

The ban comes despite most of the nameplaces on the island, including Downpatrick (Dún Pádraig) being Irish in origin.

Not to mention the cross-border language authority called Foras na Gaeilge which is tasked to promote the Irish language and paid for by taxpayers, north and south.

Or The Good Friday Agreement (1998) which committed the Government to ‘recognise the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, including in Northern Ireland, the Irish language, Ulster-Scots and the languages of the various ethnic minority communities, all of which are part of the cultural wealth of the island of Ireland.’

And lest we forget The St Andrew’s Agreement (October 2006), which committed the UK Government to work with the incoming Executive to protect and enhance the development of the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages.

Which was consequently included in amendments to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, placing duties on the Executive to adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language and Ulster-Scots culture, heritage and language.

But hey, what do we know?

Why is Irish Being Banned From Tourism Signs Here? (The Detail)