Row As Sinn Fein 'Dominate Belfast'

There's a row developing today over emblems in Belfast City Hall mayor's parlour as royal pictures are sidelined by the nationalist first citizen.

Despite promising an 'inclusive' approach, the newly elected Belfast Sinn Fein Mayor Cllr Niall Ó Donnghaile (pictured) has angered fellow councillors.

While he said that he would represent all the people of Belfast during his term in the office he has also now sent out more confusing signals and has snubbed the unionist tradition: "I have decided to make the mayor's parlour as representative and inclusive [as possible].

"Until now the artefacts on display represented primarily only one tradition - unionism," he said, noting that Sinn Fein's policy in respect of the use of political symbols and emblems in public buildings is 'equality or neutrality'.

Accordingly the mayor has added a number of items, which represent the nationalist and ethnic people of the city.

"The mayor's parlour is now more balanced [for] all the people of Belfast," he insisted.

Commenting on the changes, Cllr Ó Donnghaile said: "The changes I have made create a shared and inclusive space. It is a space which those visiting the parlour can relax in and see their cultural identity reflected."

Balance

But he has upset a DUP councillor by removing the portraits - one of Prince Charles and one of the Queen Mother - from the Lord Mayor's parlour.

Mr O'Donnaighle has replaced the images with the 1916 Proclamation and a portrait of the United Irishmen.

Fellow councillor, DUP man, Christopher Stalford criticised the move and is said to be appalled that the Queen and Prince Philip's portrait have been moved 'behind the door'.

He questioned why, if the new mayor wanted to be inclusive, he was not intending to go to the Cenotaph and lay a wreath for the annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations in November.

The row is just weeks after Sinn Fein Councillor Ó Donnghaile succeeded the SDLP's Pat Convery who handed over the chain of office at last month's AGM in Belfast City Hall.

He became the city's third Sinn Fein Lord Mayor, following in the footsteps of Alex Maskey in 2002 and Tom Hartley in 2008. He is the youngest ever such first citizen in Belfast.

Councillor Ruth Patterson from the DUP was elected Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast.

'Inclusive' MP Elected

Elsewhere, republican politicians were on a high with Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey elected MP for West Belfast.

Taking over 70% of a low turnout was cause for celebration overnight as the sitting Stormont MLA Paul Maskey, now also an abstentionist Westminster MP, said: "I am very grateful to be elected and will strive to represent each and every constituent within West Belfast."

He has also claimed that he would support all sections of the community: "I will work on the [loyalist] Shankill, in Andersonstown, Suffolk, the Blacks Road, in Ballymurphy, the Lower Falls and the Colin area and every other single part of this constituency," he insisted.

Mr Maskey took 70.6% of the vote in Thursday's by-election with 16,211 votes. The turnout of 37.53% was a record low for Northern Ireland.

In second place was the SDLP's Alex Attwood on 3,088, with Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit third on 1,751.

The by-election was held after Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams resigned earlier this year to become a member of the Republic of Ireland's parliament, the Dáil.

However, Sinn Fein's MPs have never taken their seats at Westminster because they refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty The Queen.

The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams - now the Louth TD - congratulated Paul Maskey on his resounding by-election victory in taking his former Westminster seat.

Mr. Adams said: "I want to thank the Sinn Fein team for their very hard work over recent weeks.

"This by-election followed just weeks on the heel of the Assembly and local government elections. And many of the west Belfast party activists had also played a part in the Dáil general election," he said.

See: Sinn Fein Man Is Youngest Belfast Mayor

(BMcC/GK)