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Slieve Gullion Councillor Martin Hearty has secured unanimous backing at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Belfast for a motion calling for South Armagh to be included in the name of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. The motion was put forward by the Barney Morris/Seamus Harvey Cumann based in Crossmaglen and received full support from delegates at the party conference at the weekend.
The motion, submitted as Motion 84 at the Ard Fheis, recognises that South Armagh and its citizens have been subject to decades of demonisation by the British Government and media, and that this campaign had a damaging effect on tourism and economic development in the area. It calls on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to reverse its 2015 decision to exclude South Armagh from the council name and to enter into a consultation process with councillors and constituents with a view to establishing a new name that reflects the unique cultural, historical and geographic contribution South Armagh makes to the wider area.
Councillor Martin Hearty, who proposed the motion, pointed to the importance of name recognition when it comes to attracting investment and visitors. "When it comes to attracting investment, tourism and promotion, name recognition and visibility are hugely important," he said.
Cllr Hearty referenced an incident in which a BBC travel documentary, filmed in the South Armagh area around Mullaghbane, Forkhill and Slieve Gullion, saw the presenter incorrectly describe the scenery as the Mourne Mountains, illustrating how the area's profile continues to suffer from a lack of visibility. He pointed out that South Armagh holds significant tourism potential, from its areas of outstanding natural beauty to sites connected with pivotal moments in Irish history at the Gap of the North, as well as locations tied to Irish mythology around Cú Chulainn.
Cllr Hearty noted that a similar motion had been put before the newly formed council in 2015 but "unfortunately, that motion was voted down by unionists and the SDLP". He argued the opportunity to correct that decision remains overdue. "The simplest and most impactful way to do that is to put South Armagh in the name of the council, as it should have been back in 2015," he said. "It's long past time we recognise the unique contribution South Armagh makes to the culture, heritage and history of the council area."
The Slieve Gullion Councillor is now calling on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to act on the issue and begin a formal consultation process.
The Motion
This Ard Fheis
recognises;
- That the wider South Armagh area and its citizens have been subject to a campaign of black propaganda and demonisation by the British Government, the media and other elements for decades.
Notes
- The negative effect this campaign of demonisation has had on the development of tourism and the economy in the area
- That South Armagh was omitted from the name of the Council area in which it sits when that council came into being in 2015, calls on Newry Mourne and Down District Council:
- To reverse its decision to exclude South Armagh from the new name of the council
- To engage in a consultation process with councillors and constituents with a view to establishing a new name for the council that recognises the unique cultural, historical and geographic contribution that South Armagh makes to the wider identity of the constituency
