New Irish street signs near Omagh to cost ratepayers £9,000

FOUR more roads near Omagh are to get Irish language street signs – at a total cost of £9,000 to local ratepayers.

People living on seven roads in and around the town were contacted recently by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council after applications were made to have dual language signs erected on their streets.

Such applications can be made by a resident of an area, a local councillor or a property developer.

For the signs to be erected, at least 15% of residents living in the area who respond to a subsequent council survey must be in support of the new signs.

While this threshold was met for four of the roads put forward in the new applications, the response from residents in the other three areas did not meet the 15% threshold.

The council has now recommended erecting the new Irish language signs on the four roads.

The roads where the new proposed signs will be erected are Tircur Road, Knockmoyle Drive, Knockmoyle View and Deersleap Road.

The three roads where not enough residents were in support of the proposed Irish language signs were Cappagh Villas, Cappagh Road and Coronation Cottages.

A council report states each of the new dual language road signs cost £500.

The report on the latest dual language sign applications was due to be discussed at a meeting last night of the council’s Environmental Services committee.

The report states the council approved a budget of £150,000 in February 2024 for the 2024/25 financial year for the installation of dual language signage.

This budget also covers the cost of replacement of damaged signs.

Council officers recommended councillors approve the £9,000 needed for the new Irish language signs on the four local roads.

If, as expected, the recommendation was approved at the meeting, there will be ten new signs erected at Tircur Road (£5,000), four at Deersleap Road (£2,000) and two each at Knockmoyle Drive (£1,000) and Knockmoyle View (£1,000).