29/01/2003

Unionists angry over Maiden City name proposal

Unionists have reacted angrily to a nationalist motion in Derry City Council to begin a process of change to the city's name from Londonderry to Derry.

The proposal, which was passed last night, states that Londonderry should not be imposed as the official city name and everyone has the right to use the name they feel most comfortable with.

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said there was a possibility that his party would have supported such a motion but for the fact that the SDLP and Sinn Fein were not prepared to delete a sentence "which presupposed a formal change in the name of the city".

He added: "They insisted it had to be kept in. That means, before you do any equality impact assessment or legal checks, you are going to change the name."

While Derry City Council uses Derry, Londonderry and Doire (the Irish name for Derry) to market the city, the local authority changed its name to Derry City Council in 1984, although the official name of the city has remained Londonderry ever since. The city's name, like any other in the UK, cannot be changed in law without an act of Parliament.

(MB)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 November 2024
Belfast's Vacant To Vibrant Scheme To Expand Citywide
A successful scheme aimed at transforming vacant properties in Belfast city centre into thriving businesses is set to be extended across the entire city. Belfast City Council's Vacant to Vibrant programme has already breathed new life into 26 properties, with another six sites in the pipeline.
23 May 2012
New Bid To Name Airport After Aviation Pioneer
A Northern Ireland airport could be renamed after a pioneer of aviation history. Following Amelia Earhart Week in Londonderry, politicians on the city’s council are making a renewed attempt to rebrand its airport.
13 October 2010
Anti-Ryanair Website Takes Flight
A website devoted to criticising Irish budget airline Ryanair has been forced to move after a ruling by a domain name tribunal. The website, www.ihateryanair.co.uk, was referred to the tribunal by the Ryanair management over fierce criticism of the airline and its use of the tagline "the world's most hated airline".
15 April 2004
Row brews over Londonderry Port name change
A long simmering row over the name Londonderry hit the headlines again today following a council motion over the name of the city's port. It follows the attempt by Derry City Council to change the name of Londonderry Port by dropping London from the title.
25 November 2024
DfI Outlines Congestion Mitigation Measures In Belfast City Centre
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has announced a series of measures aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in Belfast City Centre. A strategic oversight group, comprising the DfI, Belfast City Council, PSNI, and Translink, has been formed to identify and implement effective solutions to reduce peak-time delays.