https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp35g9qv0glo

Irish language and bilingual street signs in Northern Ireland have been vandalised more than 300 times in the past five years.

Almost £60,000 was spent by councils repairing and replacing the damaged signage, according to figures obtained by BBC News NI.

Some signs were daubed with paint or graffiti while others were burned, stolen or pulled down.

Nearly two thirds of the incidents were in the Mid Ulster District Council area.

It recorded 209 occasions when bilingual signs were damaged since 2020, which cost more than £21,000 to repair and replace.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council had 74 incidents while Belfast City Council recorded 23, according to responses released under the Freedom of Information Act.

'No justification' Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh has short brown hair and is wearing a red t-shirt and blue backpack. He is speaking into a microphone and has a clear/white earpiece. Image source,Conradh na Gaeilge Image caption, Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh said there was "no justification for anti-Irish hate crimes"

There were also 15 incidents in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area and four recorded in Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Northern Ireland’s other six local authorities said they either have no dual language street signs or no record of any incidents.

Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, from the Irish language campaign group Conradh na Gaeilge, said there was "no justification for anti-Irish hate crimes".

He said dual language signage "demonstrates inclusiveness" and helps show the linguistic origins of many place names.

"Increasing visibility of the language also leads to increased normalisation of the language, which is particularly important in our shared spaces," he said.

'Irish language belongs to all of us' Paint daubed on a black and white street dual-language street sign in north Belfast. It is attached to a red brick wall. Image source,Belfast City Council Image caption, Paint daubed on a street sign in north Belfast

Social Democratic and Labour Party assembly member Patsy McGlone, an Irish speaker, described the vandalism as "disgraceful".

He said he was "particularly disappointed" at the scale of incidents in his constituency of Mid Ulster.

"This is a shared community where people live and work alongside each other in mutual respect. The vandalism of these signs is in no way representative of that," he said.

"The Irish language belongs to all of us, it poses no threat to anyone and I would call for those behind these incidents to cease immediately."

'Abuse of the language' Councillor Ron McDowell smiling as he stares at the camera, he has short brown hair. He is wearing a white striped shirt and a cream jumper. Image caption, TUV councillor Ron McDowell said he would "condemn utterly any vandalism"

The development of policies to promote the Irish language has been a point of political dispute between unionists and Irish nationalists.

Traditional Unionist Voice councillor Ron McDowell said he would "condemn utterly any vandalism", but added that many unionists felt signage was being "foisted upon communities that don't see themselves as having an Irish identity".

"We have nothing against the Irish heritage, but what we see across the city, across Northern Ireland, is an abuse of the language," he said.

The Belfast councillor argued it was being "used as a weapon" to "green" the city and other council areas.

"And that's why there's such a strong resistance from people in local communities," he added.

A damaged black and white dual-language street sign in south Belfast which is positioned in front of a cream wall. Image source,Belfast City Council Image caption, A damaged dual-language street sign in south Belfast

In September, European language experts said many councils in Northern Ireland make it too difficult for Irish street signs to be approved and displayed.

But the group, from the Council of Europe, also said street signs remain "a highly contentious topic".

The UK government stepped in to introduce Irish and Ulster Scots legislation for Northern Ireland in 2022 following a political stalemate at Stormont over the laws.

Key elements have not yet been progressed, such as appointing an Irish-language commissioner and a commissioner for Ulster Scots and the "Ulster-British" tradition.

Dr Ó Tiarnaigh from Conradh na Gaeilge said local councils "have a duty to take resolute action to promote Irish".

"This will be an urgent matter of concern for the long overdue Irish-language commissioner," he added.

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone could provide me with a good starting point or point of contact to learn about how to become a teacher in the UK (Northern Ireland specifically) as an American. The online information is a tad confusing, and the distinction between what applies to the UK in general or Northern Ireland has been difficult to figure out for me.

I'm still in university for my teaching license anyways, so I realize that I'm years away from teaching over there (years more if complaints about the job market hold), but I'd like to go ahead and get the information to create a multiyear plan/roadmap.

If anyone could provide any information, or emails to contact, or really anything I'd be extremely appreciative!

Hi there has anyone had experience with co ownership at all?

https://www.co-ownership.org

I know I'm going to get a lot of really sarcastic answers here but I'm genuinely stuck. What to get my husband, he's in his early thirties and he has everythingggg. His interests are basically most sports (NFL, baseball, gaa, soccer, f1, etc... he has multiple jerseys), gaming (he has a ps5, steamdeck... I am already getting him a game). He likes movies, reading, etc. He likes tech stuff. He has a tablet. He enjoys going to shows and I've looked online and there's nothing within the next year coming up that he would like... he literally does not need any more pj's, slippers, etc. A meal voucher is kinda boring cos we can go out for dinner anytime. He has more clothes and trainers than most people and he still has unopened aftershave from last year. Usually we would go away for a long weekend somewhere but we arent going to be able to do this. and yes I've asked him what he wants and he asked me to get him a game but help a girl out plzzz.

My business is doing ok and I have surplus each month. I have kids and not to sound like some martyr but when we get them things or take them places I think of those that go without. I would like to give to a local charity where the money is spent wisely and not lost in management fees and admin. Then again maybe these are necessary parts of charities. I just hear so many negative stories these days and feel like a local smaller charity will spend any donations more wisely. Maybe one that does outings or fun things for kids. Or maybe I am overthinking it and something like SVP is the best option as they help the most basic needs first. Anyway, recommendations would be very helpful.

Anyone know if there's a local day ticket for buses in Lisburn, and if ye can get it from the driver? I looked on the Translink journey planner and they want to sell me a £16 iLink ticket that covers all of Belfast too. Tbh for that money i'll walk if there are no taxis. Only going across town but it's a change of bus.

My GP doesn’t offer the travel vaccines I need on the NHS despite the NHS website stating that it’s free for the Hep A vaccine via the NHS.

Anyways, does anyone have advice on where to go for vaccines? Anywhere I can find on Google charges a consultation fee plus an appointment fee plus the cost of the vaccines. It’ll end up nearly £200 for 2 vaccines ffs.

I've been waiting for 27 months for an urgent NHS Rheumatologist appointment (Sep 22). I was desperate and paid privately to see one in January 23 but had a really bad experience.

I've waited and waited all this time. Some days I've tried ringing to chase it up, and see if I'm still on the list but I was never successful at getting through or finding the right person. I checked all the trusts here and had exceeded every single one on that list. I started to even think the horrible man I paid to see had me taken off the list.

So they rang me on Friday and gave me an appointment within the week which is amazing.

I'm sure I'm not the only one having this experience. I just wanted to say - don't give up. Do try ringing and seeing if you're on the list, whatever it's for. I really struggled to believe it would take this long, but finally it's paid off.

my family and I were driving out of the car park as we were leaving after the Christmas market, and there was like so many irish number plates, almost a majority. I was wondering if there was maybe something going on just because so many people have travelled quite far from the south up into the north today :)

edit: pls stop the sectarianism

Heard the ‘Give My Head Peace’ lads talking about their show they started on BBC. Apparently it was very controversial for its time so naturally I’m eager to find it. Anyone know of any links to episodes online?

Remember the mushroom or scallion flavour?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgk1klrz3nzo

John Campbell

BBC NI economics and business editor

Published

4 hours ago

Online shopping platforms are urging sellers to be ready for changes to the Irish Sea border which will start later this month.

The development mainly impacts sellers in Great Britain who have customers in Northern Ireland.

The change, driven by an update in EU product safety rules, means sellers in Great Britain face new rules when selling to Northern Ireland.

Some small retailers have already said they will stop or pause deliveries to Northern Ireland as a result.

'Supporting sellers'

Northern Ireland effectively remained in the EU’s single market for goods after Brexit.

The means the EU’s new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) will apply in Northern Ireland from 13 December.

A spokesperson for eBay said: "We are supporting sellers as much as we can to understand and comply with this complex regulation.

"For several months we have had GPSR fields and functionalities live to allow sellers to add required information to their listings, we have been communicating with them since June, engaged with them through forums such as eBay Open and our seller council, and are providing sellers with partners to help them get compliant.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: "We have made sellers aware of the EU GPSR and the relevant requirements ahead of it being introduced.

“Sellers are required to submit the required information for listing on our EU-based stores and we will continue to provide updates to sellers with listings on our UK store.”

Among the requirements of GPSR is the need for a "responsible person", which is effectively a compliance officer or agent.

For goods which are manufactured outside the EU or Northern Ireland the responsible person must be based in the EU or Northern Ireland.

That is a particular difficulty for businesses in Great Britain which are selling direct to consumers via an online platform and do not have a NI-based distributor or wholesaler.

Responsible person services

The changes could make it more difficult to get materials or components from GB

Specialist companies are offering outsourced responsible person services but these may be too expensive for some small businesses.

Sellers based in Northern Ireland do not face any changes when selling to Great Britain and do not need to appoint a responsible person in the EU.

However the changes could make it more difficult to get materials or components from Great Britain.

The NI-based artist Claire Brennan has blogged about the impact on her business with the loss of a supplier of a specialist plastic.

She wrote that when the regulation comes into force "immediately this affects my suppliers, the folks I get my mylar from, for stencils, will not longer ship to NI after this date".

"Ridiculously I am unable to source mylar in Northern Ireland."

A UK government spokesperson said: “We are supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across the whole of the UK to get ready for GPSR and will be publishing more guidance shortly.

"We will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses to ensure they are supported to trade freely."

The government-backed UK Export Academy is holding an online information and training event, external on GPSR on Friday.

Hey everyone,

Recently got our bathroom updated in Belfast with a new shower, radiator, etc. Unfortunately, whenever the boiler is full, water leaks through the ceiling and light fitting downstairs. We’ve had to drain the boiler completely, so now we’re left with no heating.

A plumber we called in to assess the issue recommended reporting the original fitter to Trading Standards, but we’ve hit a wall because we don’t have an address—just a business card. The fitter was recommended by a local bathroom shop, who praised him as "great" and knowledgeable, but obviously, they were just trying to make a sale.

We’re now stuck: the original plumber isn’t replying to any texts, and since they only took cash, we don’t even have a bank record of the payment. We’re considering hiring someone else to fix it, but money is tight, and we’d really like to reclaim the cost or get the original plumber to sort it out, which seems unlikely.

Does anyone have advice on what we can do in this situation? Is there any way to get the original guy to take responsibility, or at least recover some of the cost? Seem unlikely, but I can hope!

Also, a word of caution for anyone young like us—don’t ignore red flags when hiring contractors to do work in your home, and don’t let yourself get talked into something you’re not sure about. Ultimately, you're their boss and if you complain and they ignore you- stand your ground.

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the rant. Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

TL,DR: Dodgy plumbers have left us with water leaking from the roof, and are now no contact with no address. Help.

We are looking to buy a car from England. If you pay a transport company to bring it back to NI for you is there any additional paperwork vs collecting it yourself? (which I’ve done before with no paperwork or hassle). TIA.

Lads, anyone know where we'd get a Christmas chip in Newry or surrounding towns?

BBC News

Households across Northern Ireland are being told to shop around when it comes to their electricity provider.

The Utility Regulator is urging more consumers to engage with the market to save money on their bills.

Six electricity suppliers operate in Northern Ireland, offering 52 different tariffs.

The current difference between the most expensive and cheapest tariff available is more than £400 for the year, based on average consumption.

However, Electric Ireland is in the process of exiting the domestic market.

The Dublin-based firm will continue to supply business customers in Northern Ireland.

Last year, 121,000 consumers switched electricity providers, representing a small proportion of the whole market.

That is the highest number of switches in seven years.

Power NI, the biggest supplier in Northern Ireland, is increasing its price from 1 December, adding around £38 a year onto a typical household bill.

Electricity prices remain around 70% to 80% higher than they were three years ago.

'It's simple to engage with the market'

Colin Broomfield, director of markets at the Utility Regulator, told BBC News NI that most consumers still do not engage with their suppliers or switch.

“The key message we want to get across is for consumers to actively engage with the market," he said.

“Make sure that you look around, use tools to compare prices, and that will help inform your decision and make sure you are on the best tariff available.

“It is simple to engage with the market.

"The process of switching is straightforward and the money you could save can be significant, saving you potentially hundreds of pounds."

How do I switch electricity provider?

It is important to shop around, using information from each supplier or comparison tools.

Any saving is an estimate or guide, as actual usage may differ month to month.

Different switching tools may also provide varied information on savings, depending on whether or not they build in planned price increases.

You can keep the same supplier but change to a different and cheaper tariff.

Your tariff refers to the amount of money you pay per unit of electricity used, with suppliers offering different tariffs.

In order to switch, you have to be the account holder.

Your most recent energy bill will include the required details, such as the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN), which is an 11-digit number.

It will also tell you which tariff you are currently on, how much energy you use in a certain period, or how much you spend on your bills.

A meter reading is often required as part of the switching process.

If you plan to pay via direct debit (DD), you will need to provide your bank details.

The new supplier will facilitate the switch on your behalf, and you do not have to tell your current provider you are leaving.

There is a ‘cooling off’ period of 10 working days if you change your mind.

There is no disruption to your supply, and switching is available to all households, including keypad customers (PAYG).

However, if you are in an existing contract with a supplier, you may have to pay an exit fee, and if you owe your current supplier money, you may not be able to move to a new electricity provider.

'Most people are paying more than they should be'

The Consumer Council in Northern Ireland has also seen more traffic to its switching tool.

Raymond Gormley, head of energy policy at the Northern Ireland Consumer Council, told BBC News NI the process is not complicated.

“Most people are probably paying more than they should be. You don’t have to switch suppliers; you can change tariffs. Your existing supplier will want to keep you and can offer you a discount."

“The little time it takes to switch, it is worth it. Consumers should not be complacent about their tariff as there is money to be saved," he added.

"Don’t accept being on a standard tariff, as every pound counts at the moment.”

Been wanting the slat wall panels for a while so went on the hunt for best price. Door store newtownabbey was £69.99 per panel. most places are the same price but newtownabbey store is close to me. checked on the day i was to go get them and they knocked 45% off for black friday. i thought yessss score! got to the store and price was £54.90. They raised the price to £99 per panel before applying the black friday discounts. after speaking to an employee (who was as much use as a male tit) who denied all knowledge of the reductions because he only started working there i bought them anyway. still saved a few quid but couldnt help feeling cheated and that it was a bit underhanded.

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary says he loathes the British Empire with a passion

There was ‘nothing brave or courageous’ about our imperial past, says Terry Deary.

The author of the Horrible Histories series has admitted he hates the British Empire “with a passion”.

Terry Deary, who has sold more than 36 million copies of the children’s books worldwide, said he “loathes” Britain’s imperial legacy and that there was “nothing brave or courageous” about it.

In a scathing attack, the 78-year-old told the All About History magazine: “You can’t judge people by what they achieve, but only by what they achieve it in opposition to.

“All nations remember their successes against the odds, but they don’t remember the ones where they marched in with ease.

“The British Empire, which I loathe with a passion, wasn’t won with courage but with the machine gun. The British had the machine gun, the native populations didn’t. Nothing brave or courageous about it!”

Comparing the empire to playing football against children, Deary continued: “Seventy years ago, I was playing for the Cubs football team and in the first half we were 7-0 up, and I’d scored six.

“In the second half I ran up the field and scored my seventh. My team was leading and the referee blew his whistle to put the other team out of their misery.

“For 50 years, I thought I was a great footballer and then I realised I wasn’t. The opposition were probably little seven or eight-year-olds, who were easy to dribble around.

“You’re only great if the opposition is great and that’s my mind shift which I then applied to the book.”

Deary recently released his first book aimed at adults, titled A History of Britain in Ten Enemies.

The Horrible Histories books were first published in 1993, and have gone on to inspire a Bafta-winning CBBC television series, theatre shows and a film.

In the interview, Deary noted another part of British history that he believes has been forgotten.

“People forget things like the battles against the Tasmanians,” he said. “Why? Because there were 20,000 Tasmanians and 60 years after the British landed there were no Tasmanians at all. Why don’t we learn about that in school?”

In the 1820s and 1830s, the British colonists fought with the Aboriginal Tasmanians in a war that nearly wiped out the entire indigenous population.

217 signatures! Thank you very much to everyone who supported this petition so far!

I would ask if you can all sign and share this petition. Thank you!

Link: https://www.change.org/nidisabilitiesfreetravelnow

We're getting a starplan kitchen fitted early next week. All our ovens etc are in other parts of the house. I know they don't do the electrics or plumbing etc, but will they need the ovens etc to be available, ie will the starplan fitters put them in place, or do they literally just put the cabinets in?

https://youtu.be/zf4UMqTHERI?si=eESr-yrVdk_uPAj0

If you haven’t watched this, and you swim in Belfast Lough - you should sit down and take a watch. 🤢

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/thug-admits-assault-on-conductor-who-ordered-him-off-train-for-vaping/a1160207962.html

A thug has admitted assaulting a Translink conductor after he was put off the train for vaping.

As Stephen Weldon stood in the dock of Antrim Crown Court, defence counsel Neil Moore asked for him to be rearraigned on the last remaining charge and the 35-year-old admitted attempting to inflict GBH with intent.

Champion bare-knuckle boxer Weldon, from Inniscarn Drive in Rathcoole, had already entered guilty pleas to two charges of damaging the victim’s mobile phone as well as a cash bag and mobile phone belonging to Translink, arising from the same incident on May 8 this year.

Previous courts were told that Weldon was on the train to Larne when the conductor spotted him vaping and told him he would have to disembark when it pulled into the Magheramorne halt.

Weldon asked how he could get to work and was told there might be a bus service.

The two men “fist-bumped” and the train continued on its journey.

While the train was at Larne station, the conductor noticed there was a charger for a vaping device, so when the train returned to the Magheramorne halt, he went to hand it back to Weldon but was attacked.

An officer said Weldon kicked the man, causing him to fall into the doors behind him, before he “dragged him off the train and assaulted him on the platform”.

When the PSNI arrived, Weldon was arrested. However, during police enquiries “it transpired that the defendant had done a livestream”, capturing part of the assault.

The officer described how the video captures Weldon stamping on the alleged victim’s personal phone, work phone and money bag. Weldon was also heard commenting that the conductor “was talking tough and got his ass whooped”.

The court was told the conductor sustained a fractured jaw, five chipped teeth and bruising and abrasions.

Judge Alistair Devlin remanded Weldon back into custody, with sentencing set for February 10.