1916 Societies Calls On Strabane To Withdraw From UK “Town Of Culture” Competition
The Joseph Plunkett 1916 Society has launched a public campaign opposing Strabane's participation in the UK Town of Culture competition.
The Joseph Plunkett 1916 Society has launched a public campaign opposing Strabane's participation in the UK Town of Culture competition.
The inaugural UK Town of Culture competition for 2028 was launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to celebrate the cultural contributions of towns across Britain, which, for now, includes the occupied 6 counties of Ireland.
Organisers of the campaign argue that inclusion of Strabane in this competition is an insult to the local population. The competition is meant to celebrate British culture, which conflicts with the values of residents. Going ahead with it would mean accepting a designation of the town as culturally British, socialist republicans say.
Strabane is a town of about 13,500 people located in County Tyrone. It has an overwhelmingly nationalist population. A 2021 census found that 92% of residents are Catholics.
“For us, the objection begins with the very title itself. We see this competition as an attempt to celebrate and promote a UK national cultural identity, which directly conflicts with our republican principles and beliefs, “ the group stated.
“We are not opposed to cultural investment, regeneration or opportunities for the people of Strabane and the surrounding areas. But we draw a clear distinction between celebrating our Irish culture and accepting a designation that, from our republican perspective, reinforces and legitimises the very system of British rule and partition that has, for generations, subjected the people of Strabane and communities across the six counties to injustice, discrimination, hardship, suffering and deprivation, “ they expanded.
“As republicans, we remain committed to the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation and the objective of a sovereign, independent, 32-county socialist republic, “ they highlighted.
Cllr Raymond Barr has pledged his support to the campaign, as communicated by a Facebook post yesterday, where he stated that he “will work actively alongside groups to prevent it happening, “ adding that “as a republican I have no other option”.
