15/04/2004

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.

DUP members of the council believe the motion is a further attempt by republicans to strip away all Britishness in the city.

DUP member, William Hay said: "This is Sinn Fein attempting once again to strip anything British away from the city and from Northern Ireland generally.

"It is a purely sectarian argument."

However, Sinn Féin said the name Londonderry was a political one and that a name change was something the majority of citizens in the city wanted.

Last year, Derry City Council began a process to change the name of the city despite angry objections by unionist councillors.

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