Newton Emerson: Belfast Fleadh is not too political for unionists - unlike the Twelfth for nationalists

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) is unhappy about the All-Ireland Fleadh taking place in Belfast this week for the first time. The party has questioned the cost and disruption of the event and complained about Tricolours being sold by a privately run Post Office branch in the city centre. But this has not proved typical of unionist opinion. The Fleadh has the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) at Belfast City Council, the principal host. Emma Little-Pengelly, the DUP Deputy First Minister, addressed the opening ceremony with the words ‘the Fleadh belongs to all of us who call this place home’. UUP leader Jon Burrows has attended events. Music and dance associated with the unionist community have been integrated into the festival programme, including participation by loyalist marching bands. A Fleadh fringe is being held in Bangor, the largest town in Northern Ireland with no nationalist elected representatives. Unionist councillors initially opposed this due to clashing with the Ulster Pipe Band championship, but reversed course when the bands said they had no objection. No census is being taken of the crowds in Belfast, but anecdotally, many unionists are among the throngs in the city centre. This is widely reported as a pleasant surprise. The event’s success with people of all backgrounds may be partly due to the prosaic attraction of having the entire city centre cleaned up and pedestrianised for nine days. Belfast, like other UK and Irish cities, suffers from similar issues, and the transformation feels almost miraculous. Delivering this required collaboration between Belfast City Council and Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure, which oversees streets and pavements in Northern Ireland, though cleansing remains the council’s responsibility. One legacy of the Fleadh might be higher public expectations of permanent urban improvements. What unionist visitors are discovering is that the Fleadh is not politically divisive, unlike the Twelfth of July celebrations. Culture is inherently political, but the Fleadh’s songs and atmosphere are not sectarian or partisan. Only one Tricolour was visible in a whole afternoon, contrary to TUV’s fears. Unionists are often presumed hostile to Irish culture, but they have historically shown interest in traditional Irish music and dance, evident at festivals in unionist-majority towns. Northern Ireland’s divisions mean many nationalists have not witnessed this, just as unionists have been unaware of the Fleadh. Féile an Phobail, the West Belfast Festival, also taking place, illustrates the difference between political and non-political events in Northern Ireland. While some unionists attend Féile, they rarely flock to events associated with Sinn Féin, which focuses on republican perspectives on the Troubles and a united Ireland. The contrast with the Twelfth of July is stark. Efforts since 2007 to create a week of cultural activities around the Twelfth, dubbed ‘Orangefest’, include Irish traditional dance and music to broaden appeal. However, Orangefest remains fundamentally partisan, attracting fewer cross-community crowds. The Orange Order’s success lies in making the Twelfth easy to ignore, with fewer closed roads or shops and no recent parade disputes. Social media amplifies the Twelfth’s prominence, but this is an illusion for those seeking or offended by it. Unionists now ask why the Twelfth cannot generate an atmosphere like the Fleadh. Some blame the council and Stormont for insufficient support, while others criticise media coverage. This reflection may not lead to an Orange Fleadh, but it could inspire fresh ideas for inclusive cultural events.