Council says working group to look at cemetery poles as it receives complaint about ‘offensive’ flags

The council revealed it was looking at the issue after being contacted by an irate member of the public who claimed that flags erected in the municipal graveyard were ‘extremely offensive’.

"I am writing to you regarding the poles and the flags in the city cemetery in Londonderry. I would like to know if there was planning permission given for these offensive flag poles and flags to be installed in a shared space in a city cemetery.

"I have again visited the cemetery recently and to my disgust I and my family had to endure another awful experience with these flags and poles dedicated to the men and women who murdered people in my city.

“These flag poles with flags are extremely offensive and I want to know if planning permission was granted for them. This is a shared space for all in the city,” the citizen wrote.

The majority of flag poles in Derry city cemetery have the national flag flying from them.

Derry City and Strabane District Council received the complaint by way of a Freedom of Information (FoI) request.

“Council can advise that planning permission has neither been sought nor granted with regard to flag poles at the City Cemetery. Council has however established a multi party Working Group to consider how this issue might be addressed,” the local authority said.

Buried in wrong graves, £30,000 in compensation paid out