Ards and North Down Councillor Joe Boyle has spoken out about his image being attached to a bonfire in Portavogie.
He said that he holds no grudge or ill thinking towards those young and maybe not so young people who created an effigy of him hanging on this year’s Twelfth bonfire in Portavogie.
Councillor Boyle believes that DUP elected members need to “step up to the plate by demonstrating leadership to communities they profess to represent.” He said he also thought it best not to comment on the incident until after the 50th Portaferry Gala as the Portaferry Accordion Band band that has historically led the float parade and is primarily made up of band members from Portavogie.
He added: “Whilst I am aware that the PSNI are treating and have recorded this incident as a hate crime, I hold no grudge to the young people involved in the building of or the placing of the effigy of myself onto their bonfire. They have clearly been misguided and ill-advised by their peers and have subsequently reacted accordingly. I was unaware of such an incident until it was highlighted to me from people in Portavogie.
“I am, however, extremely disappointed with the Ards Peninsula DUP elected representatives who in recent weeks I have written to and who have spoken out publicly on acts of vandalism in Portavogie involving road signage translated into Ulster-Scots, damage to playground facilities, attacking and damaging windows in holiday homes and all being blamed on Nationalist / Republicans from neighbouring villages without one shred of evidence.
“It am also concerned that there may have been inaccurate information discussed at public meetings regarding this development, meetings only attended by DUP elected members with reference to the future provision of a 3G Pitch facility in the village.”
Councillor Boyle added: “I have had numerous conversations with many people from Portavogie who have all stated that this type of behaviour was not implemented in their name and indeed were apologetic of this having happened. I have also received support from those in Portavogie of whom I have assisted down through the years with a range of issues, some of whom have been quite embarrassed with this latest development.
“Outside of politics I have been involved with doing business for over 30 years in Portavogie and I intend to continue with that relationship. I do feel, however, some elected representatives should start displaying courage within themselves, deal with rather than ignore the tough issues and stop always believing that they have to deliver less than accurate information to those whom they profess to represent because they may feel it sounds better and less confrontational – it’s called leadership.”
