Nationalist politicians have reacted angrily to plans to change the name of Europa Bus Station in Belfast to Britannia Station.
The new transport hub is due to open in 2020, at a cost of £175 million. The project comprising: station concourse, 26 bus stands, 8 railway platforms, bus maintenance and parking, car parking and a new public square. The remaining land is proposed for phased commercial development.
When we asked a Dept Of Infrastructure spokesperson about the new name they issued this statement:
Following Brexit central government has issued guidelines that all new projects should reflect a British identity. Britannia is one of the most unifying symbols of the Celtic regions and we believe it is the perfect name to reflect this great example of a 21st Century British engineering project.
In the 2nd century, Roman Britannia came to be personified as a goddess, armed with a trident and shield and wearing a Corinthian helmet. The name Britannia long survived the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century and yielded the name for the island in most European and various other languages, including the English Britain and the modern Welsh Prydain. After centuries of declining use, the Latin form was revived during the English Renaissance as a rhetorical evocation of a British national identity. Especially following the Acts of Union in 1707, which joined the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, the personification of the martial Britannia was used as an emblem of British maritime power and unity, most notably in “Rule, Britannia!”.
Nationalist politicians have not been so enthusiastic about the name change. Tim Attwood an SDLP councillor on Belfast City Council said: “The proposal to change the name of the Belfast bus station from Belfast Europa to Britannia is just Brexit madness. It is clear that there are some narrow-minded people who not only want to take us out of Europe but want to take us back hundreds of years. The era of Britannia, rule the waves is long gone and is not coming back.”
What do you think of the new name?
I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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