The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Sinn Féin of trying to “avoid responsibility for its own failures” after former MP Francie Molloy suggested delays to the A5 upgrade could be linked to landowner opposition rooted in the Plantation of Ulster.
The 58-mile (94km) road upgrade project had originally been given the go-ahead by Stormont ministers in October 2024, however it has been repeatedly delayed due to court proceedings.
On Wednesday evening, a party spokesperson told BBC News NI that Francie Molloy “does not represent” Sinn Féin.
Earlier, DUP MLA Tom Buchanan said the A5 “has not been delayed because of events in 1609”.
The Plantation of Ulster began in the 17th Century when English and Scottish Protestants settled on land confiscated from the Gaelic Irish.
“Reaching back more than 400 years to explain Sinn Féin’s inability to deliver a road in 2026 is the hallmark of a party that is increasingly divorced from reality and becoming ever more ridiculous in its attempts to blame others,” Buchanan said in a statement.
“The reasons for the delays are multifaceted, but the Plantation is not one of them,” Buchanan said.
The DUP MLA for West Tyrone issued his statement after former Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy was earlier questioned on the party’s delivery of the A5 upgrade.
Molloy was asked on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show if Sinn Féin’s base feel like the party is delivering. Presenter Stephen Nolan noted that it “hasn’t delivered the A5” and it “hasn’t delivered Casement Park”.
“Yeah it hasn’t and that a regrettable situation and I think the responsibility, again, not just on the British government but on the other parties to ensure that those structures are put in place,” Molloy said.
He went on to say that the issue “all goes back to the plantation of Ulster”.
Of course, his attempts to deflect from Sinn Féin’s failure on this project and others are laughable but there is a perception amongst local people who live in that region that the project is being blocked by rich unionist farmers so I suppose he is only saying out loud what many locals feel.
Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. 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. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
