Sinn Féin 'concerned' at removal of President Michael D. Higgins portrait at Belfast City Hall

The DUP has yet to reveal the whereabouts of a portrait of President Michael D. Higgins that was removed from a wall in the Belfast Lord Mayor’s City Hall offices.

Sinn Féin now say they are “concerned” at the removal of the portrait, which hung on a wall beside a portrait of King Charles in a room on the first floor of City Hall used for meetings and receptions. The location of the artwork is yet to be revealed, Belfast Live reports.

The party has now asked the new Belfast Lord Mayor, DUP Councillor Tracy Kelly where the portrait is, as well as “what message” was being sent by removing it.

Back in 2011, Sinn Féin stirred controversy after removing pictures of the Queen and Prince Charles during their tenure as mayor, erecting a portrait of the United Irishmen and an image of the 1916 Easter Rising Proclamation of the Irish Republic instead.

Former mayor and Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy, spoke at the meeting, held on Tuesday night, of the full Belfast Council.

After congratulating the Lord Mayor on the birth of his child, Councillor Murphy said: “I want to commend you on the first weeks in office, I think we have seen you hit the ground running.

“You have been out in all four corners of the city of Belfast, even representing the city at an international level in the New York New Belfast events. The role of the mayor really is an important one for the city - it is able to highlight worthy causes.

“But it is a role that is held in very high esteem and high regard from the citizens of Belfast. That is felt no more so than in our ethnic communities, and I want to commend you on the events you took part in Refugee Week, when you went to the Big Picnic.

“To see that taking place, especially in the aftermath of the attacks, where a lot of ethnic minorities across Belfast were targeted, that has been welcomed.”

He added: “But at the same time, the role of Lord Mayor is one that the Belfast people take ownership of. It’s a position where all the people feel you are the person that represents them.

“That is done in your deeds, when you are out in the city, but also when you are in the offices. And the Mayor’s offices, for me it was about opening them up to the city of Belfast, and letting the people know it was theirs, that it was somewhere where they belonged, that they could also feel part of.

“That was even done through the stuff that was on the walls. When our representatives have been in the position of Mayor, there were certain things we never took off the walls. There were certain things we felt were off-limits.

“And so when we were offered the royal portrait of the British King Charles, we accepted it, and we put it up alongside the Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D.Higgins, and we marked it with a small event at the Mayor’s office. For us it is concerning that in recent weeks we have seen that portrait is no longer there.

“And we would ask, where is that portrait? And what kind of message does it send out to people in this city who hold the President of Ireland in high regard?”

“That has been noted, thanks Ryan,” the Lord Mayor then replied.

A DUP spokesperson later said: "Decoration of the lord mayor's parlour is not yet complete. There will be further artefacts to be added in the next few weeks."

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