Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Derry’s whingers really do have a lot to whinge about
BISHOP James Mehaffey was born in the staunchly Protestant heartland of Portadown in 1931. In 1980 he was appointed Bishop of Derry and Raphoe.
During a visit of one of the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland to Derry – I can’t remember now which one it was, or even the year – he was invited to say a few words of welcome to the visiting dignitary at a civic function in the Everglades Hotel.
Instead of going for the usual meaningless platitudes Dr Mehaffey really had something to say.
I particularly remember a part of his address almost verbatim: “Before I came to Derry” he said “I was told they did ‘a lot of whingeing up there’. And they did. Still do. What I didn’t realise until I came here was that they have a lot to whinge about.”
What he was trying to do before everyone sat down to stuff their faces was push for real investment by the British government in an attempt to create wealth and employment, and end the alienation of young people and the drift to the various paramilitary organisations.
It’s definitely well over 30 years now since that event but Bishop Mehaffey’s words came to mind last week when I ran into a former colleague who was very downbeat about economic progress in the North-west.
The local politicians, he suggested, were not exactly doing a great job. His words, not mine.
To support his claims he pointed to research done by the Derry University Group, which raises serious questions.
Here’s a quick summary of their main findings, the base being the signing of the Good Friday Agreement:
Belfast economy has grown by 14% in real terms since the signing. Derry’s economy has contracted by 7%
Belfast income per capita has grown by 14% in real terms. Derry income per capita has fallen by 12%
Belfast is among the top 20% of UK government districts for economic performance since 1997. Derry is among the bottom 5% of UK government districts for economic performance in the same period, and
Per capita income in Belfast was over £31,000 in 2015. Per capita income in Derry was £15,000 in 2015.
There are a whole lot more statistics where that came from but you get the drift. And it’s not getting any better.
Last year when the Stormont stand-off ended one of the key promises in the New Decade New Deal document was that there would be a 10,000 student target for Magee College in Derry.
It didn’t take that long to disappear off the table, Ulster University Vice-chancellor, Professor Paul Bartholomew telling Derry and Strabane councillors that “under current funding models” it would not be possible to deliver the long promised numbers.
The limit would be 6,000 – at most.
Galway, a city smaller than Derry, has almost 20,000 students at its university.
A whole host of new, hi-tech companies have set up there, and tourism is a massive source of income.
Anyone who has been to the city in recent years can’t have failed to notice the rapid development in new businesses, the expensive cars, the buzz about the place.
The university is the catalyst for most of this. So, why can’t Derry be the Galway of the North-west? Is the political will lacking in some way?
Bishop Mehaffey’s words still ring as true today as they did all those years ago. Little wonder the “second city” was the cradle of the Troubles.
Per capita income in Derry was £15,000 in 2015