Dublin could replace jail on Belfast's new monopoly game
The manufacturers of a Belfast version of Monopoly have been urged to scrap the ’Go to Jail’ card with one which declares: ’Go to Dublin.’
The Crumlin Road Prison is among the landmarks being considered for the famous family board game.
But not everybody it seems is in favour of it appearing alongside places like Stormont, Queen’s University, the Waterfront Hall and the showpiece Victoria Square shopping centre.
Monopoly spokesman Graham Barnes disclosed: “We have done some initial market research and suggestions have been made by several people to replace the ’go to jail’ card with a ’go to Dublin’ card which might not go down so well with some people.
“But at the moment it is a blank canvas and we are open to suggestions from the Belfast public.”
Details of the proposed game plan are being launched later today on top of the giant wheel outside the City Hall. With the traditional 33 London sites to be replaced by Belfast’s best known locations, as chosen by the public.
Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers, a big Monopoly fan, said: “I think it is a great idea, but it was a bit of a surprise, I never thought they would be looking at Belfast. Over the years I’ve been a big fan of the game.”
Asked about replacing the ’Go to Jail’ card with ’Go to Dublin’ Mr Rodgers added: “I have no difficulty with it, I am a democrat and the people have a right to decide.”
But the Crumlin Road would be a good addition, he said: “It has both sad and happy memories for some people. Again people are saying it would be good idea and it is both a landmark and a listed building.”
However the Mayor warned that there would be no place for sectarianism on the new game.
He said: “Belfast is still a divided city so we don’t want to see anything of a sectarian nature.
“We are trying to build up this city and we are slowly and surely. I want people to look at this board and feel comfortable with it, I don’t want this to end up like the Maze Prison where you have got this conflict resolution centre which is causing so much division in our society and it probably means that they’ll be no multi-purpose stadium at the Maze.
“Now obviously being Belfast Lord Mayor I want to see any stadium in the city, but that’s just giving you an example. It must be things that people can align with. Not everybody will get what they want on the board but we will be working with the organisers as much as humanly possible.”
Email voting lines -belfastwinningmoves.co.uk – will open until the end of April in time for the new games to go on sale at Christmas.
