A chara, - In the context of increasing cultural globalisation and McDonaldisation, we should use the millennium as an opportunity to re-define our identity both to ourselves and to the wider world. A pain-free opportunity for this lies in the area of our Irish place-names.
The Anglicisation of Irish place-names began in the middle ages and was completed by the Ordinance Survey of the early 19th century. Place-names which had immediate resonance and which were rooted in local topography, history and environment were reduced to meaningless collections of sounds.
Contrast Cluain Meala (the Meadow of Honey) with Clonmel. Contrast Domhnach Broc (the Church of the Badgers) with Donnybrook. Contrast Beal Easa Dara (the Mouth of the Waterfall of the Oakgrove) with Ballysodare.
Quite apart from the absurdity of certain Anglicised place-names such as Gorey (details?) or Kilbride (murder your wife?) (contrast with Guaire: the Sandbank above the High-watermark; Cill Bhride: the Church of Saint Brid), the pronunciation problems posed for non-locals, both Irish and overseas alike, by the likes of Athenry (At Henry?), Kiltimagh or Ardara demonstrates that had the Englished versions of Irish place-names never existed there would certainly be no need to invent them!
A worthy undertaking for the new millennium would be the restoration of our beautiful Irish place-names. This of course would need to be coupled with a vigorous public awareness campaign informing people of the "new" pronunciations and the meanings behind them.
Some previous attempts to restore Irish place-names have failed because the "new" names were not sufficiently promoted and/or due to the ignorance/hostility of certain sections of the media. For example, Kingstown, Co Dublin, had its Irish name of Dun Laoghaire (the Fort of [King] Laoghaire) restored only to be re-Englished to the pronunciation Dunleary!
The restoration of Irish place-names would result in:
1. the promotion of the Irish language;
2. the enrichment of people's lives: this important part of our shared heritage once again would become part of everyday speech;
3. the promotion of cultural tourism;
4. the highlighting of the rich tradition of Irish place-name lore (dinnseanchas) and the connection between Irish place-names and the environment;
5. the exposure of the nonsense of having two names for one place: the Irish original and the Englished version.
On completion of the restoration, public awareness must be maintained by:
the teaching of both local and national place-name lore at primary level;
the use by Bord Failte of the dinnseanchas to promote Ireland as a quality tourist destination;
sponsorship of community-based art projects (murals, sculpture, school drama, etc.) to promote the "new" place-names nation-wide and to promote the "new" street-names in our towns and cities.
the planting of native trees associated with certain place-names.
Gniomh creidimh agus dochais. - Is mise, Daithi Mac Carthaigh,
An Leabharlann Dli, Na Ceithre Chuirt, Baile Atha Cliath 7.