Madam, - I read with interest of the continuing controversy over the official name change of Dingle, Co Kerry to An Daingean, never mind the bilingual duplication of official documents due to the recent language Act.
While Dingle becomes An Daingean scores of ancient Gaelic townland names are fast being lost as new housing estates at the edges of our towns and villages ignore established placenames in favour of bland, soulless inventions that have usually no historical or environmental relevance to the area.
Up and down the country we see next to every town and village new "exciting developments" springing up with names like Oaktree Lodge, Brooklyn Manor, Chestnut Grove, Grange Brook replacing ancient Gaelic and Norman townland names such as Tullybeg, Ardfada, Cluantully, Meadstown - names that often described the local environment or contained the name of the local chieftain or Norman lord.
We are thereby losing a very important part of our linguistic and environmental heritage. I feel that preserving our ancient townland names is more important than changing well established names like Dingle.
If all new housing estates preserved the townland name upon which they were built, this would be a great help in conserving our linguistic and environmental heritage. - Yours, etc,
RAÉ KEARNS, Dunderry Road, Trim, Co Meath.