Assembly wants to restore townland names to Northern Ireland

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Assembly wants to restore townland names to Northern Ireland addresses

Translating as ‘townland of the fort of the shadows’, Ballymiscaw sounds like something from the Lord Of The Rings.

However, you won’t find any orcs or ringwraiths issuing forth for battle from this stronghold — just politicians and civil servants going about their daily business up on the hill at Stormont.

It is not surprising you haven’t heard of Ballymiscaw — townland names have somewhat fallen into disuse since the Royal Mail began requiring that everyone put their road name in their address instead of their townland.

But the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee at Stormont is trying to bring townlands back into popular usage and is calling on all Government departments, MLAs and the Assembly Commission to include their townland in their official addresses.

It would mean the Assembly would have to change its headed paper to include the address ‘Stormont Estate, Ballymiscaw, Belfast’.

The charge is led by committee chairman Barry McElduff who gamely admits to hailing from the townland of Aghagogan, or ‘field where giddy headed people congregate’.

“It is important not only to preserve townland names but to actively promote them within local communities. Townland names are in the common ownership of the entire community and all traditions. Everyone shares a great passion for them and they are an important part of our shared heritage,” he said.

“We are asking the Government to take the lead on this issue and actively preserve and promote townland names by adopting them into their official addresses.

“This would be a significant step in terms of raising the profile of townlands and recognising how valued they are by many people.

“We hope that this initiative will be taken on board by elected representatives and will lead to townland names finding their way back into popular usage.”

Historian Eamon Phoenix says the townland system is unique to Ireland but its fame has spread far and wide with gravestones of ex-pats in the USA bearing the Irish townland which the deceased left as part of the Irish diaspora.

“There are between 50,000 and 60,000 townlands in Ireland and they vary greatly in size. It’s said that ‘every stoney acre has a name’ and the townland was the basic unit of settlement in Ireland,” he said.

“The name reflects the natural history, geography or culture — for example, Stranmillis is the ‘sweet stream’; Malone translates as ‘plain of the lambs’; Cromac means ‘crooked’ because the Lagan has a bend as it goes through the Ormeau area; Shankill means ‘old church’ and Falls is ‘hedges’, as in the region of the hedges on the lower slopes of Black Mountain.”

Mr Phoenix is involved in organising a lifelong learning course at Stranmillis University College which brings together a series of experts to explore the concept of the townland. “People are very concerned with their identity these days — the 1911 census is now online and people can log in and find out who was living in a particular townland at a certain time,” he said. “The townland system is a rich tapestry that is particularly Irish and is shared by both communities in the north of Ireland today.

“It’s said we have a common history but not a common memory — but when it comes to local identity and history of townland it brings together people from different traditions. It’s a vital element of our history and it goes to the heart of who we are.”

The townland course organised by the Ulster History Foundation runs from 7-9pm on Mondays from February 5. For more details email k.miller@stran.ac.uk .

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1

[DGP1]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

[dvbuk55]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

The names of some of those towns in NI are strange enough - Ballymoney, Ballymena,Carrickfergus, Coalisland - I remember mispronouncing that once, to be corrected with the obvious pronunciation and feeling a right pillock

[dados]

some clown in Stormont with nothing to do,cue the in fighting,anyways gives Mr & Mrs (for how long?)Robinson a wee breather

[DGP1]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

The names of some of those towns in NI are strange enough - Ballymoney, Ballymena,Carrickfergus, Coalisland - I remember mispronouncing that once, to be corrected with the obvious pronunciation and feeling a right pillock

Try pronouncing Ahoghill

[dvbuk55]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

The names of some of those towns in NI are strange enough - Ballymoney, Ballymena,Carrickfergus, Coalisland - I remember mispronouncing that once, to be corrected with the obvious pronunciation and feeling a right pillock

Try pronouncing Ahoghill

I was once told pogue mahone meant good morning - which paid me back for a previous practical joke whilst in the far east - some people have long memories

[DGP1]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

The names of some of those towns in NI are strange enough - Ballymoney, Ballymena,Carrickfergus, Coalisland - I remember mispronouncing that once, to be corrected with the obvious pronunciation and feeling a right pillock

Try pronouncing Ahoghill

I was once told pogue mahone meant good morning - which paid me back for a previous practical joke whilst in the far east - some people have long memories

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Oh FFS - I'm going to have to go for 'Wasteofeffingmoney' , they need to sort out our police, hospitals, pot holes, traffic chaos, jobs etc. first and then they can work out putting an extra line into the addresses (make that 2 lines because one will have to be in Irish).

The names of some of those towns in NI are strange enough - Ballymoney, Ballymena,Carrickfergus, Coalisland - I remember mispronouncing that once, to be corrected with the obvious pronunciation and feeling a right pillock

Try pronouncing Ahoghill

I was once told pogue mahone meant good morning - which paid me back for a previous practical joke whilst in the far east - some people have long memories

[DGP1]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

[dvbuk55]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

What makes you think it's a smiley? It could be a cartooned video of TBT and the Manager

[DGP1]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

What makes you think it's a smiley? It could be a cartooned video of TBT and the Manager

Your mind is even lower than mine.........................................I'm just glad it wasn't our video

[dvbuk55]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

What makes you think it's a smiley? It could be a cartooned video of TBT and the Manager

Your mind is even lower than mine.........................................I'm just glad it wasn't our video

Too Bloody True - get it

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

What makes you think it's a smiley? It could be a cartooned video of TBT and the Manager

Sorry he is not getting anywhere near that part of my anatomy, would you turn your back on yours.

[dvbuk55]

Teebs, you send way too much time online to be able to find arse kissing smilies

What makes you think it's a smiley? It could be a cartooned video of TBT and the Manager

Sorry he is not getting anywhere near that part of my anatomy, would you turn your back on yours.

No!