What's in a name?

Ian Malcom

The importance of preserving Ulster’s townland names has been highlighted by a cross-party group of Stormont MLAs.
The devolved government has already set about restoring the names to Northern Ireland’s postal address system and MLAs have now given their backing to the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project at Queen’s.
At an exhibition in the Long Gallery at Stormont on Monday, representatives from the main parties spoke of the need to ensure that what is an important part of Ulster’s cultural heritage is maintained for generations to come.

Describing Ulster’s place names as part of our cultural ecology, director of the project Dr Nollaig Ó Muraíle said: "They form a coat of many colours, reflecting a variety of historical cultural traditions in our island’s history.
"It’s interesting to note that, in Ulster, the place names bear more relationship to the original than elsewhere, for they were Anglicised with more sensitivity, reflected through the English translations," he said.
The project, operating since 1987 despite a series of funding crises, has been building up a comprehensive database of information about place names, be they in Irish Gaelic, English or Scots. Some of the research has been published but the eventual aim is to make it all available to the public online.

A touring exhibition, Celebrating Ulster’s Townlands, has already brought this rich heritage direct to the people and shows how a place name can tell much about local history, landscape, archaeology and even people.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone UUP MLA Joan Carson said: "Townland names must be retained and used; unless we do so, we will lose much of our unique and picturesque heritage. I encourage everyone to use the name of their townland in their postal address as constant use will help us retain them."

DUP Strangford MLA Jim Shannon said it is vital that this valuable inheritance should not be lost: “There is a romanticism in townland names and it is up to us to ensure that they are still in use 100 years from now.
"Every townland name, whether it comes from English, Irish or Ulster-Scots, has a story to tell."
Sinn Féin MLA Barry McElduff said he would like to see place name studies on the school curriculum, so that children could find out more about the world around them.
"But we have to take action first to ensure that the old names are not lost. At least this is one issue on which all the parties are of one mind," he said.
Queen’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Gerry McCormac said the project is a clear example of the university’s contribution to the community.
"Our cultural heritage is the property of everyone in Northern Ireland and the compilation and explanation of our townland names will ensure that this rich and unique record of our past is preserved for future generations," he said.