Madam, - Éamon Ó Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (April 17th) writes that he "consulted extensively" before he changed the placenames of 2,319 Gaeltacht townlands. He states that a press release was issued to the media and a "lively consultation process" took place on Raidió na Gaeltachta. He says he received 24 written submissions on the Placenames Order.
A 1 per cent uptake on his invitation for submissions does not suggest a successful "extensive consultation process". We accept that a lively and worthwhile discussion took place on RnaG on the correct Irish spellings of various townlands within the Gaeltacht.
However, Dingle is far more than a townland. Dingle is the pre-Norman, non-municipal, regional, capital town of West Kerry. Within the town boundaries of Dingle alone, there are nine townlands.
It is reasonable to expect that some debate would take place on the effects of a proposed order to make illegal the name "Dingle" on our national signposts. Can anyone remember or show a record of a public notice, discussion, debate, article or interview about Dingle's name-change in our mainstream daily national newspapers or radio stations before the order was made? Can the Minster clarify if Fáilte Ireland was informed in advance of his intention to remove Dingle from all signposts and official Ordinance Survey sheets.
Another question raised by the Minister is how tourists managed to get around the Gaeltacht without difficulty over the past 30 years. He says that English names have long been removed from all Gaeltacht signposts.
The answer is simple. The old bilingual black-and-white signposts are still to be seen in most Gaeltachtaí. Indeed, our own last bilingual Dingle signpost was removed from West Kerry only last month. It stood on the main Ballyferriter to Dingle road, in the heart of the Gaeltacht, for over 30 years, giving clear direction to our tourists, and didn't cause the slightest offence to anyone. But under the new regime, the Language Commissioner ordered its removal.
The most depressing aspect of all of Mr Ó Cuív's letters is his total lack of understanding of the issue at hand. We are Muintir Daingean Uí Chúis, the people of Dingle. That is our identity, that is our history and that is our heritage. We have been accepted and recognised as such for the past 700 years, and Mr O'Cuív, along with some civil servants in Dublin (or Knock), did not have the right to redefine our identity to suit their vision of who we should be. - Is sinne,
FERGUS O'FLAITHBHEARTAIGH, Chairman,
KATE O'CONNOR, Secretary,
JOHN MORIARTY, PRO,
Coiste Daingean Uí Chúis,Dingle, Co Kerry.