A Chara, - Regarding the recent correspondence to your paper on the subject of the spelling of Irish placenames, it may be of interest to your readers to know that An Brainse Logainmneacha/The Placenames Branch of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs recently launched a trial version of an online database of the Placenames of Ireland which can be accessed at www.logainm.ie \ http://www.logainm.ie.
In this database can be found the official English spelling (as determined by the Ordnance Survey in the 1840s and as utilised in legal documents, land deeds, etc.) of 60,000+ administrative placenames, as well as alternative spellings in some cases, and the Irish forms of the c.30,000 administrative placenames which have been determined at this point. (The Placenames Branch will continue to add the provisional Irish forms of placenames to the database - pending their being given official status in the relevant placenames orders - as they are arrived at during the course of systematic research, and also as they are recommended in response to ad-hoc requests from official bodies and members of the public.)
The Irish forms of the street names of many of the main towns in Ireland have also recently been added. A quick search of the database will reveal to Mr Hoban (July 15th) and an tUasal Mac Cárthaigh (July 18th) that the recommended Irish form for "Balheary" in Dublin is Baile Anraí. - Le meas,
CAOIMHE NÍ SHÚILLEABHÁIN,
Portobello,
Baile Átha Cliath 8.
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Madam, - I live near the village of Castleblakeney, Co Galway, and while for years there has been an argument over the presence or not of the second "e" in the name, there has been unanimity on the Irish form, "Gallach Uí Cheallaigh". For a long time this has been quite sensibly abbreviated to "Gallach", the anglicised form of which survives in the title of the Count O'Kelly de Gallagh.
Last summer new signs appeared around the approach roads to the village with some using "Gallach" as the Irish form and others bearing the new moniker "Caisleán Bláicne".
Nineteenth century landlords changed placenames out of snobbery and it is a great pity that Galway County Council is finally completing that job. It displays a lazy indifference to history and to the Irish language. - Yours, etc,
GERRY LAWLESS,
Castleblakeney,
Ballinasloe,
Co Galway.