[Article]90% vote in favour of An Daingean name change

SeanW

From RTE News:

More than 1,000 people have voted in a plebiscite to apply to the Government to change the name of the west Kerry Gaeltacht town from An Daingean to Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis.

The proposal was carried by over 90%.

Campaigners for the name change have called on Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív to honour the democratic will of the people.

This morning, Mr Ó Cuív warned that he has no legal power to act on the results of the plebiscite.

But he said if Kerry County Council comes to him with a request that he can act on within the law, he would be willing to give it serious consideration.

Common Sense - 1, Lingustic Fascists - Nil.

I personally don't particularly care for the Irish Language alll that much, and never liked the way the governments rams it down people's throats. So the decision to change a bunch of town names in Kerry struck me as being something nutty, something some of the locals might potentially object to.

Looks like I was right.

I find it amusing that Mr. O Cuiv says he doesn't have the legal power to act on the democratic will of the local people, but that he HAD the power to make his unsanctioned name change origionally.

Interesting.

Manic Moran

He has no legal power to act on the results of the mandate...

Did he not have the legal power to act without a mandate at all? How else did all this come about in the first place?

Idiocy.

NTM

mike65

*Boggles at whole thing!* :eek:

Mike.

nesf

SeanW wrote:

From RTE News:



Common Sense - 1, Lingustic Fascists - Nil.

I personally don't particularly care for the Irish Language alll that much, and never liked the way the governments rams it down people's throats. So the decision to change a bunch of town names in Kerry struck me as being something nutty, something some of the locals might potentially object to.

Looks like I was right.

I find it amusing that Mr. O Cuiv says he doesn't have the legal power to act on the democratic will of the local people, but that he HAD the power to make his unsanctioned name change origionally.

Interesting.

All Gaeltacht areas had town names officially changed to the Irish form. Mainly this is justified in that these towns recieve benificial funding due to being in an "Irish speaking" area. The thing in Dingle is that most people there speak English. Personally I'd have no problem with it remaining as Dingle if they were removed from the Gaeltacht area and the funding was ceased, otherwise they can deal with it. No other Gaeltacht town minded, being Irish speakers they tended to already use the Irish name and all that.

Plus, the plebicite has little (if any) legal standing and the method in how it was carried out was distasteful to me.

Manic Moran

Plus, the plebicite has little (if any) legal standing and the method in how it was carried out was distasteful to me.

There was also no doubt that the locals considered the name change to be distasteful in the first place. I was down Dingle.. sorry.. Daingean way last summer for a wedding, some of the shops had newspaper articles and posters in the window expressing ther overall displeasure with O' Cuiv.

NTM

nesf

Manic Moran wrote:

There was also no doubt that the locals considered the name change to be distasteful in the first place. I was down Dingle.. sorry.. Daingean way last summer for a wedding, some of the shops had newspaper articles and posters in the window expressing ther overall displeasure with O' Cuiv.

NTM

Yes, there was quite a bit of talk about it. Mostly because a percieved threat to the tourist industry which is the largest industry down there. Personally, I think that's a bunch of crap, having an Irish name just adds to the "charm" of the place for americans. I do understand people being upset about a name change but the issue here though is that Dingle really isn't a "proper" gaeltacht. Mostly English speakers live there and in fairness I can understand their issues with the name change but what I don't get is how they can still happily take funding for being an Irish speaking area.

Simply redefine the boundaries, put Dingle out of the Gaeltacht and lo and behold they can have an English name for an English speaking town just like the rest of the country. Unfortunately they'd have to give up all that lovely funding and I'd hazard that they'd have issues with that...


Edit: I should point out that I have a lot of issues with non-Irish speaking areas recieving Gaeltacht funding. I cannot understand why such an area gets special funding over and above any other rural area. There is at least some justification for Irish speaking areas, but I still have difficulty agreeing with the present approach.

constitutionus

i ****ing loved this!!!!! minister o cuiv was on newstalk lasts week boasting about how the majority would confirm the irish version of the name yet today he was very reticient about talking about the issue and now 90% of the population voted against his view. i love democracy. it frequently goes against the bigoted view of those "representating" the peoples view and now the minister is disembling left right and center to get out of the fact his bigoted view isnt what the majority want. this whole nonsence that he had the power to force this change on the people of dingle and suddenly now doesnt smacks of " im taking my ball and going home" mentality.

the people of dingle has spoken. change the name or be shown up for the facist you are minister!!:D

constitutionus

constitutionus wrote:

the people of dingle has spoken.

We had a poll in the pub last night and we voted to bring back free plastic bags and smoking in the workplace. We have spoken and expect a change in national policy any day now.

Nesf has got it spot on. They should be allowed to change the name backto Dingle on the basis that they drop that whole Gaeltacht pretence along with all the grants and benefits that come with it. Dingle is as 'Irish' as John Wayne in the Quiet Man.

constitutionus

Deleted User wrote:

We had a poll in the pub last night and we voted to bring back free plastic bags and smoking in the workplace. We have spoken and expect a change in national policy any day now..

you do know the difference between a poll and a vote dont you? and hey if your mates in the pub represent the entire electorate like the pleblecite did in dingle and was officially sanctioned by the ministers concerned, then hey more power to em. after all thats democracy!

mountainyman

Conor it isn't enough that they cease to receve Gaeltacht funding. They must return all funding since the foundation of the state.
Edit: I made that up but I think it would be fair.

MM

goat2

listening to the radio today, the people of dingle won their name back, mr o kive should have been watching the purse strings of this country instead of annoying and angering the voters, changing peoples addresses without their consent, i am glad for the people of dingle, good on them for keeping up the heat, one of the finest places in this country

Black Swan

MOD COMMENT:
Resurrecting a zombie thread after it died in 2006? Black Swan gets shovel and reburies it for good.