Re: Re: Battle for historic townland name

Why don’t they just go the whole hog and get it sponsored?

‘Where are your from?’
‘I’m from the parish of Dixon’s in the townland of Buttercrane. And you?’
‘Me? Pavilions. It’s in north county Dublin, not far from the townland of Ikea.’

I can perhaps understand the need to rationalise electoral wards, and thus to get rid of some names, but to replace a name that has social and historic value and resonance with one that has no apparent significance in the locality seems not just daft but crass.

In my old job, I used to really enjoy going through the Townlands, Parishes and Baronies Index alongside the 1st Edition OS maps from the 1830s-1840s. I can’t see someone getting the same kick from it in future. Where’s the fun in discovering that the name was agreed by a committee in a half-full council chamber in early 2007?