USI calls on local authorities to give Irish equal prominence

national | history and heritage | press release

Wednesday June 21, 2006 14:03

by Mark G

USI wants street signs, maps and other notices to be designed in such a way that traditional place names are not made subordinate to the English versions.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has welcomed the restoration of traditional place names in the Gaeltacht to sole official status – while calling on communities outside the Gaeltacht to ensure that Irish and English place names are given equal prominence.

USI wants street signs, maps and other notices to be designed in such a way that traditional place names are not made subordinate to the English versions.

USI Irish Language Officer Ciarán Mac Fhearghusa said:
“USI supports the reinstatement of Irish place names to sole official status in the Gaeltacht, but local authorities outside the Gaeltacht must not downplay the prominence given to Irish place names on road signs, maps and other official notices.

“USI is urging city and county councils to rethink their approach to bilingualism so that they cease to relegate Irish place names to second fiddle – the lettering for Irish names should not be smaller or less prominent, and place names in English should not automatically be listed first.

“USI also calls on local authorities to ensure that the names of new streets and housing developments are culturally appropriate – and refuse homebuilders permission for names that are unsuited.

“City and county councils must respect the fact that language is an important element of our cultural identity, and there is a symbolic importance to the way Irish is used and presented on official notices and signs.”

For more information please contact:

Tony McDonnell, USI President 086 8374104

Daniel Wood, Representation Executive 01 4353400

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Comments (2 of 2)

Awful

by Makemesee

Wed Jun 21, 2006 22:40

Another terrible press release from USI. They keep sending out stupid stories about Irish based on things that people read in the papers, borrrrrrring. Students are concerned about things other than saving a dead language.

Humbuggery

by Pikachu

Thu Jun 22, 2006 01:08

You would think that a famously corrupt organisation like USI would have a better handle on mainstream Ireland. But it doesn't.

Instead they seem to have been taken over by a cabal of Celtic revivalists bent on preserving their ascendancy.

Their favorite tools, in my humble opinion, are guilt and governmental collusion. Take, for example, the civil service, that supposed paradigm of equal employment conditions for all, the one factor that will give you any advantage in any civil service promotion competition, apart from your track record of course, is the whopping 7% handed out for proficiency in a functionally useless language. Furthermore, the price tag on translation of official EU documents into Irish – predicted to be €30 million in 2007 – is a farce. And remember citizens of Ireland, this comes directly out of your pocket (no fat EU subsidies here).

The suggestion that we, the long suffering people of Ireland, accept another pointless, imbecilic, downright ridiculous project changing road signs to satisfy the ranting of a few elite muppets is beyond the realms of comprehension.

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USI calls on local authorities to give Irish equal prominence

Comments (2 of 2)