Committee Reports::Report - Appropriation Accounts 1953 - 1954::20 June, 1956::Appendix


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APPENDIX V.

COMMISSION ON PLACE NAMES.

Cléireach,

An Coiste um Chuntais Phoiblí.

In the course of my examination before the Committee of Public Accounts on 6 October, 1955, I undertook to furnish a note on the Commission on Place Names (Vote 15).

A note accordingly is attached.

(Signed) O. J. REDMOND,

Secretary,

Department of Finance.

19 November, 1955.

1. The Commission on Place Names was appointed in October, 1946,

(1) To examine the place names of Ireland as follows:—

(a) the names of townlands, parishes, baronies, districts and other divisions of the country;

(b) the names of postal districts, villages, towns and cities;

and to search for the correct original Irish forms of those place names insofar as there were Irish names for them and those names could be determined.

(2) To prepare lists of those names in their Irish forms for publication and official use.

2. The Commission, consisting of sixteen members (including the Chairman) was attached to the Ordnance Survey Office; it had a small specialist and office staff under a Director. The Commission was suspended in 1948 as an economy measure but was revived in 1951 and was made responsible to the Department of Education.

3. Following recent review of the position, it has been arranged, with the consent of the Commission, that its functions henceforth shall partake of an advisory character under the Ordnance Survey Office and its staff has been transferred to that Office. The revised terms of reference of the Commission are:

To advise in relation to

(1) the examination of the place names of Ireland as follows:

(a) the names of townlands, parishes, baronies, districts and other divisions of the country;

(b) the names of postal districts, villages, towns and cities;

(2) the search for the correct original Irish forms of those place names insofar as there were Irish names for them and those names could be determined; and

(3) the preparation of lists of those names in their Irish forms for publication and official use.

4. About 70,000 place names in all have to be investigated of which some 3,000—mainly names of “post” towns—have now been completed. The duration of the work cannot be accurately forecast but it is likely to be long.