Townland names do matter
Townlands in Northern Ireland have long been a very distinctive part of our rural culture and topography and, while to a large extent the names have been phased out in many facets of official speak, they are to be reintroduced in the document useage of DARD (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development).
This is a move that will be warmly welcomed across our province and it is a lead that the other devolved government departments at Stormont, and indeed the Royal Mail, should follow.
A townland, or bally – in Ulster language – is a small division of land used in rural parts of the British Isles and it can be traced back to Norman and native Irish medieval times, predating the Scottish and English plantation years of the 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1972, the Royal Mail decided that the townland element of home addresses here was obsolete and a rich element of our culture was at a stroke eliminated, clearly by people with little understanding or empathy with rural culture.
However, Omagh District Council, to its credit, broke the mould and made it official policy to incorporate the townland adaptation if possible or use a name which has some historical connection to a particular region.
It is commonplace now to see townland names in most west of the Bann regions restored to their rightful position and many will concur with agriculture minister Michelle Gildernew in recognising the historical, cultural and linguistic importance of townland names, particularly in the rural communities.
This is where a shared local heritage is best preserved by everyone in Northern Ireland.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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