Galway place and road names

xflyer

Emerson Avenue, who was that? Always amazed how such an Irish speaking town has so many English names. Well OK, Galway was an English town, after all the tribes were English.

I love the idea of Shop Street, whatever the origin. It really is a shop street. But what always puzzles me is Sea Road. It doesn't go anywhere near the sea and it was the road where Father Griffin was taken from, as commemororated by the the rather sombre plaque there. Yet they called the nearby road Father Griffin Road?

Rob A. Bank

xflyer wrote: »

But what always puzzles me is Sea Road. It doesn't go anywhere near the sea and it was the road where Father Griffin was taken from, as commemororated by the the rather sombre plaque there. Yet they called the nearby road Father Griffin Road?

I remember hearing somewhere that before the Grattan Road prom was built, the sea used to come in as far as Nile Lodge and the area across the road from the Cresent. Apparently there was a salty marsh which flodded at high tides and stretched over as far as the high ground where Fr Burke Road is now.

So I guess at that stage the road led straight down to the sea !

:cool:

nuac

I recall during the Debbie Hurricane of Sept 1961 there the tide came in behind Sea Road, up Dominick Street, in behind Seapoint etc. There may be photographs or descriptions in Connacht Tribune of that time

antoobrien

piscesgirl1 wrote: »

What about Dr Colahan???:p

Not sure if it's this lad (apparently wrote the song Galway Bay), but likely somebody from the family.

ladhrann

snubbleste wrote: »

Erm, still waiting for
New Road

Everything was new at some point. There's also a New Dock Rd.

Sea Rd. was so named as mentioned above. Grattan Rd. or as Bóthar na nDeich Pingin was built as dyke against the sea at a daily rate of ten pence per day. The land there is reclaimed and occasionally there is a panic about the possibility of flooding.

Fuinseog

ladhrann wrote: »

Everything was new at some point. There's also a New Dock Rd.

Sea Rd. was so named as mentioned above. Grattan Rd. or as Bóthar na nDeich Pingin was built as dyke against the sea at a daily rate of ten pence per day. The land there is reclaimed and occasionally there is a panic about the possibility of flooding.

they never built on that green reclaimed field at Grattan road, not even during the Celtic tiger, but I believe it floods.

snubbleste

ladhrann wrote: »

Everything was new at some point. There's also a New Dock Rd.

Then why isn't every road called New Road

Fuinseog

snubbleste wrote: »

Then why isn't every road called New Road

new cemetry.

ladhrann

snubbleste wrote: »

Then why isn't every road called New Road

Thats what we call in the game reductio ad absurdam obviously they couldn't all have been built all at once.

The layering of names over an area is a fascinating and diverting area of study. If you read an epic like the Táin a portion of it is set aside explaining the naming of parts of Ireland. An area of traditional knowledge was set aside for this called the dinnseanchais . No one in truth knows why certain names stay in use and others do not. For example Eyre Square has remained in use despite the area being renamed Kennedy Park.

One of the greatest assaults against the landscape of this country over the past 20-30 years has been the erasure of folk memory with ersatz estate names willow park, oakbrook, oaklands, hazel/laurel park etc. Almost entirely replacing the townland names, but also the field names in each area.

snubbleste

You do realise that I jest about New Rd..right?

btw Kennedy Park only refers to the (now diminished) green area in Eyre Square

Fuinseog

ladhrann wrote: »

Thats what we call in the game reductio ad absurdam obviously they couldn't all have been built all at once.

The layering of names over an area is a fascinating and diverting area of study. If you read an epic like the Táin a portion of it is set aside explaining the naming of parts of Ireland. An area of traditional knowledge was set aside for this called the dinnseanchais . No one in truth knows why certain names stay in use and others do not. For example Eyre Square has remained in use despite the area being renamed Kennedy Park.

One of the greatest assaults against the landscape of this country over the past 20-30 years has been the erasure of folk memory with ersatz estate names willow park, oakbrook, oaklands, hazel/laurel park etc. Almost entirely replacing the townland names, but also the field names in each area.

in the eighties you added a sense of class by calling a place 'Tudor' or something British. People did no want be associated with the Gaelic speaking savages. then Irish became cool and new places like Ros na Si were very much en vogue, although such names seem very much makey up and if this is the case do more harm than good.


By the way does anyone else have a problem with getting their post delivered when they use their Irish address. My home is in one of the new urban Gaeltachtai and even if the sender bothers to write the address correctly, which is seldom, the postman does not seem to be able to find the address. So much for Galway and bilingualism.

nuac

Some architects and other developers' advisors tried to have relevant names put on estate.

E.g. in Ballinrobe ab estgagte called Gort na gCloch is so called because there was orginally a quarry there.

In Mayo some planning permissions did have a condition that a locally relevant name be chosen. Some were, but generallythere are far too many variations of ( name of tree ) ( lawn, close, court etc )

An opportunity lost recall some local history etc.

ladhrann

Fuinseog wrote: »

in the eighties you added a sense of class by calling a place 'Tudor' or something British. People did no want be associated with the Gaelic speaking savages. then Irish became cool and new places like Ros na Si were very much en vogue, although such names seem very much makey up and if this is the case do more harm than good.

There is now a placenames committee as part of Galway City Council, where names are voted on. This is why all housing estates after a certain date would have a name as Gaeilge.

"The Placenames’ Committee is an initiative founded in 1992 with Galway City Council as a response to what one former Minister of the Environment referred to as ‘The Tuscany Downs Syndrome’ – new housing estates given names such as ‘Tuscany Downs’, that had no relevance to the location, history or language of the area. The Placenames’ Committee was set up to provide developers with suitable Irish names for new housing developments in the city."

- http://www.gleg.ie/projects/an-coiste-logainmneacha-2/?lang=en

Fuinseog wrote: »

By the way does anyone else have a problem with getting their post delivered when they use their Irish address. My home is in one of the new urban Gaeltachtai and even if the sender bothers to write the address correctly, which is seldom, the postman does not seem to be able to find the address. So much for Galway and bilingualism.

This is not unusual, I advise you to make sure that the address includes Cathair na Gaillimhe or Galway City in it.

Mrs OBumble

ladhrann wrote: »

"The Placenames’ Committee is an initiative founded in 1992 with Galway City Council as a response to what one former Minister of the Environment referred to as ‘The Tuscany Downs Syndrome’ – new housing estates given names such as ‘Tuscany Downs’, that had no relevance to the location, history or language of the area. The Placenames’ Committee was set up to provide developers with suitable Irish names for new housing developments in the city."

- http://www.gleg.ie/projects/an-coiste-logainmneacha-2/?lang=en

I have a lot of sympathy with the aims of this (preserving indigenous culture and all). But I do wish they'd also publish pronunciation guides with all the estate names.

I spent a bit of time last year in a temping job where I had to take phone calls from people around the country, who had to give me their address. The folks were from a limited number of estates, so I got the same address over and over, and the differences in the way even Irish people with otherwise similar accents said similar addresses was amazing. Some were just plain bog-ignorant (even I know that a word starting "Mhal..." doesn't sound like it starts with an English "M"), but many really were unsure what the proper version is, and had no one to ask.

People give out about taxi drivers not being able to find estates, but I figure you can hardly blame then when locals can't say the addresses the same way !

Lapin

ladhrann wrote: »

Thats what we call in the game reductio ad absurdam obviously they couldn't all have been built all at once.
................
For example Eyre Square has remained in use despite the area being renamed Kennedy Park.

I don't know what game you're in but I have an inherent suspicion of anyone using Latin words or phrases to bolster their opinion.

It smacks of intellectual snobbery on the part of the user and its use is often employed to add a superior air of authority to a sentence when it is neither required or merited.

Very often those using such Latin phrases do so to cover up their lack of any knowledge in the rest of their statement. And while I'm not saying this is the case in your post, it should be pointed out that Eyre Square was never 'renamed' Kennedy Park.

The Green in the middle of the square, (much vandalised in recent years by our city council) was indeed named in honour of the former US President. But the roads and buildings that surround that green are still in Eyre Square.

Q.E.D

Fuinseog

JustMary wrote: »

I have a lot of sympathy with the aims of this (preserving indigenous culture and all). But I do wish they'd also publish pronunciation guides with all the estate names.

I spent a bit of time last year in a temping job where I had to take phone calls from people around the country, who had to give me their address. The folks were from a limited number of estates, so I got the same address over and over, and the differences in the way even Irish people with otherwise similar accents said similar addresses was amazing. Some were just plain bog-ignorant (even I know that a word starting "Mhal..." doesn't sound like it starts with an English "M"), but many really were unsure what the proper version is, and had no one to ask.

People give out about taxi drivers not being able to find estates, but I figure you can hardly blame then when locals can't say the addresses the same way !

indeed they should produce a pronunciation guide though some words are pronounced slightly differently. if the guide were to issued with a munster blas there would be uproar in some quarters.

Fuinseog

Lapin wrote: »

I don't know what game you're in but I have an inherent suspicion of anyone using Latin words or phrases to bolster their opinion.

It smacks of intellectual snobbery on the part of the user and its use is often employed to add a superior air of authority to a sentence when it is neither required or merited.

Very often those using such Latin phrases do so to cover up their lack of any knowledge in the rest of their statement. And while I'm not saying this is the case in your post, it should be pointed out that Eyre Square was never 'renamed' Kennedy Park.

The Green in the middle of the square, (much vandalised in recent years by our city council) was indeed named in honour of the former US President. But the roads and buildings that surround that green are still in Eyre Square.

Q.E.D

whats with the Latin bashing? its hardly a sign of snobbery.

Rob A. Bank

JustMary wrote: »

I have a lot of sympathy with the aims of this (preserving indigenous culture and all). But I do wish they'd also publish pronunciation guides with all the estate names.

Its not just an Irish thing.

I had the pleasure of directing a confused English motorist to Ball In Asloe !

And dont talk to me about the tourists down south looking for You Gall.

:cool:

Fuinseog

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

Its not just an Irish thing.

I had the pleasure of directing a confused English motorist to Ball In Asloe !

And dont talk to me about the tourists down south looking for You Gall.

:cool:

or those who drive through the village of Goslow.

the gas thing about Youghal is that its anglicised so thats its easier to pronounce. Maybe they should have left it in the original.

Robbo

Fuinseog wrote: »

whats with the Latin bashing? its hardly a sign of snobbery.

Romanes eunt domus.

Mrs OBumble

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

And dont talk to me about the tourists down south looking for You Gall.

:cool:

Hey buddy, can you tell me where to find Kway Street?

thesandeman

Speaking of Quay Street, I heard a girl on her phone telling her friend she was standing outside 'shaggin ooeee nag things'!

Lapin

Fuinseog wrote: »

whats with the Latin bashing? its hardly a sign of snobbery.

Not bashing Latin.

There's just no need to use it when speaking English.

Its linguistic snobbery. I say that in a semi light hearted manner.

Not looking for a fight here.

nuac

Robbo wrote: »

Romanes eunt domus.

or Romani ite domi?

but it is a long time since I was in school, and I can't find the John Cleese clip on u-tube

bobbyss

ladhrann wrote: »

There is now a placenames committee as part of Galway City Council, where names are voted on. This is why all housing estates after a certain date would have a name as Gaeilge.

"The Placenames’ Committee is an initiative founded in 1992 with Galway City Council as a response to what one former Minister of the Environment referred to as ‘The Tuscany Downs Syndrome’ – new housing estates given names such as ‘Tuscany Downs’, that had no relevance to the location, history or language of the area. The Placenames’ Committee was set up to provide developers with suitable Irish names for new housing developments in the city."

- http://www.gleg.ie/projects/an-coiste-logainmneacha-2/?lang=en



This is not unusual, I advise you to make sure that the address includes Cathair na Gaillimhe or Galway City in it.

I wonder how many people are on that committee and who they are. Did I read in the link that 99% of estates now are named in Irish? What about if the vast majority of the people in an estate did not like the Irish name and in fact wanted their estate to be called, let's say, Tuscany Vale or Windsor Crescent or New Delhi Downs; can they get it changed to what the majority of the residents want?

?Cee?view

bobbyss wrote: »

I wonder how many people are on that committee and who they are. Did I read in the link that 99% of estates now are named in Irish? What about if the vast majority of the people in an estate did not like the Irish name and in fact wanted their estate to be called, let's say, Tuscany Vale or Windsor Crescent or New Delhi Downs; can they get it changed to what the majority of the residents want?

Yes, they can hold a plebiscite. That's how the housing estate on Taylor's Hill changed its name to Mount Eaton. Apparently it had some Irish name first, but the houseowners got together and had the place renamed after the original name of the house which the Dominican nuns bought in the 1840s.

bobbyss

?Cee?view wrote: »

Yes, they can hold a plebiscite. That's how the housing estate on Taylor's Hill changed its name to Mount Eaton. Apparently it had some Irish name first, but the houseowners got together and had the place renamed after the original name of the house which the Dominican nuns bought in the 1840s.

That's interesting. Never heard of Mount Eaton. (Presumably there was a Mr or Mrs or a Lord or Lady Eaton living in a big house there. Wonder who they were).

So if a plebiscite is held, its decision must be upheld? I wonder if that is written down anywhere?

?Cee?view

bobbyss wrote: »

That's interesting. Never heard of Mount Eaton. (Presumably there was a Mr or Mrs or a Lord or Lady Eaton living in a big house there. Wonder who they were).

So if a plebiscite is held, its decision must be upheld? I wonder if that is written down anywhere?

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1956/en/si/0031.html

I think it's the same way that Palmerston in Dublin was changed to Palmerstown recently. Dingle had a similar issue a few years ago.

bobbyss

?Cee?view wrote: »

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1956/en/si/0031.html

I think it's the same way that Palmerston in Dublin was changed to Palmerstown recently. Dingle had a similar issue a few years ago.

Excellent, thank you.

Threadneedle Road anyone? Bothair na mine I think it is in the Irish. Where did the Threadneedle come from? There is a Threadneedle Road in London too I believe. Perhaps the two are connected.

snubbleste

I nominate Quinncentenary Bridge being changed to Padraig Conneely Expressway