Fáilte Chuig Lana Wisteria. All new estates in Dublin are to have Irish language names, after a decision by city councillors last week. A motion calling for every new development built in the capital to be given an Irish moniker was passed late on Wednesday evening.
The policy will signal an end to the practice of developers bestowing grandiose titles on their housing schemes in an attempt to cultivate an aura of gentility. Examples of this trend include Tiffany Downs in Cork, Windermere Villas in Limerick and Embassy Manor in Kildare.
The policy will now form part of the new development plan for the city which will come into effect in 2011. The motion was proposed by Críona Ní Dhálaigh, a Sinn Fein councillor, and Tom Brabazon of Labour. A similar policy has already been adopted by Galway city council, Navan town council in Co Meath and Shannon town council in Co Limerick. Other councils will vote on similar proposals in the coming months.
Ní Dhálaigh said a committee would be formed to provide developers with Irish names reflecting an area's history or geography. Brabazon said that developers were already demonstrating they were tiring of inappropriate names such as Tuscany Downs in Raheny, an estate in the Labour councillor's constituency.
"The council is already encouraging builders to choose a name with some relevance to an area's heritage or topography. This is just one step further," he said.
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"The names don't have to be long-winded or difficult to pronounce. There are lots of snappy, colourful Irish names."
Several Irish language organisations already provide developers and councils with help in choosing appropriate Irish names, including Gaillimh le Gaeilge which offers assistance to Galway city council.
Barra Ó Caoimh of Gael Taca, an Irish language advocate, recommends Irish language names for developments to Cork city and county council. "We try to keep it simple - something with a maximum of two words, not too many fadas and not in the tuiseal ginideach [genitive case]. Names should be easy to spell and pronounce," he said.
Examples of recent estates named in Cork include Pairc na gCapall (field of horses), a housing estate built on parkland where horses used to graze; Pairc na gCrann (field of trees), an estate on an old orchard; Cul Ard (a high, recessed area) and Sli na Scoile (school lane).
Brabazon said there was some opposition on the council to the compulsory nature of the policy. "Some councillors wanted to stick with the current bilingual arrangement, where it was at the discretion of developers if they wanted to use an Irish name. But I think that if we want to continue saying that Irish is an official EU language, we have to begin putting policies in place to promote it," he said.
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Irish language enthusiasts have called for policies to be put in place to encourage Irish place names in the past. In 2003 Dr Patrick Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, said there was "no excuse" for not using our unique stock of place names more frequently "if only for their sonorous beauty".
The naming of estates has caused controversy in the past. Six years ago Michael Healy-Rae, a Kerry county councillor, was criticised for calling a council estate Healy-Rae Park while he was mayor of the county.