Village battles to restore ‘loose women’

A SMALL community in Limerick has started a name-change battle to restore its old Irish title which, loosely translated, branded the village the stronghold of “loose women”.

Locals in the hamlet of Doon reportedly prefer the name of Dun Bleisce — translated as the Fort of the Harlot, which was removed by the Placenames Commission decades ago.

More than 800 people signed a petition calling on Community Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv to reverse the decision of the Placenames Commission to remove the word ‘bleisce’ from the Irish name of the town.

Former TD for the area, Eddie Wade, has formed an advisory committee comprising of local public representatives, county council officials, Conradh na Gaeilge and other interested bodies to press for the restoration of the word bleisce to the town’s official Irish name, formerly Dun Bleisce.

Mr Wade said: “Doon has always been famous for its hospitality and the beauty of the local women. In my younger days I often went to Doon for a funeral and didn’t come home for days.

“The word bleisce is no aspersion on Doon’s womanhood, noted for its beauty and culture. It’s just a desire on the part of the people of Doon to have the old Irish name restored.

“It is said of Doon that any visitor who ever calls never goes away hungry or dry.”

He rejected any suggestion that it may have once had a mediaeval ‘red candle’ area and he insisted the word bleisce could have other translations.

But some say that, in days gone by, the visitor as well as getting plenty of food and drink also had other favours bestowed.

Mr Wade said parts of east Limerick are like Coronation Street with the anglicisation of place names.

He said: “I have no problem with Coronation Street as long as it’s in the right country.”

Cllr Mary Jackman said: “This may have been just a reference to a powerful woman in the area who was given the nickname by others.”