Dingle name change row to be election issue

THE lingering row over the official name for the west Kerry town of Dingle An Daingean rumbles on and is set to be a major general election issue — for the second time.

Officially, since the place names order of the Official Languages Act 2004 was introduced and supported by then Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Éamon Ó Cuív, the name of the town is An Daingean and Dingle is outlawed.

The name change, which caught most locals by surprise, caused massive upset and led to huge divisions between residents of the Irish-speaking peninsula and the town.