Place name peace process aims to settle Dingle/An Daingean dispute

PEACE may be about to break out in the ongoing naming row over Dingle/An Daingean.

The controversy began in 2004 when the Place-names Order of the 2003 Official Languages Act, governing Gaeltacht place names, removed overnight the name of Dingle and replaced it with An Daingean.

Since then, like other Gaeltacht areas, Dingle/An Daingean has been faced with an ongoing and highly controversial conundrum: stick with traditional names or woo the tourists with pronounceable English-language equivalents.

The question has remained a cause of dissent among residents and visitors alike.

Now, however, Environment and Local Government Minister Phil Hogan has said he favours a compromise — a peace process whereby locals can agree on a bilingual description of where they live.

So it looks like being third time lucky following other attempts to reinstate the 700-year-old name of Dingle to official status.

Firstly, local plebiscites favoured the double-barreled Dingle-Daingean Uí Chúis. In 2007, then local government minister John Gormley promised to deal with the vexed issue under — of all places — the Dublin Mayoral Bill, but the Government exited before the bill was passed.

Yesterday, however, Mr Hogan said he will amend the Local Government Act so that it supercedes the Languages Act in the matter of An Daingean/Dingle.

Fine Gael senator and former TD Tom Sheahan said he was confident it should be “officially changed” before the summer recess of the Seanad.

“It has taken five years for this issue which determines so much of Dingle’s tourism numbers, investment as well as the world renowned Dingle brand to be resolved and it is with my greatest pleasure that I can announce within the Government’s first 100 days in office, that Dingle will have its preferred place name of Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis restored before the end of July.”