South Ring Road may be renamed for War of Independence women

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has said that it has no problem renaming Cork’s South Ring Road after women who fought in the War of Independence, but for operational reasons it will still refer to it as the N40.

NRA spokesman Sean O’Neill said his organisation did not have any problem with renaming it Cumann Na mBan road, but added that the final decision would be made by the Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe.

Cork County Council is writing to the NRA and the minister to seek the name change after Fianna Fáil councillor Aindrias Moynihan said it was important to mark the role of Cumann Na mBan.

He won total support from his colleagues in County Hall for the move and said he also received the backing of city councillors.

“It is fitting and appropriate that the role of women in Irish life and those women of Cumann Na mBan who played such a vital role in the struggle for independence is recognised,” said Mr Moynihan said.

He said he hoped some buildings around Cork could also be named after Cumann Na mBan members and that consideration to naming structures being built into the future would also be given to this.

“There are so few public buildings or roads named after them,” he said. “They played a huge role with storage, dispatches, etc, during the War of Independence.”

It is expected that the local authority will host at least one lecture during the year on Cumann Na mBan.

However, while it appears that Mr Moynihan will get his wish to have a nameplate erected on the road, all major signs being used by the NRA will remain showing it as the N40.

Mr Moynihan said he welcomed the NRA’s view.

“It’s positive as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “There are places on national primary routes which have their own street names and I can understand for operational reasons, especially for strangers to an area, that it would be signposted as the N40.”

Mr Moynihan added that he hoped one of the council’s Special Purposes Committees (SPCs) will also look into naming some council-owned offices, parks or estates after Cumman na Ban members from Cork.

“We have already received some submissions on this from members of the public,” he said. “Some have come from mid-Cork and from West Cork to name places after women from those areas who helped the War of Independence effort and it would be nice to follow this through and see them honoured in this way.”