The names of townlands have various origins but by the
early nineteenth century had, in general, been fixed by
the Grand Juries. In addition the Poor Law Commissioners
under Act of 1839 had power to declare any place to be a
townland. When the Ordnance Survey began in the 1820s
the names of townlands were to be supplied by Richard
Griffith of the boundary department (set up in 1824-5 to
determine the boundaries of parishes and townlands and
where necessary to mark out these boundaries on the
ground). Griffith during his work amalgamated a number
of the smaller townlands while dividing the larger ones.
In the case of the latter he added 'east', 'west',
'upper'. 'lower' etc. to the existing name. The names of
these townlands as finally settled by the Ordnance
Survey officers were included on ordnance survey maps
and became together with the townland index of the 1851
census the legal version of the names of these places.
Non-municipal towns
are towns designated in the census of population not
being a city or town (i.e. not having a legally defined
boundary). The last census of 2002 distinguished between
towns with legally defined boundaries and those without
legally defined boundaries. The former are
5 cities,
5 boroughs (this would include Drogheda in County Louth) and
75 named towns (this would include Dundalk and Ardee in
County Louth).
and the latter refers to the other towns defined in the census as
'a cluster of fifty or more occupied dwellings, not
having a legally defined boundary, in which within a
distance of 800 metres there is a nucleus of either
thirty occupied houses on both sides of the road or
twenty occupied houses on one side of the road.' In
County Louth these latter non municipal towns are:
Ardee Environs;
Baltray;
Carlingford;
Castlebellingham/Kilsaran;
Clogherhead;
Collon;
Drogheda environs;
Dromiskin;
Dundalk environs;
Dunleer;
Jenkinstown;
Knockbridge;
Omeath;
Tallanstown;
Termonfeckin;
Tinure;
Tullyallen.
Under S.190 of the Local Government Act, 2001 the
Council of a city or county where townland or
non-municipal town situated may by resolution, adopted
by at least one-half of the members, make a proposal to
change the name.
This proposal, after been notified to prescribed persons
and published inviting submissions within two months and
after the submissions have been considered (reserved
function), may be adopted or amended by the Council
provided at least one-half of the members again consent.
Where a proposal is accepted or amended the Council must
then seek the consent of the majority of the qualified
electors (i.e. registered voters and certain occupiers
of rated hereditaments) in the non-municipal town or
townland. Once the proposal is confirmed by a
majority of the electors the Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of
the Council shall declare such new name and the date it
comes into operation being the 1st January next
following the expiration of at least three months from
the date of the declaration. Each declaration must be
published, including in Iris Oifigiuil, and sent to
prescribed persons.
A previous provision under an Act of 1946 as amended in
1955 required the County Council to apply to the
Government to change the name after obtaining consent of
four-sevenths of the ratepayers of the non-municipal
town or townland and after consultation with prescribed
authorities
Among the place names changed under this 1946 provision
were:
'Scrabby' townland, in County
Cavan, to 'Loch Gowna' (1950);
'Newtownbarry' town,
in County Wexford, to 'Bunclody' (1950);
'King
Williamstown' town, in County Cork, to 'Ballydesmond'
(1951);
'Newtown' town, in County Cork, to 'Newtownshandrum' (1971);
'Ballycarra' townland, in County Mayo, to 'Belcarra' (1971);
'Mostrim', in County Longford, to 'Edgeworthstown' (1974).
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Back to Change of Placename page.
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above Genealogical & Historical Research Service by
e-mail to:
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© MP McConnon, MC
Research, Seabank Road, Castlebellingham, Dundalk,
County Louth, Ireland A91 XY32.
(original 29
August 2011) Last update 16 December 2022. |
