Enniscrone to put spelling to the vote
ENNISCRONE LOCALS LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR SAY ON SPELLING OF VILLAGE
It will be May before Sligo County Council is likely to arrange a date for a plebiscite on the spelling of Enniscrone.
Councillors Joe Queenan, Michael Clarke and Dara Mulvey all tabled a motion calling on the Council to set a date last week for one so that the registered electors and ratepayers of Enniscrone can decide if they want the official name of Enniscrone to be change from ‘Inishcrone’ to Enniscrone’ in English and from ‘Inis Crabhann’ to ‘Inis Eiscir Abhainn’ in Irish.
Their joint motion was in response to the growing concern of the residents that the village has been officially misnamed.
“It’s creating confusion for businesses and on people’s birth certs,” said Cllr Queenan. “For the future, we want clarity,” he said. There was a large public gathering in the village about the issue the week before last.
Director of Services Ms Dorothy Clarke said that the Placenames Committee were meeting to discuss the issue on 16 th April, a full report would be made to the Council at the May Council meeting, whereupon she hoped a date would then be set for a plebiscite. She said the Placenames Committee had to get legal advice, a costing and a step by step approach to dealing with the plebiscite.
Councillor Micheal Clarke said the councillors on the Placenames Committee “have no difficulty with the plebiscite taking place.”
He asked Ms Clarke if any work had been done on the electorate -would it be just the village itself who get to vote or residents in the surrounding areas?
Councillor Dara Mulvey said it was “imperative that the procedure for a plebiscite was put in motion” as it was very confusing for people visiting the town.
Councillor Keith Henry commended the community for taking the initiative but said there was “any amount” of other town names spelled incorrectly on signs.
He said other communities in Gurteen, Drumcliffe and Ballisodare “will be watching as well.”
Several Enniscone campaigners watched the discussion from the public gallery.
Councillors Chris MacManus, Marie Casserly, Jerry Lundy, Sinead Maguire and Margaret Gormley supported the motion.
Ms Clarke said a list of qualified electors will have to be formally adopted by the Council. She also said they would be consulting Kerry County Council about Dingle.
Cllr Clarke said it was important the plebiscite would take place this year.