‘I’ or ‘E’? Plebiscite on Enniscrone spelling to take place in September

THE issue over the official spelling of Enniscrone looks set to be resolved in September after Sligo County Council paved the way for a plebiscite to take place in the town.

A provisional date of September 20 th has been set, with the council to cement a date in the near future.

The issue over whether the town should be spelled ‘Enniscrone’ or ‘Inishcrone’ has been a bugbear for many in the west Sligo town since road signs with the ‘I’ spelling were erected in the area in the 90s.

Independent councillors Joe Queenan and Michael Clarke along with Fine Gael’s Dara Muley each joined to table a motion in May, calling on Sligo County Council to set a date in which registered electors and business owners in the town could decide if they wanted the I or E spelling and whether the Irish translation should be recognised as ‘Inis Crabhann’ or ‘Inis Eiscir Abhann’.

Speaking at June’s meeting of the council and in the aftermath of the decision, Muredach Tuffy of the placemanes committee described the day as ‘ historic’ for the people of Enniscrone. “We’re just delighted”, he beamed. “People could not understand why the road signs use the ‘I’ spelling when they were put up.

“There’s still a lot be done however and we really hope people will get behind us on this one. “But we believe the people are with us.”

It is also hoped any change would boost the local economy in Enniscrone, a key component of the Wild Atlantic Way.

“The spelling issue gave cause for concern because people were missing Enniscrone. They were typing the name into their sat navigation systems and it wouldn’t find the town and that was causing problems with getting people into Enniscrone.”

Mr Tuffy also said that people in the town didn’t recognise the current Irish translation and that locals used ‘Inis Eiscir Abhainn’ when referring to their home as Gaeilge. “In school we learned ‘Inis Eiscir Abhann’ at both national and secondary level”, he explained.

He also said he was sure people in other areas in the county where place names are commonly spelled different ways would be watching, such as Easkey, Tubbercurry and Ballisodare.

Councillor Queenan thanked the placenames committee for their “great work”, while both councillors Clarke and Mulvey said they were delighted to see movement on the issue.