Parish Placenames Project is launched
The Parish Placenames Project is an ambitious project to create a bilingual listing of all of parishes of the Church of Ireland. It was recently launched in St. Mary’s Church, Carlow, as part of the Pan–Celtic Festival.
Through the cooperation of the Representative Church Body (RCB) the bilingual listing – with explanations of the Irish terms – will be incorporated into the Church of Ireland Directory.
The work will be carried out in a staged process, on a diocese by diocese basis. It is intended that the listing will act as a resource for parishes who may like to include the Irish name of the parish on the website, noticeboard, newsletter, etc. The first ‘testing ground’ for this project is the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory whose list is now available to view at www.gaeleaglais.ie. It is intended as a modest first attempt and feedback is encouraged.
The Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Diocese of Cashel Ferns and Cashel said: “This event marks the beginning of an ambitious and invaluable project. As we develop a better understanding of our place names with all their fascination and beauty, we will have a richer sense of our origins as resilient and vibrant communities of faith. Such knowledge of place names often connects us to those who originally established the church in a particular area, and thus helps us to walk more closely in the footsteps of the saints”.
Dáithí Ó Maolchoille, Chair of the Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise said: “Learning from the Church in Wales, which encouraged such a scheme in 2008, the Cumann envisages that the Parish Placenames Project will grow organically and enhance the honourable history of the Church of Ireland in preserving and promoting the Irish language. It sends out a very visible message of language diversity, and responds to the current openness to the Irish language in the Church”.
Any parish that wishes to comment on the proposals should get in contact with Caroline Nolan, Irish Language Development Officer at gaeleaglais@gmail.com.