Irish Place Names on Signs / Logainmneacha ar Chomharthaí Sráide

While Robin Heather (Irish Times, letters, Monday 6th February) is right that the spelling of placenames such as Kilmacanoge, Kiltiernan, and Glencormick has changed on recent roadsigns, he may not realize that these are actually the standard Anglicised versions of those placenames. The previous versions on the old roadsigns are incorrect (as far as meaningless placenames can be incorrect).

Most Irish placenames (including these ones) are now searchable on the very-reliable government-funded placenames website www.logainm.ie, which is provided through DCU's "Fiontar" project.

I might add that these placenames, originally little more than phonetic renderings for colonists, make little sense. Cill Mocheannóg (Mocheannóg's church), Cill Tiarnán (Tiarnán's church) and Gleann Chormaic (Cormac's Glen) are the true sensible versions.

Republicans and Primaries / Poblachtánaigh agus Réamhthoghcháin

My Beo article this month deals with the Republican primary elections and the strong likelihood that whoever wins the primaries will still lose against Obama in November.

Pléann m'alt i mBeo na míosa seo réamhthoghcháin an Pháirtí Poblachtánaigh sna Stáit Aontaithe, agus an caolseans go mbuafaidh a n-iarrthóir in aghaidh Barack Obama i mí na Samhna.

http://www.beo.ie/alt-an-ras-nach-feidir-a-bhuachan.aspx