‘Annoyance’ over signage spelling

CONFUSION over the spelling of names of towns and villages in North Clare on signs is “causing difficulty for tourism providers” Councillor Joe Arkins claimed this week.

At a meeting of North Clare area councillors on Monday, Councillor Arkins asked the director of services to engage with representatives of the NRA to address the issue of signage and place names.
“There is a high level of annoyance among the people of the county at the most recent spelling of the names of towns and villages and this issue is also causing difficulty for tourism providers,” he stated.
He cited Ballyvaughan, Corofin and Ennistymon as regularly misspelled on signs and Tubber councillor Michael Kelly pointed out that there are three different spellings of Corofin on signs – Corofin, Corafin and Corrofin. Councillor Michael Hillery added that Lahinch is often called Lehinch and this causes “fierce confusion”.
Ennistymon Area Office senior executive engineer, Stephen Lahiffe responded to Councillor Arkins’ motion.
“It is the policy of the National Roads Authority to use The Gazetteer of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland when designing road signage,” he explained.
This “designates the official names of locations in Irish and English. These names have then been used on signage.” Mr Lahiffe said he would refer this to the NRA and “engage with them on the issue”.
“We are really causing difficulties for people and I think we need a meeting with the NRA to see whatever lunacy this is,” Councillor Arkins stated. Councillor Hillery agreed.
“Just because it is on a map 200 years ago doesn’t make it right. It makes us look like absolute fools. If you went to Greece and saw this sort of thing, you would think you were in a Banana Republic,” Councillor Arkins concluded.