Madam, - I do wish more people would take note of the excellent articles by Flann Ó Riann in his "Where's That", column, particularly those responsible for street and directional signs around Dublin. On Monday he referred to the Wexford townland of Hill.
Its more common Irish form "cnoc" which is sometimes mistaken for the knock in Castleknock - actually Caisleán Cnucha, Cnucha in this instance being the wife of a Fir Bolg chieftain. If Mr Ó Riann needs a good laugh, or even some exercise, he should take a ramble around Castleknock where he will come across signs directing him to "Ostán Caisleán an Bhuile & Club Golf" - The "bhuile" here meaning to strike against something or meet someone.
A few years ago he could have witnessed the replacement of Sráid na Feise (Parliament Street) with "Sráid Polomint". This was one of the few occasions where the city council reacted so promptly to my observation that I did not have time to photograph this refreshing confection. By the following day it had been miscorrected to Sráid Parliament.
Unfortunately, two weeks ago we saw the replacement of Geata Iosóilde (Essex Gate), a side-street off "Sráid Polomint" in Temple Bar, with Geata Essex and another historic Dublin streetname was consigned to the cultural scrapheap maintained by the City Council. I have prayed to the patron saint of Dublin, Lorcain Ó Tuathail that the council will get sense but it has responded by renaming the patron saint Labhrás to thwart my invocations. - Is mise,
PAT GARRY, Wainsfort Manor Drive, Terenure, Dublin 6W.