Protect townland names –Councillor

Councillor McCaul said: “Phil Flanagan’s proposed legislation would give each district council the authority to move away from numbering properties on the basis of road names and move to a system where numbers are allocated based on the townland.

“This would give our townlands extra prominence and hopefully protect them from eradication. There is a complete lack of knowledge, particularly amongst young people, of the townland they come from or where its name is derived from.

“Here in the Limavady Borough we have almost completed a major project to erect townland signage throughout the area. These signs are printed in blue to differentiate them from the conventional street name plates”, continued Councillor McCaul.

“The townland is a unique feature of the Irish landscape. Townlands existed long before our parishes and county structures. Until recently, the townland was the postal address, before the Post Office introduced its scheme of post codes.

“There are approximately 62,000 townlands in Ireland. At present, local councils number individual properties based on a street or road name. This has led to the removal of townlands from common usage and their addition is often only as a token gesture. I am determined to put townlands back at the heart of our address system here in Foreglen.”