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Additional innovative resources on logainm.ie launched by Minister Carey
11 June 2010
Additional innovative resources on www.logainm.ie have been launched today by Pat Carey T.D., Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. These new resources will inspire public interest in Ireland’s placenames, an integral part of our heritage.
New map version of logainm.ie
A brand new version of the public website www.logainm.ie, with a map interface, is now available. Search results can now be displayed on an interactive map. Visitors to the site can explore Ireland’s placenames by browsing the placenames based on their geographical location.
Education resources for third level
Visitors to www.logainm.ie can now download and print third-level education resources. The resources are available as an aid for teaching a module on Irish placenames: a course outline which contains a plan for 11 lectures, developed versions of two sample lectures, and a comprehensive reading list. They are being made available as a resource for lecturers/tutors, for third-level students and for the public in general. They are aimed at undergraduates who are studying Irish and taking a module on placenames. Education resources for primary schools are already available on the site. Education resources for post-primary pupils will be added to the website soon.
New sound files
Sound files have been added to 191 placenames in County Leitrim and to 443 placenames in County Limerick. Seosamh Mac Muirí from Dromahaire in County Leitrim did the sound recordings for the placenames in Leitrim and Pádraig Ó Cearbhaill from Glin in Co. Limerick did the sound recordings for the placenames in Limerick. The sound files in Irish and English have been added to the names of the baronies, civil parishes and electoral districts as well as the names of some physical features. Sound files are already available for placenames in Counties Waterford, Galway, Donegal, Kerry, Tipperary, Louth, Dublin and Mayo.
Placenames are most commonly searched for by their English version. The most-searched placename so far is Dublin, with 695 searches, Blackrock is in second place (485), and Derry is third (454). Tallaght comes fourth, with 447 searches. The most frequently searched placenames in Co. Leitrim so far are Leitrim, with 223 searches, followed by Manorhamilton with 169, Ballinamore with 91 and Drumshanbo, with 87 searches. The most frequently searched placenames in Co. Limerick so far are Limerick, with 281 searches, followed by Newcastle with 226, Raheen with 194 and Adare, with 143 searches.
Minister Pat Carey said: “I am very pleased that logainm.ie is doing so well. The high number of hits shows that this service is very popular. I am certain that the new resources will greatly add to the site and that those using them will benefit greatly from them”.
www.logainm.ie
www.logainm.ie is a public website which provides the official Irish-language names of almost 100,000 towns, streets and post offices throughout the country. The placenames website has attracted 2.59 million hits since its official launch on 1st October 2008.
Students, teachers, journalists, translators and others who need the authoritative Irish form of placenames can find them easily by searching on www.logainm.ie . The site is also of interest to people worldwide who are interested in the heritage, culture and geography of Ireland.
The site also contains a facility to translate lists of placenames to and from Irish. Many of the placenames are accompanied by archival records and there are additional resources, for example historical maps, on a new information resources page on the site.
Work on www.logainm.ie is ongoing and more placenames, sound files and new interactive features as well as more education resources will be added to the website. www.logainm.ie is being developed by Fiontar, Dublin City University’s Irish-medium teaching and research unit, in collaboration with the Placenames Branch of the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.