Judge to decide Derry name issue

[Réiteoir]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1206/derry.html

Interesting that this is being raised - thoughts on what the name will be confirmed as?

I'll wager Derry

[crc]

Its unlikely to change popular usage either way, and unfortunately I could see a decision in favour of "Derry" being devisive. I'd like to see one name being used for the city (my personal preference being 'Derry') but I don't think that its possible to impose either Derry or Londonderry without the decision being political.

I'd like to see Unionists use Derry more often (but on their own terms); if they are forced to use "Derry" it will simply harden them in their use of "Londonderry". I think the best ultimate strategy is to drop the name issue, with the proviso that "Derry" should be at least equally legitimate (which at the moment is is not) in all fields.

[ken foree]

perhaps of interest to some but to most rather boring, and not an hour's drive north of here, lies the ex-residence of my current longterm gf, londonderry, new hampshire, founded just the other day in 1718. a year later, many scots and irish had left the town and set up nearby derry, the site of the first potato planted in the u.s. of a. and former home of the famous farmer and mentally ill poet-laureate, robert frost. perhaps in celebration or at least recognition of dualities and dichotomies and other di- words meaning split in two or whatever, we could read together a little poem by the man himself:

Fire and Ice

(From Harper’s Magazine, December 1920.)

SOME say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

[Andyh]

I think its a real shame that it ever became a political/legal issue in the first place. Personally I call it Derry, as did many other people both catholic and Protestant prior to the troubles (and still do) Also its hardly unique amongst NI towns for having its name shortened for handiness sake - for example Toomebridge (Toome) and here in God's country - Carrickfergus, simply known as Carrick to most people.

[crc]

perhaps of interest to some but to most rather boring...
londonderry, new hampshire... ...set up nearby derry
I actually knew about these towns. They're divided by the I-95 or something(?). In Limerick, I once met a guy who commuted to Boston from Derry, NH. Also, when I was in Albany I completely randomly saw an establishment called "Café Londonderry" in a fairly run-of-the-mill suburban mall.

While I'm up here in Ontario, I think I'll have to take a road trip south at some stage, and if I do I'll make sure to take a route through both Derry AND Londonderry! :p

[Block G Raptor]

perhaps of interest to some but to most rather boring, and not an hour's drive north of here, lies the ex-residence of my current longterm gf, londonderry, new hampshire, founded just the other day in 1718. a year later, many scots and irish had left the town and set up nearby derry, the site of the first potato planted in the u.s. of a. and former home of the famous farmer and mentally ill poet-laureate, robert frost. perhaps in celebration or at least recognition of dualities and dichotomies and other di- words meaning split in two or whatever, we could read together a little poem by the man himself:

Fire and Ice

(From Harper’s Magazine, December 1920.)

SOME say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Small World I've got Family in Derry NH and visited there in 2000 just before the old man o' the mountain fell down :)

[ken foree]

haha crc and block g - i was sure no one would give a toss about my ramblings. crc i think it's either i-89 or 91 that goes up that way, 95 goes up the coast from florida to maine. i definitely could be wrong though. block g that's too funny, i didn't even know he fell down! cool face on him eh, looks sort've like a transformer!

[Block G Raptor]

Yeah Ken The old man has popped his cloggs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2999233.stm

[pineapple stu]

From Aertel -

The High Court in Belfast has ruled that the official name of Northern Ireland's second largest city is still Londonderry.

Derry City Council went to court in a bid to have its decision to change the name to Derry upheld.

But the judge rejected its contention that because the council had changed its title from 'Londonderry' to 'Derry', that had the effect of making Derry the city's official name.

He said the council's decision had not had the effect of changing the name specified in the 1662 Charter.



So where does this go now?

[BohsPartisan]

Surely a judge in Belfast shouldn't be deciding the name of Derry/Londonderry. It should be up to the people of the city to decide.

[pineapple stu]

I think that's more or less what he's saying, in fairness. It's not up to the council to have a vote and change the name, it's up to the people of the city (and presumably the county) to decide.

[kingdom hoop]

i'd imagine the desires of the people wouldnt be enough to change the name(as in the dingle debacle), it would certainly help in the lobbying process but ultimately a state body(o cuivs british equivalent) would decide. not sure, just speculation

[BohsPartisan]

i'd imagine the desires of the people wouldnt be enough to change the name(as in the dingle debacle), it would certainly help in the lobbying process but ultimately a state body(o cuivs british equivalent) would decide. not sure, just speculation

Oh no, I agree that is probably the case, just saing what should be the case.

[pineapple stu]

I thought the problem with Dingle was that ultimately, the people didn't want the name to change? So in effect, they did affect the final decision.

[kingdom hoop]

I thought the problem with Dingle was that ultimately, the people didn't want the name to change? So in effect, they did affect the final decision.

yes the people didnt want the name changed, but wasnt it? certainly the 'dingle' has been taken from signposts about the place. o cuiv got out of it by saying that the plebiscite didnt mean anything legally, so he couldnt change a law he put into force??

[pineapple stu]

It got changed back again to Dingle/Daingean Uí Chuis (or some such). Basically "Dingle" is now legally recognised again. An Daingean would be used in the Gaeltacht as all signs tehre are required to be in Irish only.