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THEIR DAY JOB is fighting so-called Islamic State in northern Syria, but the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment to the Irish Constitution hasn’t gone unnoticed by these female troops fighting for their own liberation.
The US-backed Bob Crow brigade, a group of British and Irish volunteers embedded with Kurdish forces in northern Syria, tweeted its support for the proposed changes to the Irish constitution earlier this week.
This week saw the 33rd anniversary of the enactment of the Eighth Amendment, which introduced a constitutional ban on abortion in the Republic of Ireland.
“International Freedom Battalion in solidarity with our sisters in Ireland fighting to #Repealthe8th,” it tweeted, along with a picture of two female soldiers posing above a banner that reads:
Ní saoirse go saoirse na mban [no freedom without female emancipation].
Today it tweeted as Gaeilge: “Great piece on us from Nós magazine, well done! Great magazine.”
The International Freedom Battalion comprise international volunteers from Europe, North America and Australia who say they are fighting to defend the “Rojava revolution” of an egalitarian, liberal society sought by the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The SDF comprise Kurdish and Arab fighters, but say they are now facing attack by a coalition of Isis and Turkish military forces.
The group, which fights with the Syrian Democratic Forces, recently successfully pushed Isis out of Manbij.
Their campaign was halted by Turkey, who intervened after five years on the sidelines of the Syria Civil War to ensure the SDF forces do not join up with other Kurdish forces in north-west Syria.
The incursion was painted as an anti-Isis invasion, but international analysts point out that the border between Turkish and Isis forces remains open, and Turkish military operations appear to concentrate on the anti-Isis forces, which it labels “terrorists”.
Turkey denies that Kurds are even a separate people, instead insisting they are “mountain Turks that lost their language”.
The group is affiliated to the socialist International Freedom Battalion, and also posted a picture of two balaclava-clad soldiers standing before a mural of James Connolly’s emblematic plough and the stars.
The image is in solidarity with Dublin Bus drivers, who are in the middle of a series of strikes in pursuit of a 15% pay rise.
The Bob Crow Brigade is named in honor of a famous English trade union activist who died in 2014.
It takes its inspiration from the International Brigade, which fought against Franco’s fascist forces in Spain in the 1930s.
Read: We asked every TD if they want to repeal the Eighth Amendment – here’s what they said
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No but since he’s from Cork, he should start with The English Market.
FFS, there are more important things to deal with than street names.
It should of been done yesterday…
It should have too.
It’s their language, we should use it properly out of respect.
@Reuben Gray: There is no objection to The English Market. Nor would there be an issue with a Shakespeare Street. The campaign is about individuals who were political and military figures and who were responsible for crimes against the Irish and others. We are used to the names so never think about them. I would say it is a debate worth having but I am against painting over signs. The council we have elected is entitled to make the decision one way or the other. So let’s have the discussion and we will at least learn a bit about history.
Well said Simeon.
@Reuben Gray:
If it was done in the 1920 like a lot of streets fair enough, however now it will only cause confusion, cost millions in signage, information campingins and cause division on the names to replace it with. I am pretty sure the vendors in the English Market do not want a name change having to re market a world wide brand. This is very like changing Dingle to An Dangne, it will only cause cost, confusion and division, by the way who is the said Cork Councillor?
the names should of being changed when Dev got into government many years ago.
@ ktsiwot. It will certainly cause confusion if you revert to an Irish name that never existed.
Bobby, back then how would you tell everyone your address had changed? Would using the old address be seen as a political statement?
@Niall O Neill: I did not spell it correctly. However you have just proven my point perfectly, thank you.
Changing the names would be an insult to our heritage. Those street names stand as testament to the countries struggles with and triumph over Imperial oppression. Ridiculous to want to change them.
Get rid of British Imperial names, like Victoria – absolutely – but the Irish(especially the Jackeens) have too much of the cultural cringe when it comes to their own culture and far too much reverence when it comes to British culture, as evidenced by this poll, so it won’t happen. Imagine Israel with a Hitler St. – a ludicrous idea right, but that’s not far off what we accept in this country.
@Dave O Keeffe: if you were to look at it this way don’t the names remind us of a once occupied Ireland and it was the Irish that kicked the imperial Brits asses out.from now on though we should be naming streets after those brave men and woman that sacrificed their lives for a country of our own.the irish should be proud of their history.
@ben, isn’t that a very British name you have? Should ‘of’?
@TehJurolan: It’s not reverence to the British. I’m from Cork and I want to be able to tell my kids why the city has those street names, the way my mother told me. It’s a very bad idea to white wash history.
@filthypete: Many things done in the name of old blighty on our fair island. Most horrific, should we respect that too? Why respect the language they forced us to use on pain of death? Wise up, sticking to a wicked tradition out of respect for an imperialistic mongrels is nigh on treasonous
@Gavin Elliott: These things are reminders of imperialist mongrels. They are also reminders that we drove them out.
@Dave O Keeffe: Use Eircode, bad joke.
@Simeon: why not do as they did in Italy?
Put up both names
Eg Irish Patriot St (in large lettering), formerly known as Brit Criminal St (in much smaller lettering).
A compromise that would please everybody
Placenames are part of our history, but more should have changed post independence. There’s still scope to change some, like all references to the genocidal Famine Queen, Victoria.
@Diarmuid: the people who fought for independence were better placed to decide whether to change the names or not, than this post modern post truth nonsense era we are in now.
Bobby, there are thousands of places named after our nations liberators. Yes we should keep doing that but your plan is to ignore a part of our history to honour our history.
@Dave O Keeffe: I would like to see bobby sands name on more streets bobby sands was a legend of our time also he deserves recognition
@Simeon: The ‘English’ Market was so named because the English called the Cornmarket Street Market – Paddy’s Market, typical British ‘look down their noses’ at other races.
@filthypete: A good point, lets stop speaking English also and call it Alternative English?
@eastsmer #IRExit: A lot of these colonial powers, were arrogant and have done damage. But that’s in the past, this is 2017 and lets get problems we have today sorted.
@Bobby Phelan: It should be left for local residents to decide rather than politicians what we call our streets.
Doubt many think it wasn’t the right thing to do to change to O’Connell Street in our Capital. Absolutely look at each case individually and historical issues. The Chinese people use Beijing not Peking and the Indians do not continue to use Bombay like the English used during their occupation their where millions of Indians lost their lives
so irish names of towns in usa need to change too eg. Dublin?
@Louis Jacob: Absolutely, just like it is a bad thing to think that Queen Victoria was responsible for the famine. In fact she made three visits to Ireland between 1849 and 1861. After her visit to Killarney in 1861 it brought thousands of visitors to go to the places she visited and has since become a world renowned tourist venue..
Some people today have a twisted view of our history and often for all the wrong reasons.
@Chris Kirk: She didn’t cause it, but she did nothing about it and neither did the Government.
” forced to use on pain of death ”
Such ignorance is embarrassing !
@Louis Jacob: I migrated from England to Ireland. You said it perfectly. The only point where I’d differ, is from the point of view of children who have to grow up in those places, and might be tarnished by the association at school. Nobody wants to be the kid from Churchill Bank in Bangalore, Hitlerstrasse in Rotterdam, or Cromwell Road in Adare.
As someone who loves their country I say “leave it be”.
We watch English TV, We support British Football, We eat British Food.. changing a street name is going to do nothing other than bring up past troubles that should be buried.
I know we’re the leaders in hypocrisy
What kind of trash is that, firstly don’t use term ‘we’ speak for yourself and secondly British food! what are you babbling about do we eat German food because some people shop in Lidl and the the other EU nations eat plenty of our food. I watch films and TV shows made in Hollywood & US TV that doesn’t have anything whatsoever to do with identity or the issue of place names. Beijing and Mumbai rightly got rid of occupation names I’m sure we will decide appropriately in each case but not with that silly argument based on you watching a particular soccer team
Why don’t we ban anybody being named Victoria too?! Stupid idea
As if anyone still thinks about queen Victoria when they hear the name… Do you think of York in England when you think of New York?
@JFN:
Well because a street name Victoria is obviously in honour of that Queen, a bit different don’t you think? Would we accept a Pol Pot Street in one of our towns?
And I am not in favour of changing all street names inspired by our colonists.
Will we return the language as well? Just asking. Let’s focus on the main issues. Will Changing the names help the economy grow or reduce homelessness or any other social issue we have?
@The Girl: This changing of names will be an ongoing project. It should not interfere withe the homeless or health crises. It does not involve rocket science to change the name of Sackville St to O’Connell St or Kingsbridge Station to Heuston Station.
Woul you like Dublin Airport to be renamed Thatcher International Airport. I dont think so. It would be ok in the UK.
@The Girl: well said
Didn’t we do that already there’s loads of Pearse streets in Ireland
Of course they should, it’s a joke that there’s still even English names here today. And I’m from Cork there’s plenty here! Anyone that argues otherwise is just an apologist or couldn’t give a sh!te anyway. Imagine roles were reversed, you can be guaranteed there wouldn’t be Gaelic names all over Britain.
Jeremy is an English name. #justsayin
Damocles, nobody is proposing changing all English named streets, just the ones named after criminals and murderers, if the locals decide that someone or something else deserves the honour then why shouldn’t they change it or leave as is if they wish.
Half measures, Phil. Go the whole hog. Rename the streets, the people, the whole shebang. Purge Britain from Ireland.
Calm down Damocles, no need to exaggerate, nobody is proposing that at all.
Nobody, apart from me. If you’re going to do the stupid thing do it as wholeheartedly as possible.
@Spoddgy: P155 poor street as well…
They can feck off. The names are part of the history of Cork. Whatever their origin, they are now ours and part of thr identity of the city. Are we going to start renaming Wexford now because it honors murdering Vikings? This country is a mix of Gaelic, Old English, Scottish, Norman, Scandanavian, and (whisper) English civilisations melting into a modern Irish identity. People can rename streets to deny that, but to be it reeks of cultural fascism.
@Spoddgy: and they’re all kips
@Jeremy McCarthy: That’s what’s wrong with this country , we live in the past, Oh the brits did this ,the Brits did that, in the north its the IRA and the UVF. in the Dail its still civil war politics, cop on people and move on , the money spent on street signage would be better spent on our ailing health service or improving the help for mental health patients. we are nation of moaners, we moan about the government yet when election time comes its the same old, same old
Mick, you have to blame the past, otherwise you’d have to take on personal responsibility for stuff.
Sorry Damocles I have to call out your hypocrisy, you’re quick enough to bash some about the “past” when it suits but if one were to criticise the UK about its conduct in Ireland you’re even quicker to point out that the past is gone let’s move on, you only like to believe in your own out of context version of events.
Damocles, firstly my name is Jeremiah shortened to Jeremy and is in fact a biblical name. Can’t see how that factors in here but since you said it like a five year old would in an argument I said I’d correct you. Secondly there is a lot of things wrong with this country, none of them start with people wanting streets named after a country/countrymen who led murderous reigns over this country. You think the price of street signs will fix the ailing health services?! What planet are you living on! Without a past there is no future, people, including yourself would do well to remember that. People who fought and died for our freedom deserve to be remembered, not those who tried take it.
Mick Potts that comment ridiculously all over the place there fella. Try stick to one subject, and while you’re having a go at people moaning try not sound like a insufferable whinger while doing it ;)
I’ve never seen the West Brits so hysterical, overreacting to a bit of black marker crying vandalism, it’ll wash off with soap and water ffs, hardly the cost of a new hospital ward.
Jeremy is taken straight from Hebrew Jeremiah meaning may God exalt it’s not an english name but trying to claim things that don’t belong to you is typically english
These Street names are part of our history it would be a bit petty to start changing Street names because their British names. The Irish are well over their inferiority complex regards England. This type of move is just a backward step
@tomas o beag: Is there a James Connolly Street in Manchester? We shouldn’t honour past British Monarchs or Statesmen in Ireland. We are not part of Britain.
@Brendan Mason: We were part of the United Kingdom at the time they were named though. The street names tell the story of the history of our towns and cities, they provide a link with the past
@The Duke of Fluke: What past. A forgettable past.
@Brendan Mason: There is nothing wrong with naming a street after James Connolly, even though he came to Ireland from Scotland. Wouldn’t it be better for towns to embrace their heritage and instead use it to educate communities about the history of their towns and villages. Changing street names is the same as brushing history under the carpet. Better than seeing streets named after present US presidents.
If towns do change street names then they should also display the old name so that people searching for where their ancestors lived can easily find it.
Didn’t even read the article, straight to the comments section. Ready, steady, aaaaaaaaaaaaaand…………Go!
Poll: Should thejournal stop with useless polls? Like = yes Dislike =no Do nothing = not sure (ignore and get on with your life)
If they stopped the useless polls I’d have nothing else to do in the mornings….
My heart warms when I’m up north and see the london bit spraypainted over on the Derry signs =)
@Donal O’Leary: When I head north the hairs on my neck bristle. You feel up for it.
Yes. We can have the same relationship with the UK as Denmark. Friendly neighbours, that’s it. Doesn’t mean our streets need to be named after their royalty.
Rubbish – are we really that petty?
And you’re typing in English?
The Vikings attacked us so I am not comfortable with those Danes
@The Girl:
Yes i’m typing in English as a direct result of English imperialism in Ireland over centuries, and your point is what?
Get down on your knees and thank God you speak English as a first language. I love the Irish language but if we spoke Irish only we would be a culturally isolated country and economically in the third world.
Rose are you saying that if the British didn’t colonise Ireland we wouldn’t be able to speak English like most people in Europe?
@Fred Jensen: We already are friendly neighbours. It would be even friendlier if we didn’t have anglophobic nutters like you.
@canuckandgo: Because we’ve done such a good job at learning languages other than English. Or even learning English in the case of some sibling TDs from Kerry…
The girl. Since most Irish people have English blood. And Irish was never the native tongue of urban dwellers in Ireland. It’s a con to say you must speak irish to be Irish.
@Anton Friendo:
Good point Anton, we should also rename Waterford, Wexford, Howth, Leixlip, Carlingford, Dalkey etc etc etc because they’re named by those pesky Vikings. Only then will I get over their plundering, murdering and raping.
Yes.
@Rose Sexy:
Rose it is indeed useful to speak English in the modern world (mostly because of the cultural influence of the US world wide, not the British). But that doesn’t detract from the historical reasons why we speak it as a first language, and not Irish.
Exactly Richard, if we had to learn English as a second language we wouldn’t be as lazy as we are now when it comes to learning languages. We don’t learn them fluently because we expect everywhere else to speak English.
I deal with people on the continent every day of the week and most can speak 2-3 languages. Native, neighbouring country if they are from a border area and English.
The Danes apologised to Ireland recently, in fairness. And they have style now.
The Girl, that’s because the rest of us wouldn’t understand him if it was in Irish.
@Rose Sexy: Just like the other small European countires who speak their own language, oh wait, they are among the most prosperous countires in the world.
@Rose Sexy: give our proximity to Britain we were always going to be bilingual regardless of our history.
@Críostóir Ó Faoláin: which small European countries??
@Pat Cbar: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Belgium.
We could start speaking Irish and see how long the multi nationals stay
Or not be so lazy and go bilingual like most of Europe.
Tell me this? Is there a Cathal Brutha Street in London, Manchester etc. The answer is no! Why should we have Streets named after the British Empire like Westmorland Street for example. Where is our nationality?
They don’t have anything named after jihadi John either
@Brendan Mason: Let’s rename Leinster House to. It’s named after the Duke of Leinster. In fact let’s rename the entire province in case anyone relates it to feudal times.
There are more important things to worry about than attempting to change history.
Firstly there isn’t a Cathal Brutha street in Ireland never mind one in Manchester.
Secondly Leinster is not named after the Duke of Leinster, the Duke of Leinster is named after Leinster. Leinster being the anglicised name of the province.
OK Cathal Brugha Street. Stop being so pedantic.
@canuckandgo: I was being sarcastic – that obviously escaped your attention.
What about Henry St, Moore St and Earl St – all named after the same person. Or does anyone bar this muppet in Cork actually give a f$$k.
Yes there is lol coming from Marlborough st to o connelly st beside the Grisham..cathal bru that St. Fact
Sorry for the typos lols.cathal brutha st runs onto o’connell st beside the gresham hotel.poxy predictive text gggrrrr
Go home John, you’re drunk.
@Brendan Mason: There is a lot of Empire loving people on this site. Where is your patriotism?
Same place as your jingoism
@Brendan Mason: it was sold by this government to the troika
When there is a Wolfe Tone street in London I will agree not to change our street names.
Won’t happen anyway. Those holding the big cash are comfortable living in estates with grand English names…Windermere Road, Oxford Green, Shrewsbury. Besides if our councillors cannot protect historically significant buildings like those in Moore Street from the incessant onslaught of commercialism then what hope have we of them changing street names?
Windermere Road? Oxford Green? What are you shyting on about?
@Richard III: Windermere is a road off Westminster Road in Foxrock. There is also Windermere in Castlebar, Clonsilla and Ballymun.
For example, I live in Pembroke in Dublin. Named after Henry VIII home. A huge amount of streets and areas particularly in Dublin, and Cork are named after the English.
@Havid Dickey: So what? The English names are part of Irish history.
Not all street names should be changed but some of the streets are named after people who are guilty of unimaginable crimes, do they deserve to have a street named in their honour, either way it should be up to the locals if they want to change the names.
@Havid – yes, I’m aware there are lots of British area names in Ireland, thanks. Also, there is no road or lane called Windermere in Foxrock and have you found an Oxford Green in Ireland yet?
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: The dark part of history we want to forget. Why glorify it.
@Richard III: The left turn before Gordon Avenue on Westminster is Windermere.
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: At no point did I state anything positive or negative. I was just highlighting that a number exist as the poster above me doubted some of their existence.
@ Havid – Windermere is named after a house in Foxrock, no public roads, avenues etc in Foxrock share the same name
I take it you’re not from Dublin 18 Havid?
@Richard III: No, just live there.
@Richard III: The house is named after the piece of land where a public lane use to lead to. My word Richard what is your hard one with this?
@Havid – you live there? But you said you lived in Pembroke? That’s nowhere near D18. Anyway there never was a Windermere lane (you called it a road first time around).
Is there a Firbolg Avenue or a Tuatha De Danann Square in any of our towns? I’ve never driven along a Dubh Linn Street or a Diarmuid MacMurrough Boulevard. One good thing is that Ireland doesn’t have a Cromwell Arms pub – the beer in such an establishment could turn sour.
Pre-Celtic history should be explored more Garreth.
Focus people! There’s a hell of a lot more important things to worry about than the names of a few streets. Our govt are lying to us and forces of the state are actively trying to prevent truth from coming out. And lets not forget the small issue of people dying on trollies in our basket case of a health service
Lets all stop speaking English while we’re at it. That too is a legacy of our oppression is it not?
Ar mhaith leat cupán tae agus cáca milis?
Tabhair dom an cáca milis!
Who gives a royal f&&&
No. But take the Royal Coat of Arms off the Customs House and put it in a museum.
Isn’t William of Orange on the Dublin Lord mayors chain?
Bit silly really . . Leave the past in the past. If we’re going down that road. . We should change Patricks street in Cork. To my knowledge, our patron saint was British. . Or am I wrong?
@Jason O Flynn: you are wrong he was welsh, Britain didn’t exist then.
@joe o hare: how’s that then,as all accounts have him as a Roman Briton? Do you mean the UK didn’t exist then?
@Jason O Flynn: Yes, you are wrong. There was no British identity at the time of Patrick so he wasn’t British.
‘Wales’ didn’t exist back then either, genius. And no, they didn’t call the place ‘Cymru’ either – they would have referred to themselves as Britons just as the Romans did. They only thought of themselves as separate from the rest of the island after the Anglo-Saxon settlement.
@Harry Whitehead: We don’t know what they referred to themselves as. We don’t have a collective term that they used for themselves as it was a tribal system with ever-changing boundaries. They certainly didn’t refer to themselves from the English word ‘Briton’…an ethnicity that is Celtic and not Germanic(British).
The English term is derived from the Latin term for the island. As I said, the people living south of Hadrian’s wall were collectively Britions. The tribal leaders mostly aped their Roman overlords.
@Harry Whitehead: They didn’t speak Latin.
The tribal leaders certainly would have. Do you imagine Caratacus delivered his famous plea for mercy in Brittonic? Anyone who was Someone would have spoken Latin. Like English, the modern Welsh term for Britain (‘Prydain’) is derived from Latin. This is basic stuff FFS
@Harry Whitehead: You just went from the 1st century AD to the English language that wasn’t commonplace until nearly a millennium later. I’m not even sure you know yourself what your point is anymore.
The end of Roman rule in Britain was the transition from Roman Britain to ….. E. A. Thompson (“Britain, A.D. 406–410″, in Britannia, 8 (1977), pp. 303–318) offered a more … Background · Chronology Might be wrong again. . Took that from some fella at Oxford.
The end of Roman rule in Britain was the transition from Roman Britain to ….. E. A. Thompson (“Britain, A.D. 406–410″, in Britannia, 8 (1977), pp. 303–318) offered a more … Background · Chronology Some fella from Oxford disagreed
Someone’s fishing for a sign change contract. Must be worth a hundred million plus an Irish surcharge. We need to focus on more important issues.
I saw Denis O’Brian looking at the sign on Waterloo road and clenching his fist
What did the royals ever do for us, change them to Irish men or women that deserve it, it boru Street, Victoria once wrote Really, they are a terrible people,” she once wrote. The British ruling classes, after all, tended to regard Ireland as a place apart, inhabited by turbulent and backward people, always threatening the violent overthrow of law and order.
Should we stop calling Cork the rebel county… the moniker came from the merchants in the city support of the Duke of York, nothing to do with fighting for Irish independence.
@Brendan Walsh: All the more reason to call them rebels! Bloody traitors.
@Brendan Walsh: The truth is we don’t know where the ‘rebel’ tag came from. We can only theorise. Many believe it came from Cork city’s support of Cromwell. Others believe it was named from the huge amount of ambushes in County Cork on British military at the start of the 20th century.
At a time when famine relief was a new thing was Queen Victoria in fact the single largest single donor to Irish Famine relief – and despite what exists in popular myth?
Not saying that is a good or bad reason to keep or ditch names but each should be done on it’s own merit – and I trust that whoever has been vandalising or encouraging or supporting the vandalisation of street sign will be arrested and charged and made to pay for the damage and if a councillor is involved I trust that he/she will be debarred from holding office- there is no excuse for damaging council (and consequently yours and my) property.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: The ottoman sultan of the time was willing to offer 5 times what victoria did but the diplomatic necessity meant he was forced to reduce it to half of what Vic gave…. So in effect her ” generous” donation cost famine relief in Ireland 7,000 £ at the time …..
This article has the most ridiculous comments I’v ever read on here.
Of course our streets shouldn’t have British royalty as their inspiration. But stuff like the ‘English Market’ or named after English place names is fine.
This sycophancy should have been ended years ago.
@Eric Foley:
If you think they are the most ridiculous comments ever on here you must not be on here long.
Some people just can’t leave the past in the past Eric.
We should never forget our history, and there’s no harm in having reminders of our past, even if it’s a negative one.
Good or bad its a reflection of our history.
@Grey Beard: Famine Street lol. But Drogheda in Louth has a street named Scarlett Street thanks to Cromwell’s actions there?
I prefer the sound of Sráid Bhuicteóiria alright, but phuck off Mr Cork Councillor.
Great damage was done when minds of a similar ilk destroyed some of the amazing British architecture around the country in the 50′s and 60′s. Just take a look at Limerick for example – replacing the beautiful Cannock’s store with what we now call Penneys. The ruination of Georgian Limerick continues to this day, with the recent filling of the vaults on William Street with concrete being a prime example. This vandalism was and is still done all over Dublin also.
This little bottom feeder should focus is useless mind on issues that do matter.
At least we don’t have any streets named after King William of Orange, Richard Cromwell, Robert Peel, etc. Queen Victoria was the ruling monarch during the Irish holocaust so I don’t think we should have anything over here named after her.
Don’t know about that…
Lord Molesworth named Nassau Street in 1749 after his newborn son, Richard Nassau Molesworth (whose name derives from the title of King William of Orange, Count of Nassau)
@Aaron Roche: Instrument of the government. Cromwell’s fort road in Walkinstown. The Bleeding Horse pub close by. 1640′s were lively times, as were the 1690′s.
I suppose it should be up to the people who live on whichever particular road/street, if they want it changed then change it, if they don’t then leave it as is.
@Mr Phil Officer: Why? They don’t own the street.
Suppose it would be the simplest way of dealing with it, anyway it is very amusing watching the West Brits flap about like a pack of penguins who spotted an Orca whale, where’s the Diarmuid fella until I take the p1ss out of him.
Beaumont Hospital?
Named after Viscount Beaumont.
Used to love viscounts, the mint ones.
Where’s the “It’s up to the residents” option?
The Cork councillor isn’t named , but I bet he’s FG looking for a distraction from the BS in the Dail
He’s co-oped independent county councillor. For some reason he feels it’s his place to vandalise City Street signs. Apparently there is no county business to attend to.
If that was the case, I’m sure we’d have to every post box, as nearly all of them have Royal markings on them, fair enough they were painted green, but they still have a royal seal!
Silly idea. . Let the past in the past. If we’re going to go down that road, we might as well change Patricks street in Cork. Wasn’t our patron saint British. Or am I wrong?
The concept of Britishness wasn’t even thought of in Patrick’s day so your point is mute.
@Phil, moot.
@Spilt Pint: Molly prop!
If you’re going to take that line of argument Phil, there was no concept of Irishness at the time either…
The end of Roman rule in Britain was the transition from Roman Britain to ….. E. A. Thompson (“Britain, A.D. 406–410″, in Britannia, 8 (1977), pp. 303–318) offered a more … Background · Chronology
They stole our spuds
Within a generation of having our “spuds stolen” the Irish rose up and slayed the British empire, they won’t be stealing our spuds again in a hurry.
If were going to make these type of changes in our cities, start with the capital a put a statue of a dubliner on our main street instead of culchies and brits !
As a Dubliner, I’d vote for that :-) I nominate Bram Stoker. It’s high time Dublin had a decent vampire statue. Maybe the IBTS would sponsor him.
Jesus Kieran, other than being the capital city Dublin is nothing special. I never go near the kip despite only living half an hours drive away.
@Kieran Jones: What is wrong with culchies? Where would Dublin get its food from? All the food Dublin ever got was from the country and that makes them culchies because it is food that builds their bodies. So they are physically all culchies lol.
I live in dublin and feed myself with all local food thank you.
@Kieran Jones: From where, have dubliners been farming in their flats? Cannabis doesn’t count as one of your five a day lol.
Its one of my five a day !
Is the message that The Journal is trying to send out here that if you want to get attention, don’t follow channels that have been put in place for your cause, instead use vandalism and we will publicize you?
So what, Victoria Street becomes Dominic McGlinchy Street, Dessie O’Hare street, Pearse MacAuley street, or the likes? Jesus Christ. Don’t forget our Republican “heroes” tried to blow the heart out of Cork with two huge bombs in March 1941 and but for two brave Gardai, one of them my grandad, they would have succeeded. Patriots my hole.
Again more exaggeration, nobody proposed that at all.
Why have street names that are named after people who were crazy, Queen Victoria was mad and she use to smoke cannabis but all royalty are a bit mad as are those who ran empires?
I just spotted a large yellow reg van and load of nordies working on Fenian Street.
Quick we’re under attack.
Only if, at the same time, all the streets named after saints are renamed.
Why do we need to ‘honour’ the elite of a disgraced religion in this manner?
And while we’re doing the streets, we could rename all the schools, hospitals and other public properties too.
Also get rid of the “Lord” in “Lord Mayors”.
Oh yes, expunge any vestige of Britain from your land. So will you all be speaking your own language and supporting your own football teams from now on? Although association football, that’s English. It has no place here. Or rugby.
Although I never put any thought into street names before but now that the debate has started there is merit in the argument, some of the people the streets are named after are guilty of unspeakable crimes, do criminals deserve to still have a street named after them.
What unspeakable crimes? Ah no, you can’t tell me. How about Inch in Kerry? That’s an Imperial Measure. Should we call it 2.54 cm?
“What unspeakable crimes” I’m sorry but it would take to long to list them all. The question is, do “some” of these people who have streets named after them deserve such an honour, it is a decision that only the locals can answer.
So they are speak able crimes.
Well we definitely shouldn’t rename them Enda Kenny or Noirin oSullivan streets.
Next Council Motion:
To rename the months of July and August because they are named after violent dictators.
@The Duke of Fluke: And while we’re at it we should rename Thursday because we shouldn’t have days named after violent foreign gods.
Of course the street names shouldn’t be changed. This is a ridiculous, attention seeking campaign by Far Left head cases!
My family are celtic we ruled Ireland for many years Then Vikings came murder, raped, took our land, renamed places etc… However today my friend has a viking surname. We let this go I know the troubles are recent enough. But in the South the issue is different and we should move on.
Besides the troubles, that is how world was ran those days invadeding each others lands like the old Irish Kingdoms, like the Mc Kenna tribes of Ulster because they where strong Monaghan, the British didn’t make part of the North.
@JustMade Ireland: We also can’t really just judge from surnames. My surname is certainly not of Gaelic origin. There’s a bit of dispute about whether it’s Norman or English, but that’s an aside. However, we don’t just come from our male line. Go back the generations and I see all sorts of surnames from all sorts of backgrounds. At this point, everyone has such mixed genes, it’s pointless trying to claim membership of one group or another.
Whether we like it or not they are part of our history. Changing the street names is like pretending that nothing ever happened. We can’t just ignore a period in the history of our country. Whether we like it or not it’s part of what made this country what it is today.
I don’t know. I’m slow.
Waterford named by Vikings?
Well that’s a leading, inflammatory and irresponsible title to use but what else would you expect from the journal.
Really, do we not have more to concern us than this councillor’s attempt at a bit of free pr. This being allowed air time is just sad !
You cant re-write history. But switching the irish translation of name for the english in order priory on the signage, making the irish the main focus and thus promoting its importance, woukd be nice to see. Do they know the original pre english road names? Leach alley and scabs and boils road…. etc…
since we became a republic we have destroyed beautiful buildings in dublin and around the country and put up crap, whether we like it or not the brits give us transport, trams, buildings built with care, the wide st commision (1700s) who where way ahead of their time give us Oconnell st and other wide streets and Georgian squares, now all we have in dublin a useless dublin city council interested only in bycle lanes and junkie centres!
And he has now been coop onto the county council. I sincerely hope he will be charged for at least vandalising public property.
Absolutely change them and also help our Irish language revival use Gaelic too.
Like it or not it is a part of the island’s history
This really should have been done after independence, bit late to start changing them all now. I guess gradually it could work for naming streets after local heroes or people who make have significant achievements it could be a good idea. Ireland is actually quite poor compared to other countries when it comes to naming streets, schools, public areas after those who’ve made positive contributions to public life since independence.
Another national disgrace.
Ah, Cork’s not that bad!!
The English names are a reminder that we kicked them out.
What an utter load of bol..x. Have the likes of these thicks not got anything better to do with their time ? I see some genius wants to ” re-brand ” Sherriff St., part of which changing the name. Like changing the name will make any difference. There is history in these names, for good or bad, and they should be left well enough alone at this stage. 93 years , ago Sackville St., became O’Connell St., along with some others around the country. That was the time to the changing not fkn 93 years later. This is the mind set that had the old IRA blowing up monuments like Nelson’s Pillar. Who is this pillock anyway ?
Yes.
Jesus!!! It’s ‘SHOULD HAVE’ not should of.
what about all the Irish place names in Australia, maybe they should change them back to there aborigine names.
If we want to change our place-names we need to do it through the relevant local authorities. I would have more issue with the naming of some estates, ie Shrewsbury Downs and several more such names which give housing estates delusions of imperial grandeur. This is perhaps a better example of Stockholm syndrome. At least Cork County Council brought in a ruling a few years back that these names should reflect local landmarks and history. Granted they do make a poor attempt of some ie, In Ballinspittle ( Beal Atha an Ospideál), a local estate is named ‘Spittle Field’ instead of ‘hospital field’ which would tie in with the place-name. A reintroduction of minor place-names in country areas, particularly native ones that have been recorded would be a nice touch for local development groups. This could be done with inscribed stonework or finger-posting. To change street names that many find offensive needs to be done slowly and systematically to insure a smooth transition, for example Lansdowne Road change to Aviva Stadium was done effortlessly. The subject is worthy of debate and needs to be put to the populace in a democratic way.
Why do we have to use English names like Victoria ? Could you imagine any street name in England or France being called Adolf. Hitler street or In Israel naming a street after Adolf Eichmann ?
Judaean People’s Front.
@The Duke of Fluke: Surprise we never used the Jewish months or days lol.
Hey . . Maybe we should just make Cork the proper capital city as it was found by an Irish man and not a boat load of vikings. . Just a thought!
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