Campaign to preserve townland names in East Derry launched
The UUP are calling on the Stormont Executive to help protect these townland names by ensuring that they become part of the legal address system so that they can be preserved for future generations
The UUP are calling on the Stormont Executive to help protect townland names by ensuring that they become part of the legal address system so that they can be preserved for future generations
Robert Carmichael, the East Derry Ulster Unionist Party Association Chairman, is urging the community to join the UUP campaign to preserve townland names across the constituency.
In a statement on behalf of the UUP Association, Mr Carmichael said: “Townland names have an important role in understanding the history of areas across East Londonderry and should be used in local address systems.
“We, as an Ulster Unionist Association, call upon the entire East Londonderry community to rally behind our campaign for the retention of townlands in the address system.
“Townland names have been with us in one form or another for more than a 1,000 years and were an ancient way of land division before parishes and counties.
“These townland names contain a mix of ancient origins and names associated with Ulster Scots including names from prominent families at that time.
“These townlands have given people a sense of identity and allows people to trace their ancestry right down to former family homesteads.
“They are also an important piece of culture we can use to promote cultural tourism that will help bring much-needed employment.
“We also call on the Stormont Executive to help protect these townland names by ensuring that they become part of the legal address system so that they can be preserved for future generations,” added Mr Carmichael on behalf of the Association.