What’s in a name? The various spellings of Drumshanbo

Cllr Enda McGloin asked the Ballinamore Municipal District to clarify with the TII and the Departments of Culture and Transport, why the spelling on road signs vary so much for Drumshanbo with signs including an ‘m’ instead of an ‘n’ and said that incorrect spelling of the town on road signs should be amended when clarification is received.

“It shouldn't be spelt one way one sign and another way on another,” said Cllr McGloin, adding that he felt it was a bit “silly and confusing that TII would not have their facts right and should correct it.”

He continued that Drumshanbo, in Irish Droim Seanbhó, means ridge of the old huts and that goes back to when iron ore was mined at Slieve an Iarainn and that's “how the town actually formed.”

The official response from Leitrim County Council said that when town lands and village spelling shows discrepancies, the municipal district office usually refers to the old OS maps for clarification.

From this information, “the spelling that we would include in the regional and local road signage is Drumshanbo with a ‘n.’

“The TII signage refers to signage along the National Roads. If there are discrepancies in spelling, we will advise them of same,” the reply concluded