Londonderry to be renamed Derry as Unionists cry foul (Northern Ireland)

Irish Central ^ | July 24, 2015 09:04 AM | Cathy Hayes

[Olog-hai]

The Derry City and Strabane District Council have voted in favor of moving to officially changing the name of Londonderry to Derry. Unionists are describing the decision, voted upon on Thursday evening, as “sectarian” and “disgusting.”

The vote passed with the full support of Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and the Independent councillors, despite opposition from the minority unionist block. The council will now write to Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan of the SDLP, on how to go about the change. Durkan is himself a native of Derry.

According to TheJournal.ie, 28 councillors voted to seek advice on how to change the name, with nine voting against. Close to 2,000 people have signed an online petition backing the change.

The “London” prefix was added to the city under the royal charter of King James I, in 1613. In 1984, under the nationalist-controlled council, (it) was changed to Derry; however, the city itself was still officially known by its longer name. …

[smalltownslick]

So they’ll change that lovely old song from Londonderry Air to Derry Air. That’s the ticket.

[Fiddlstix]

GMTA! I was thinking the same thing!

[Tax-chick]

My maternal grandfather was from the region of Londonderry. In the early 80s, we visited the relatives (still on the old farm), and ran into a Derry vs. Londonderry riot ... marchers in black masks, Molotov cocktails. Dad thought it was fun. My great-aunt (born there) was screaming insults out the window. Mom was under the seat.

[SunkenCiv]

The "London" prefix was added to the city under the royal charter of King James I, in 1613. In 1984, under the nationalist-controlled council, (it) was changed to Derry; however, the city itself was still officially known by its longer name.

[Tax-chick]

We were there before 1984, because I was still in high school, and I graduated in May 1984.

[DuncanWaring]

Back Home In Derry.

[LonePalm]

I certainly appreciate the sight of a nice Derry Air.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Unam Sanctam]

The Left is in full airbrushing of history mode these days.

[Olog-hai]

That’s their philosophy straight out of the Communist Manifesto, to wit “the present dominates the past”. Seems like Marx put that in there to try to make people forget that there was any other way to live.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[TXnMA]

Wow! I came on to this thread with the intent of posting the same thing -- except that Londonderry Air ("Danny Boy") would be re-named,

"Derrierre"!

[x_plus_one]

This is just until Sinn Fein is booted out again.

The Sinn Fein Community Organizer is best portrayed here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbmcDI42K2s

[Winniesboy]

This is the subject of one of my favourite PC avoidance formulae. It became the convention in rado/TV reporting to refer to the city as ‘Derry-stroke-Londonderry’. This was soon abbreviated by locals on all sides as ‘stroke city’. Nice one.

[Olog-hai]

In the Republic, the custom was reverting certain English “new” town names back to their traditional ones, especially when the names were completely different.

• Kingstown: Dún Laoghaire (pronounced “Dunleary”)
• Queenstown: Cobh (pronounced “Cove”)
• King’s County: County Offaly
• Queen’s County: County Laois (pronounced “Leash”)
  
  But some town names still hang on afterwards, e.g.:
  
  
• Bagenalstown ↔ Muine Bheag
• Edgeworthstown ↔ Mostrim (the latter being Anglicized from “Meathas Troim”)

And in the major cities, certain street names got changed, e.g. O’Connell Street in Dublin from Sackville Street, Parnell Street from Great Britain Street, etc., and I did not get the connection between doing that in Dublin and doing that in New York City (e.g. Lenox Avenue into Malcolm X Boulevard of all things) until I started reading about the communists in the Irish Republican Brotherhood.