By 
THE chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is encouraging local people to use townlands in their Christmas post.
Citing the near 3,000 specified townlands across Fermanagh and Omagh, Cllr Barry McElduff stressed the historical value in recognising local areas.
“As council chair, I want to encourage you to include your townland name when sending Christmas cards this year,” he said.
“Our district is home to nearly 3,000 townlands – each one a unique piece of our history and heritage. Townlands are traditional land units, usually between 100 and 300 acres, and many of their names reflect the landscape or events from centuries past.
“For example, Omagh comes from the Irish meaning ‘the untouched plain’, while Enniskillen is named after Queen Cethlenn from Irish mythology, who passed away on a small island after the first Battle of Moytura.”
Cllr McElduff continued, “This Christmas, I am asking everyone to help us preserve this rich legacy by adding your townland name to your card addresses.
“Simply include it after the road name and before the village or town. If the townland name is the same as the village or town, just use it once.”
If you’d like to learn more about the history behind these names, visit www.placenamesni.org
