Ulster Place-Name Society
Trustees, Report
for the financial period I September 2016 - 31 August 2017
Address
Irish & C¢Etic Studies
Arts. English and Languages
8 University Square
Queen's University
Belfast. B T7 INN
E-mail address
townlandg.upns@gmail.com
Website:
www.ulsterplacename.org
TRUSTEES
Officer8
Chair:
Secretary:
Treasurey..
Mlcheai
MainnIn
Gordon Mccoy
Donall Mac Di>naill
EI Offi¢io Members:
Editor of Ainm.. Gr¢8 Tonei.
Institu¢¢ of Irish Studies {Dtrector): Dominic Bryall WLtiI
November 2016, theTe&fter P¢ter Gray
Plo¢enames Bran¢b, Dublin (Dlrector ): padraig O C¢w'bhaill
Ordfinary Conthiittte
Members
Kay until AGM 17111116; th•raft¢r Donall
Baoill
Kevin Muway until AGM 17111116. th¢r¢after Ruairl O Bléine
Conchubhar O Crnaialoch
Angelique Day
Pubtic Relations Officer
Pat McKay
U15ter Place-Name Socletv
Registered Charity
Charity No. NIC: 103003

Main Activities
The objectives of the Lllster Place-Name Society are stated in the constitution:
a) to promote th¢ study of, appreciation of, knowledge of and awareness of place-
names in the area of beneflt and to publish a series of publications devoted to the field
of name studies, including a journal and a bi-annual newsletter.
b) to carry out research into place-nani¢s, promote and support the work of a survey
of plaoe-names En the area of benefit and to make the results of the survey available
via a scries of published volumes and via the internet where appropriate.
The so¢Rety published two newsletters during the 2016-2017 financial year as well as the 13th
volume ofAinm.' Journal ofName Studies. Over 300 Copies of the issue were published and
most were distributed to Society members and interested parties (mostly university librari¢s).
The UPNS did not publish anything else by itself during this period. but members wer¢ very
active in contributing to irnportant works publish¢d els¢wh¢r¢:
Kay Muhr compl¢ted her work as researcher of Irish names for the four-volume
OxfordDiclionaiy ofthe FamilyNames ofBritain andlreland. which was published
in November 20 16. She then began Working with Liam O hAisibéil on a publication
on the family names of ITeland.
Pat McKay began work on a jointly-authored book with Niall Comer of Ulster
UniveTSlty on the townland names of the Barony of Coleraine. Ile was commissioned
by Mid-ulster District Council to supply Erish-language versions of th¢ road names
and townLand names of the area.
Gordon Mccoy co-ordinated the Society's recommendations regarding the Northern
dioccses to the Parish Namcs Piojcct of th¢ Church of Ireland, which aimed to
provide an Irish language version of every parish in Ireland. but was hampered by a
lack of input from ex￿rtS on place-namcs. Mccoy Icsearchcd th¢ ￿cOndary sources
while Pat McKay and Kay Muhr provided many interpretations which were not
readily available. By September 12017 the material on the dioceses of Connor,
Amlagh, and Down and Dromore was eompletc.
Events
The society organised two public lectures in Queen's University Belfast. Thomas Clancy of
Glasgow UniveTSIty spoke on 'The advent of Gaelic in early Scotland.. what can plac¢-names
tell us?, On 17 November 2016. 'The Townland Names of County Wexford, was presented
Ib
by Conchubhar O Cnmlaoich 25 May 2017 to coincide with his publication of two volumLs
on the subject with hts colleague Aindl Mac Giolla Chomh&FhaiU. Both talks offered valuabl¢
insights into the nature of population movements in Britain and Ireland. Clancy's
Ulster Place-N4me Soclety
Reglstered Charlty
Charfty No. NIC.. 103003

pr¢sentation suggested a timing of the Gaelic settlement in Scotland and O Crualaoich's work
provided an improved model for mapping Anglo-Nornian settlement in Ireland.
Publlc Benefit
Members of the Society also made presentations, as listed below. tn particular, many of these
illustrat¢ the public benefit aspect of the Society's work. as stated in th¢ constitution..
The organisation plays a useful role in promoting cross-community understanding by
providing inforniatton on the historical infiuence of the various indigenous languages
of Ulster in a hamionious and non-contentious mamier.
Many people from the two main religio-political traditions were present at th¢ following
events.
Presenter
Date
Venue
Presentation
Gordon Mccoy
06.09.16
Portst¢wart Golf
Club
The Place-Names of
Portrush and
Portstewart
Pat McKay
16.09.16
Coalisland Library
The Place-Names of
Coalisland, Clonoe and
District
Kay Muhr
21.10.16
MeElon Centre for
Migration Studies
The Pla¢e-Names and
Family Nam¢s of
Tyrone
Gordon Mccoy
22.10.16
Downpatrick Library
The Place-Nam¢s of
Downpatiick
Gordon Mccoy
24.10.16
Kilk¢¢l Library
The Place-Names of
Kilkeel and Beyond
Gordon Mccoy
(co-presenter with
Caoimhln Mac an
Fhaill)
05.03.17
Killyleagh Masonic
An Introdu¢lion to
Irish Plac¢-Names
Gordon Mccoy
10.03.17
Castlereagh Council
Offic¢5
Irish Place-Nam¢s
Gordon Mccoy
16.03.17
East Belfast
Gaelic bus tour of East
Belfast (which
includes much info. on
place-names)
Ulster Place-Name Society
Registered Charity
Charity No. NIC: 103003

Kay Muhr
15.06.17
Oxford Island Visitor
Centre
Navan Centrc,
Lou8h Neagh Place-
Names
Einhain Macha in
¢nd and literature
Gaelic bus tour
MI¢heai
Mainnln
23.06.17
Gordon Mccoy
09.08.17
East Belfast
Gordon Mccoy
10.08.17
East Belfast
Gaclic bus tour
Gordon Mccoy
18.09.17
Short Strand
Community Centre
Gaeli¢ East Belfast
In addition Gordon Mccoy published a map of East Belfast townlands (and rivers) which can
be VRewed at
hiips.'//www.dropbox.Gom/J/986yy18189jx8r8/EASIYo20BEILfASP/o20MAP%20FINALjpgPd
l-o. On¢ thOuS￿d copies were produc¢d and distiibuted for fr¢e in the local arca. Pat McKay
was interviewed for the BBC2 8¢ri¢s Ulaidhfaoi Thalamh ('Underground UIster) which
looked at a5￿CtS of our hidden heritage.
Metnb¢rs of th¢ public were n￿de aware of the Society's activities through the UPNS
website, www.placenamey.org (now www.placename.org).
Membership
The Society has 53 members at the time of its AGM in 17th November 2016. The majority
of members wer¢ individuals living in North¢rn Ireland, although there were memb¢rs in
Finland, Denmark and Australia. Three organisations had corporate mcmbership of th¢
Society.
Members received a copy of the b1-alln￿l newsletter and Ainm.. A Jouinal ofName Sthdies
as soon as they were publish¢d. M¢mb¢rs contactable by ¢mail also rec¢iv¢d news of evenls
which We￿ of interest to them.
Relationship with other Organisations
The society is a m¢mb¢r of thc F¢d¢ration for Ulster Local Studies (FULS). This is a valuable
relationship. as FULS promotes UPNS evenls and provides UPNS with details of events
wht¢h may be of interest to our m¢mb¢rs. FULS aIso makes the UPNS aware of l¢gislation
and ev¢nts related to charities and voluntary organisations in Northem treland.
The UPNS has a close relationship with the North¢m Ireland Place-Name Project (NIPNP),
the professional body established in Qu¢¢n's University, Belfast. The director of the NIPNP,
Mlcheai O Mainn£n, who is heavily involv¢d in expanding the organisation's townland
research, is also the chair of th¢ UPNS. The website of the UPNS www.ulslerplacename.org
carries the results of the NIPNP Street and Road Nam¢ Project, which provided loGal
Ulster Place-Name Society
Registered Charity
Charity No. NIC: 103003

authorities with Irish language versions of street and road names. The chaÉr of the UPNS is
also a member of An Coist¢ Logainmneacha ('The Place-names Conunittee.). the body
established by the Department of Culture, Heritage and th¢ Gaeltacht to advise the minister
on place-naines policy.
This report was presented lo and approved by the membership at the AGM.
Ulster Pla¢e-Name Sc¢lety
Reglstered Charity
Charity No. NIC.. 103003

This report was presented to and approved by the membership at the Special Committee
meeting of 8 March 2019.
Signed Mlcheai O Mainnln (Chair)
Date:
a&AA
Gordon Mccoy (S¢cr¢tary)
Dat¢..
8/5/11
Donall Mac Donaill (Treasurer)
Date..
O Di
rA-(• rljljt
Ulster Place-Name Society
Registered Charlty
Charlty No. NIC: 103003