‘Decolonise Cork's place names’

Irish language activist groups Liú na Laoi and Misneach erected a number of street signs around Cork this week, in what it called a “decolonial action”.

The group highlighted a number of streets that were named to celebrate British rule, and erected signs with Irish alternatives.

“Our action highlighted streets such as Union Quay, Albert Street, and Victoria Road. These names celebrate the Act of Union, royal visits during the Great Famine, and the authority of empire.

“Liú na Laoi and Misneach are proposing alternative names rooted in Cork’s own history: Pádraig Ó Cuanacháin, Muirgheal Mac Suibhne, and Leslie Price-de Barra. Such figures dedicated their lives to community, justice, and the Irish language.

“These are the stories that deserve visibility in our public spaces,” said a spokesperson for Misneach.

Both groups have called on Cork City Council to “begin a formal process of decolonising the city’s place‑names”.

Misneach’s constitution describes it as “a left-wing group that works to drive the strengthening of the Irish language and ensure the future of the language by working with the people of the Gaeltacht and the country in general”.