Change of name for village in Tipperary is on the cards

For years there has been an appetite to officially change the name of Ballyclerahan village to Clerihan, Cllr John FitzGerald stated at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District.

Cllr FitzGerald requested that the council would facilitate the local community council’s request that two vintage signs would be erected on the Clonmel and Cashel roads from the village, stating ‘Welcome to Clerihan village’.

He said that the local GAA Club, the Tidy Towns group, the parish and local residents were also in favour of the proposal and there were no dissenting voices.

The money has been acquired locally for the signs and all they are waiting for is “the nod” from the council.

Cllr FitzGerald, who lives in Darcy’s Cross, Clerihan, said that nearly every village had a sign erected either by the parishioners or the county council.

District Mayor Richie Molloy was very supportive of the proposal, saying that the name Ballyclerahan always seemed to suggest a townland rather than the village.

Cllr Pat English said that most of the people who lived in the village called it Clerihan.

In a written response to Cllr FitzGerald’s request, District Administrator Carol Creighton said that the Borough District is willing to erect the vintage signs, funded by the community council, in Ballyclerahan, provided that the official place name is on the sign.

Currently, in accordance with Logainm.ie, which is the place names database of Ireland and comes under the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the official place name for the village is Ballyclerahan. This is also listed on the place names order for Co Tipperary.

The District Administrator said that if the Borough District members wish to change the official place name, the procedure to do so is set out in the Local Government Act 2001.