CSO: What a difference a fada makes

A chara, – Further to Éanna Ó Caollaí's piece "CSO says it does not regard names with fadas as different names" (Home News, March 16th).

Imagine your parents lovingly named you “Golden Princess” but the CSO recorded your name as “Vomit”. Well this is exactly what the CSO have done in the case of the name Órla, which derives from the older spelling Órfhlaith, whereas the Gaelic word Orla, pronounced urlah, means “Vomit”. Similarly Méabh, pronounced may-uv, means “she who makes men drunk” – the CSO have altered this to Meabh (mav), which means “Hen”. Who would not be insulted to be recorded as “Nipple” – Sine when Síne means “God’s gift”?

Misrepresenting the public’s details is outside the CSO’s legal remit and omitting fadas from names is one such misrepresentation. The CSO is directly answerable to Oifig An Taoisigh and I would be certain that Leo Varadkar, who has recently learned Irish, will put this right to ensure that he is not credited with knowingly insulting the people of Éire. – Is Mise,

ROSSA Ó SNODAIGH,

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Cluainín,

Co Liatroma.