Overdue: 366 days
Public benefits
The trustees believe that our purpose satisfies both elements of the public benefit requirement. The direct benefit which flows from the purposes is a greater understanding of the linguistic roots of place-names among academics and the general public in Northern Ireland in particular and the island of Ireland more generally. The Society’s work
makes a significant contribution to the education of the people of Ulster and to their appreciation of the languages and heritage of the society to which they belong. The organisation plays a useful role in promoting cross-community understanding by providing information on the historical influence of the various indigenous languages of Ulster in a harmonious and non-contentious manner. The benefits are demonstrated through the demand for the Society’s assistance and the positive reaction to the Society’s contribution to local knowledge about place-names. In 2001 the Society’s travelling exhibition 'Celebrating Ulster’s Townlands' received the Diversity 21 Award for Celebrating Best Practice in Cultural Diversity in the Large Organisations Category and the accompanying booklet (also named ‘Celebrating Ulster’s Townlands’) is still much sought-after by the public. Society experts are often requested to give presentations to history, community and culture groups. The organisation’s publications are highly valued by both academics and members of the general public; the 'Rough Guide to Ireland' (tenth edition) describes the 'Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names' as a ’veritable treasure-trove of information about almost every single place in the province of Ulster.’ The Society is needed because it caters for the enormous public demand for knowledge about the origins of place-names. The beneficiaries are the people of Northern Ireland and the adjacent counties of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. There is no harm or private benefit flowing from the organisation’s purposes.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Ulster Place-Name Society promotes the study, collection, verification and explanation of local place-names by its members. Society experts provide authoritative Irish language versions of road and street names; these can be viewed at www.ulsterplacenames.org/street-names_project.htm. The organisation also campaigns for the retention of
townland names in popular and official usage as an important marker of local culture and identity. To this end it also co-operates with other local groups, such as the Federation for Ulster Local Studies. More widely, the Society maintains links with place-name societies and scholars worldwide. The Society holds two public lectures per annum, one of which is preceded by the Annual General Meeting. The lectures are given by established experts in the field. They are open to the public, well attended and invariably give rise to lively debate and discussion among the audience. The Society produces a journal, named 'Ainm: A Journal of Name Studies'. In addition to its journal, the Society produces a bi-annual newsletter which keeps members informed of its activities and also of any other ongoing research on local place-names. Other important Ulster Place-Name Society publications are 'A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names' (1999; 2nd edition 2007) and 'Lough Neagh Places: Their Names and Origins' (2007). In 1999 the Society produced a much-acclaimed travelling exhibition named 'Celebrating Ulster’s Townlands' which has toured widely in Ireland, Scotland and Wales and continues to tour in Northern Ireland. The Society has roughly one hundred members, including private individuals as well as institutional members such as libraries and societies. The Society is run by a committee, details of which are given in the Constitution. Members currently pay an annual subscription, for which they receive a free copy of the Society’s journal. The Society’s accounts are audited annually.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
Who the charity helps
- General public
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Research/evaluation
