THE PLEBISCITE
In October 2005, West Kerry Councillor, Seamus Mc. Gearailt put forward a Motion to hold a plebiscite for Dingle under the Guidelines of the 1946 Local Government Act. The Council's legal advice at that time was that only the townland of Dingle, at the heart of Dingle town would be entitled to vote as it was the townland that Minister O'Cuiv had changed when his Placenames Order came into force. The Councillors voted to allow the townland hold a plebiscite in the view that some form of democratic vote was better than none, and they asked the County Manager to seek further independent legal advice on the matter. The County Manager agreed to revert back with independent legal advice.

The Dingle plebiscite came on the Council agenda again in May 2006. The County Manager informed the Council that his independent legal advice stated that the whole town of Dingle ; that is the Non Municipal Town of Dingle was entitled to hold a plebiscite. However, Mr. Riordan cautioned that the Government might not recognise the plebiscite as the advice he had received from the Department of the Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs was that the plebiscite would be in contravention of the Official Languages Act. The Council then voted 20 to 1 in favour of granting the Non Municipal town of Dingle the democratic right to vote to reinstate the bilingual names of Dingle and Daingean Ui Chuis.

The Coiste does not accept that the Dingle Plebiscite might not be recognised. The Right to Plebiscite has been enshrined in Irish Law for the past 60years and the People of Dingle are as entitled to the protections and benefits of Irish law as any other small town is. In order for the plebiscite to be successful, we need 612 unspoiled YES votes. The plebiscite will then be presented to Government. We do not believe that the Government will ignore the democratic voice of the people of Dingle. We would also like to point out that Minister O'Cuiv has the power to amend the Placenames Order. Therefore, we are asking all the 12hundred and 22 people that are due to receive their ballot papers over the next few days, to please vote YES for the reinstatement of their town's historical bilingual names, Dingle and Daingean Ui Chuis. 

The Results of the Plebiscite: 20/10/06

1224 people were entitled to vote.
1095 people voted. (90% of the electorate).
1005 voted YES to reinstate our traditional bilingual names; Dingle Daingean Uí Chúis 70 voted No

The Minister say's he cannot recognise the Dingle Plebiscite. We say: The results are presented to Government, and the Government must decide collectively if they will recognise the overwhelming result of the Dingle Plebiscite.

Gormley moves to resolve Dingle placename dispute (read more)