The official Irish language names of almost 100,000 towns, streets and post offices will be listed on a new website launched today.
Native speakers around the world will be able to log on to www.logainm.ie to find the translation of place names nationwide.
Visitors can play sound files of the pronunciation of place names in counties Waterford, Galway and Donegal, while many areas are accompanied by archival records.
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív said the site was an excellent resource for anybody who wanted to search for the correct Irish name for places in Ireland.
He said the new site would be of interest to students, teachers, journalists, translators and people worldwide who are interested in the heritage, culture and geography of Ireland.
Controversy over Irish place names hit the headlines three years ago when the name of Dingle in Co Kerry was changed to An Daingean under the Official Languages Act.
Locals in the Gaeltacht town, who feared foreign tourists would not be able to find the beauty spot, campaigned to have the English version reinstated.
A plebiscite approved by Kerry County Council in October 2006 showed that most of the town’s residents favoured Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis.
Environment minister John Gormley has since proposed to change the legislation to ensure all proposals for place name changes will specify the new name in Irish and English, unless it is indicated that an Irish name only is to be adopted.
PA