Developers building housing estates in Dublin will have to give the schemes Irish names, the city council has ruled.

Dublin City Council last week voted in favour of a motion by councillors Tom Brabazon and Críona Ní Dhálaigh that will oblige developers to name new estates in the Irish language only.

Names of the new estates in the city will have to reflect local history and topography, councillors agreed.

Seán Ó hAdhmaill, Chairperson of the Dublin County Committee of Conradh na Gaeilge, said: "This practice has been in place in large towns throughout the country such as Galway and Navan for a number of years and has succeeded in normalising the use of Irish and raising the profile of the language among the public.

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"I am sure that this initiative will increase the use of the national language in this our capital city."

Conradh na Gaeilge is the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community working to promote the language.

There are 200 branches of Conradh na Gaeilge and, since its foundation in 1893, members of the Conradh have been actively promoting Irish in every aspect of life in Ireland and especially its use in their own areas.

Conraitheoirí has been at the forefront of major campaigns to secure and strengthen the rights of the Irish language community.

(PR/KMcA)