"The street commemorating William of Orange lives on while Ballymun Avenue became something 'more desirable'. Here's our guide to name changes over the years due to slave-owners, red-light districts, revolutionaries and more..."
"Detractors of Éamon de Valera had a simple explanation for why the country's former taoiseach and president does not have a significant street or landmark named after him."
"A taxi driver once told me: "They never named a street after De Valera because they couldn't find a road long and crooked enough.""
Street names and place-names have been altered to reflect evolving public values and contested histories. Some commemorations persist, such as a street for William of Orange, while others are rebranded to escape negative associations, exemplified by Ballymun Avenue becoming described as 'more desirable'. Renaming efforts have targeted connections to slave-owners, red-light districts, revolutionaries, and similarly contentious legacies. Decisions about which figures receive public commemoration can be influenced by public sentiment, satire, and local anecdotes, as illustrated by a jocular taxi-driver explanation for the absence of a major street named for Éamon de Valera.
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