THE BOOK OF NEGROES

My name won't appear in the Book of Negroes.
I went down to the Four Courts to find out what I had to do to have the Irish form of my name be recognized as my legal name for all purposes.  This was the first time I had ever stepped foot inside the building.  The Four Courts building was occupied by the Anti-Treaty insurgents under the command of Rory O'Connor.  The Free State Government laid siege and bombarded the building with artillery borrowed from the British.  This shelling was the opening salvo in the Civil War and resulted in the complete destruction of the building along with a 1000 years of public records.

Martina in the Central Office explained the deed poll process.  I would have to complete an application declaring that I no longer used the English form of my name and henceforth would use the Irish form.  This application has to be witnessed and the affidavit of the witness notarized by a solicitor or commissioner of oaths.  Martina told me that current law prohibits non-residents from enrolling a deed poll with the courts, but that it was just as valid even without being enrolled.

I bought the legal paper in the stationary shop and texted my niece Gemma to ask her to be my witness.  She agreed.  We took all the forms to the solicitor in Crumlin Village, paid the €20 fee, and walked away with my old name as my new name.

The Four Courts in Dublin during the Battle of Dublin. The building had been taken over by Anti-Treaty forces on 14 April 1922. Bombarded by National Army forces on 28 and 29 June, a huge explosion of stored munitions on 30 June destroyed the Public Records Office, and with it a huge swathe of Irish cultural memory. Date: 30 June 1922


Playlist:

Say My Name
Destiny's Child