An official complaint has been lodged with the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga over a mistake on polling cards issued in Galway for the recent Presidential Election.

Polling cards sent to voters in Galway West had the incorrect name of the constituency spelled in Irish.

Instead of ‘Gaillimh Thiar’ the polling cards for the election stated the constituency was ‘Gaillimh Theas’, which translates in English as Galway South.

The mistake was spotted by Galway City voter Eoghan Finn, who lodged a complaint with the Irish language commissioner.

Members of the public can complain to An Coimisinéir Teanga based in An Spidéal if they feel Irish language requirements have not been met by public bodies.

Mr Finn, from Raleigh Row in the city, confirmed to the Connacht Tribune he lodged a complaint to ensure that the correct Irish version of the constituency is used on polling cards during the bye-election to fill the seat left vacant by the election of former Galway West Independent TD Catherine Connolly as President of Ireland.

Mr Finn pointed out that Galway West has the largest Gaeltacht in the country, and if this was how the authorities were spelling the constituency in Irish, he’d be worried about how the rest of the country was being treated.

It was a “perfect example of state neglect for our national tongue in the home of our biggest Gaeltacht,” he said.

Mr Finn supplied a photograph of his own polling card to An Coimisinéir Teanga but said the mistake was not confined to his card and was on his friends’ and neighbours’ polling cards too.

“Bheinn buíoch dá mbeifeá in ann a chinntiú go gceartófar an botún seo sula mbíonn fothoghchán i nGaillimh Thiar tar éis Catherine Connolly a bheith dícháilithe ón Dáil mar gheall ar a post nua,” he said in his complaint, urging An Coimisinéir Teanga to ensure the mistake is not repeated in the bye-election due within six months.

According to the Electoral Commission, polling information cards are prepared and issued by “each relevant local authority”, which in this case was Galway City Council.

The local authority was contacted for comment.