FACEBOOK HAS BUCKLED to the campaign of locals in the Co Limerick parish of Effin by allowing them to name it as their hometown – but, strangely, not if they live overseas.

Effin woman Ann Marie Kennedy had complained that the social network did not allow her to include her home parish on her Facebook profile – apparently because it sounded like a person swearing.

Having gone on national radio, the campaign built up some serious Effin speed – and ultimately garnered attention in major newspapers in the UK and the US.

Kennedy told Barry Duggan of the Irish Independent that Kennedy had even written a letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg appealing for him to allow the angry Effin locals to declare their homeplace.

And lo and behold, over Christmas the locals were treated to an Effin miracle – when Facebook silently relented and permitted people to register Effin as their áit dhúchais.

Silicon Republic explains that Facebook had not permitted the Effin placename because it was the name of the parish, but not of a village or town.

Apparently, however, Facebook’s U-turn by allowing the parish to be registered comes with a caveat: seemingly worried that the phrase could still be used by those looking to cause offence, only users living in Ireland can actually choose the name.

This means that Effin expatriates, for now, still can’t formally declare themselves as Effinites.

This is despite similar placenames like Nicker, Freemount and Meanus (get it?) – all of which are near Effin in Co Limerick – and Muff in Co Donegal are permitted to be used as home towns.

That, we think you may agree, is Effin confusing.

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