Talk:J. J. Clancy (North Dublin MP)

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It is clear that the two pages ‘John Joseph Clancy’ and ‘J. J. Clancy’, which were created independently, the former in February 2006 and the latter in October 2006, must be merged since their subject is the same (Irish Nationalist politician, 1847-1928). The only question is which title should be used for the merged page.

J. J. Clancy was normally known as J. J. Clancy, very occasionally as John J. Clancy and rarely as John Joseph Clancy. Wikipedia policy is to use the most common name of a person (see page on Naming Conventions). Wikipedia treats most well-known people who were known by two initials and their surname in this way – see the pages for T. S. Eliot, e. e. cummings, F. R. Leavis, F. E. Smith, E. M. Forster, A. J. Cronin etc. – although there are some counterexamples, e.g. F. W. de Klerk, J. R. Clynes.

The original contributor of the John Joseph Clancy page used ‘Who Was Who’ or a similar reference book, which will not have indicated how the person was usually known.

Therefore I am proposing that the John Joseph Clancy page should be merged into the J. J. Clancy page. However the page would work well the other way round. Views invited!

Jim Kinnaird - 9 October 2006