Place names in Ireland

The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. However, some names come directly from the English language, and a handful come from Old Norse and Scots. The study of placenames in Ireland unveils features of the country's history and geography, and the development of the Irish language. The name of Ireland itself comes from the Irish name Éire, added to the Germanic word land. In mythology, Éire was an Irish goddess of the land and of sovereignty (see Ériu).

In some cases, the official English or anglicised name is wholly different from the official Irish language name. An example is Dublin. Its name is derived from the Irish dubh linn (meaning "black pool"), but its official Irish name is Baile Átha Cliath (meaning "town of the hurdled ford").

Etymology

Names of Irish Gaelic origin

For most of the "Gaelic period", there were very few towns or large settlements in Ireland. Hence, most places were named after noteworthy features of the landscape, such as hills, rocks, valleys, lakes, islands, and harbours. As time went on, more places were named after man-made features, such as churches, castles, and bridges. Some of the most common elements found in Irish placenames are shown in the table below. The differences in spelling are often due to differences in pronunciation.

Anglicised spelling	Irish	English translation	Example
agha, aghy, aghey, augha	achadh	field	Aghalee, Aughagower
ard	ard	high/height	Ardglass
ath	áth	ford	Athlone
bally	baile	homestead/settlement	Ballymena
bally, balla(gh), bella(gh)	bealach	pass/passage	Ballyclare, Ballaghmore
bane, baun, bain	bán	white	Strabane, Cregganbaun, Kinbain
beg	beag	small	Carrickbeg
bel, bell	béal	mouth/rivermouth	Belfast
ben, bin	binn/beann	peak	Benbaun, Binevenagh
boy	buí	yellow	Bawnboy
brack	breac	mottled	Mullaghbrack
bun	bun	river's bottom/foot/mouth	Bundoran
cashel	caiseal	stone ring-fort	Cashel (Tipperary), Cashel (Galway)
cappa(gh)	ceapach	plot/tillage	Cappamore, Cappagh
carn	carn	cairn	Carnmoney
carrow, carry	ceathrú	quarter	Carrowdore, Carryduff
carrig, carrick, craig	carraig/creig	rock/rocky outcrop	Carrigaline, Carrickfergus, Craigarogan
cahir, caher	cathair	stone ring-fort	Cahircon, Caherdaniel
clare	cláir	(of) level land	Cooraclare
clough, clogh	cloch	rock	Cloughjordan, Clogheen
clon, clone, cloon	cluain	meadow	Clonmel, Cloondara
coom	com	hollow	Coomkeen
cor	corr	small round hill	Corblonog
corry, curry	coire	corrie	Rockcorry, Tubbercurry
croagh	cruach	stack	Croaghgorm
cul, cool	cúl	back	Coolmine, Cultra
cul, cool	cúil	nook/corner	Coolock
derry	doire	grove/oak-grove	Derry
dona(gh)	domhnach	church	Donaghadee, Donabate
droghed, drohed, drohid	droichead	bridge	Drogheda, Clondrohid
drum, drom	druim/droim	ridge	Dromore, Drumshanbo
duff, duv	dubh	black	Claddaghduff, Cloughduv
dun, doon	dún	stronghold/fort	Dungannon, Doonbeg
ennis	inis	island	Enniskillen
esk, eish	eiscir	esker	Eskra
fin, finn	fionn	clear/white/fair	Finglas
freagh, frack	fraoch	heather	Letterfrack
garv	garbh	rough	Garvaghey
glas, glass	glas	green	Glasnevin
glen, glan	gleann	valley	Glenties, Glanmire
gorm	gorm	blue	Glengormley
gort	gort	field	Gortnahoe
illan, illaun	oileán	island	Illaunmaistir
inish, innish, innis	inis	island	Inniskeen, Inishmaan
kil, kill	cill	churchyard or graveyard	Kildare
kil, kill	coill	woodland^[1]	Kilcogy
kin, ken	cionn/ceann	head	Kinallen, Kenmare
knock	cnoc	hill	Knockcloghrim
lea	liath	grey	Killylea
letter	leitir	hillside	Letterkenny
lis	lios	earthen ring-fort	Liscannor
lough	loch	lake	Loughgall
lurgan	lorga(n)	long ridge	Lurgan
maum, maam	mám	mountain pass	Maum, Maam Cross
magh, may, moy, moi(gh)	maigh/machaire	plain	Magherafelt, Maynooth, Moycullen
mona, money	móna/monaidh	peatland/turf	Cornamona, Ballymoney
mulla(gh)	mullach	summit	Mullaghbawn
mullin	muileann	mill	Mullingar
more	mór	big/great	Tullamore
noe	nua	new	Ballynoe
owen	abhainn	river	Owenbeg
poll, poul	poll	hole	Pollagh, Poulaphouca
port	port	stronghold/fort	Portlaoise
port	port	landing place	Portadown
rath, rah	ráth	earthen ring-fort	Rathfarnham, Raheny
rea(gh), reva(gh)	riabhach	brindled/speckled	Moneyreagh, Cloonsheerevagh
roe	rua	red	Carraroe
ros, rosh, rus, rush	ros	wooded promontory	Roscrea, Kilrush
sall, salla, sally	sail(each)	willow(s)	Ballysally, Sallins
shan	sean	old	Shandon
sheskin	seascann	marsh/quagmire	Sheskin
ske, skey, skay, skea(gh)	sceach	hawthorn	Skeheenarinky, Ballyskeagh
sragh, stra	srath	floodplain	Stranorlar, Sragh
slieve	sliabh	mountain	Slieve Donard
termon	tearmann	refuge/sanctuary	Termonfeckin
tieve	taobh	hillside	Tievebulliagh
tyr, tir	tír	territory	Tyrone, Tirconnell
tober, tubber	tobar	water well	Tobermore, Tubberclare
tra	trá	beach/strand	Tramore
tuam, toom	tuaim	burial mound	Tuam, Toomevara
tully, tulla(gh)	tulach	hillock/mound/heap	Tullyhogue, Tullamore
orla, urlar	urlár	floor/flat land	Stranorlar, Urlar
vea(gh), vei(gh)	bheithe	(of) birch	Ballyveagh

Names of Norse origin

During the 800s and 900s, Vikings from Scandinavia raided monasteries along Ireland's coasts and waterways. The Vikings spoke the Old Norse language and are also called Norsemen. They set up small coastal camps called longphorts — these were used as bases for their raiding parties and as shelters during the winter. Eventually some longphorts grew into Norse settlements and trading ports. The biggest of these were Dublin (which became a Norse-Gaelic kingdom), Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick. Over time, the Norsemen embraced Gaelic language and culture, becoming known as the Norse-Gaels (Gall-Ghaeil in Modern Irish, Gall-Gaidhel in Old Irish).

Placenames derived from Old Norse:

English	Old Norse (approximation)	Old Norse translated	Irish (modern)	Notes
Arklow	Arkells-lág	Arkell's low place	an tInbhear Mór	The Irish was historically anglicised as Invermore.
Carlingford	Kerling-fjǫrðr	old woman fjord	Cairlinn
Dalkey	—	—	Deilginis	The name is a meld of deilg (Irish) + ey (Norse).
Dursey	Þjórrs-ey	bull island	Baoi Bhéarra or Oileán Baoi
Fastnet	Hvasstǫnn-ey	sharp-tooth island	Carraig Aonair	—
Haulbowline	Ál-boling	eel dwelling	Inis Sionnach	—
Helvick		rock-shelf bay	Heilbhic	The Irish is a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse.
Howth	Hǫfuð	head	Binn Éadair	—
Lambay	Lamb-ey	lamb island	Reachrainn	—
Leixlip	Lax Hlaup	salmon leap	Léim an Bhradáin	The Irish is a translation of the Old Norse. The English is an Anglicisation of the Old Norse.
Oxmantown	-	-	Baile Lochlannach	Scandinavian homestead.
Saltee	Salt-ey	salt island	Na Sailtí	The Irish is a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse. The English is an Anglicisation of the Old Norse.
Smerwick	Smjǫr-vík	butter bay	Ard na Caithne
Strangford	Strangr-fjǫrðr	strict or narrow fjord	Loch Cuan	—
Skerries	Skeri	skerries	Na Sceirí	The Irish is a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse. The English is an Anglicisation of the Old Norse.
Waterford	Veðra-fjǫrðr	ram or wether fjord	Port Láirge	The English name is a folk etymology.
Wexford	Veisa-fjǫrðr	muddy fjord	Loch Garman	The Irish was historically anglicised as Loughgarman.^[2]
Wicklow	Víkinga-lág	Vikings' low place	Cill Mhantáin	The Irish was historically anglicised as Kilmantan.^[3]

Names of English origin

After the Norman invasion of Ireland, which began in 1169, Anglo-Norman and English language placenames emerged in the areas under Anglo-Norman control. Most of these are within the bounds of "The Pale" — the area that stayed under direct English control for the longest, and where English language and culture held sway. It stretched along the east coast from Dundalk in the north to Dalkey in the south.

Between 1556 and 1641, during its "conquest of Ireland", the English colonised parts of the country with settlers from Great Britain. This is known as the "Plantations of Ireland". After the 1601 Battle of Kinsale defeat in which the Gaelic aristocracy fled to continental Europe the northern province of Ulster was the most heavily colonised . Those who settled as part of the "Plantation of Ulster" were required to be English speaking made up mostly of Lowland Scots and some northern English. The result is that northeast Ulster also has a great number of English-derived placenames.

Such placenames often refer to buildings and other manmade features. They often include forms such as -town, -ton, -ville, -borough, -bury, bridge, mill, castle, abbey, church, etc. However, forms such as hill, mount, mont, wood, bay, brook etc. are not uncommon.

Some placenames that seem come from English are in fact anglicized Irish names modified by folk etymology. Examples include Longford (from Irish an Longphort, meaning "the dock"), Upperland (from Áth an Phoirt Leathain meaning "ford of the broad (river) bank")^[4] and Forkhill (from Foirceal meaning "trough").^[5]

Names of Scots origin

The Lowland Scots who settled during the Plantation of Ulster also contributed to place-names in the north of Ireland, particularly in the Ulster Scots areas. The Scots influence can be seen in places such as Burnside (stream), Calheme from 'Cauldhame' (coldhome), Corby Knowe (raven knoll) Glarryford from 'glaurie' (muddy), Gowks Hill (cuckoo) and Loanends (where the lanes end) in County Antrim, Crawtree (crow), Whaup Island (curlew) and Whinny Hill from 'whin' (gorse) in County Down and the frequent elements burn (stream), brae (incline), dyke (a stone or turf wall), gate (a way or path), knowe (knoll), moss (moorland), sheuch or sheugh (a trench or ditch) and vennel (narrow alley). Other Scots elements may be obscured due to their being rendered in Standard English orthography.

Names of other origins

Some places in Ireland bear names from beyond Gaelic, Norse or English.

One reason for this is because foreign names can be perceived as more fashionable than native ones. Particularly in middle-class areas, names of Italian origin have been used because of this perception and many roads (e.g. Vico Road and Sorrento Road in Dalkey) and housing estates have obtained their names in this way. More rarely, this has led to the naming of whole suburbs (e.g. Montenotte and Tivoli in Cork). Portobello, Dublin was named in celebration of the British victory at the 1739 Battle of Porto Bello.

Another source of place names is from Anglo-Norman. Considering the number of surnames of Norman origin in Ireland, these are surprisingly rare. Nevertheless, some examples do exist, such as the town of Buttevant (from the motto of the Barry family - Boutez en Avant) and the village of Brittas (from the Norman-French Bretesche, "boarding, planking"). Others exist in portmanteau with words of Irish or English origin, such as Castletownroche, which combines the English Castletown and the French Roche, meaning rock. Most widespread is the term Pallas (from Norman paleis, "boundary fence") which appears in over 20 place names, including the towns Pallasgreen and Pallaskenry.^[6]

A further source of place names of other origin is places names after religious sites outside Ireland. Examples are Lourdes Road in Dublin and Pic du Jer Park in Cork.

The baronies of North Salt and South Salt are derived from Saltus Salmonis, a Latin calque of the town name of Leixlip (from Norse Lax Hlaup, "salmon leap").

Republic of Ireland

Welcome sign at Ballickmoyler, County Laois - the letter i is written dotless as it is in Gaelic script

In the Republic of Ireland, both Irish and English names have equal status and are displayed on roadsigns. However, in the Gaeltacht, the English/anglicized names have no official status and do not appear on roadsigns.

During and after the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, some English names were returned to their Irish form. In most cases, the Irish Gaelic name became the only official one (for example Kingstown became Dún Laoghaire in both languages). In other cases, the English name was changed for another (for example King's County became County Offaly, which comes from the Irish Uíbh Fhailí). Although most of the changes were accepted by the wider public, some did not catch on and were eventually undone. The Local Government Act 1946 allowed locals to petition for a name change.

The following places were officially renamed:

Bagenalstown → Muine Bheag (1932)
Charleville → Ráth Luirc (1920s)
County Donegal → County Tirconaill (1922)^[7] → County Donegal (1927)^[8]
Edgeworthstown → Mostrim (1935)^[9]
Kells → Ceannanus Mór (1929)^[10] → Kells (1993)^[11]
King's County → County Offaly (1922)
Kingstown → Dún Laoghaire (1922)
Kingwilliamstown → Ballydesmond (1951)^[12]
Maryborough → Port Laoise (1929)
Navan → An Uaimh (1922)^[13] → Navan (1971)^[14]
Newbridge → Droichead Nua (1930s)
Newtownbarry → Bunclody (1950)^[15]
Parsonstown → Birr (1890s)
Philipstown → Daingean (1922)
Queen's County → County Laois (1922)
Queenstown → Cobh (1922)

Pursuant to the Official Languages Act, 2003 and the advice of the Coimisiún Logainmneacha (Place-Names Commission), the Placenames (Centres of Population and Districts) Order 2005 was issued, listing the equivalent in the Irish language of place-names specified in the Order with its English form. The Irish words then had the same meaning and same force and effect as the place-name. This order lists a little fewer than 2,000 place-names, many of which were changed from the Irish form used since independence, e.g. Bray went from Brí Chualann to Bré and Naas changed from Nás na Rí to An Nás.

Northern Ireland

Welcome sign at Newry - cathair means "stone ringfort" but has been adopted as an Irish term for "city"

In Northern Ireland, the new recognition of the status of the Irish language does not extend to bilingual roadsigns — it is down to individual district councils to decide to place them. Some towns in Fermanagh, Omagh, Armagh Moyle, Magherafelt, Newry and Mourne and Cookstown council areas display bilingual names on some welcome signs (e.g. "OMAGH" An Ómaigh).

Irish-language street signs may be erected at the request of locals, provided there is enough support.^[16]^[17]

Names of provinces

There are four provinces in Ireland, three of which derive their English name from a mixture of their ancient Irish provincial name with the Old Norse term for land/territory/place; staðr.^[18]^[19]

Connacht, formerly anglicised as "Connaught", is derived from the Connachta dynasty, which means "the descendants of Conn". In modern Irish it is called Connachta or Cúige Chonnacht.
Munster, derived from Irish: Mumhan + Old Norse staðr, meaning "land of Mumha". In modern Irish it is called an Mhumhain or Cúige Mumhan.
Leinster, derived from Irish: Laighin + Old Norse staðr, meaning "land of the Laighin". In modern Irish it is called Laighin or Cúige Laighean.
Ulster, derived from Irish: Ulaidh + Old Norse staðr, meaning "land of the Ulaidh". In modern Irish it is called Ulaidh or Cúige Uladh.

In Irish the provinces are known as cúigí, the singular of which is cúige. The word cúige originally meant "a fifth", as in one-fifth part of Ireland. This is because Meath, as seat of the High King of Ireland, was once a province in its own right, incorporating modern counties Meath, Westmeath and parts of surrounding counties. Meath was later absorbed into Leinster.

Names of counties

In Irish, the counties are known as contaetha, the singular of which is contae. Irish versions of county names only have official status in the Republic of Ireland.

Most of the counties were named after a town in that county (commonly referred to as a county town); usually an administrative centre. Some of these towns, such as Louth, have declined into small villages or have lost their county town status to other towns.

Counties named after their present or former county towns: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow. The county of Londonderry is named after the city of the same name, though its county town was Coleraine until 1972 when counties were abolished as administrative units in Northern Ireland and replaced with unitary councils.

Some counties derive their names from ancient Irish túatha, kingdoms or people:

Fermanagh, which is derived from Fear Manach meaning "men of Manach".
Kerry, which is derived from Ciarraí, which is itself derived from Ciarraighe, meaning "people of Ciar".
Laois, which is derived from Loígis, the name of a túath.
Meath, which is derived from Mide, the name of a former province.
Offaly, which is derived from Uí Failghe, the name of a túath.
Tyrone, which is derived from Tír Eógain meaning "Eógan's land".
Westmeath, which was formerly part of Meath until 1543, is likewise derived from Mide.

Some counties derive their names from geographic descriptions

In 1994, County Dublin was abolished as an administrative unit and replaced with three new administrative counties:

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, which is named after the town of Dún Laoghaire (meaning "Laoghaire's stronghold"); and the former barony of Rathdown (Ráth an Dúin in Irish, meaning "ringfort of the stronghold").
Fingal, which is derived from the Irish Fine Gall, meaning "foreign tribe", referring to the Norse who invaded and settled the area.
South Dublin, which is named after Dublin.

Names of streets and roads

Many streets and roads in Ireland derive their name from that of the townland, settlement or parish it goes through or heads towards, many of which are of Irish origin. Other streets and roads derive their names from local buildings, manufacturies or people etc.

In Irish, a street is sráid, a road is bóthar (meaning "cow path"), a lane is lána, and an avenue is ascaill. A linear village is called a sráidbhaile ("[one]-street settlement")—this has been anglicised as Stradbally, which is the name of a number of villages on the island. Whilst Irish forms only have official status in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland district councils are allowed to erect bilingual roadsigns.

Origins of some streets and roads in Belfast, Northern Ireland^[20]

Antrim Road, takes its name from the settlement it leads to, Antrim town.
Ballymurphy Road, derives its name from the townland of Ballymurphy, which itself is derived from the Irish: Baile O Muircháin, meaning "homestead of O'Murphy".^[21]
Crumlin Road takes its name from the settlement the road leads to, Crumlin.
Donegall Square and Donegall Pass, both named after Lord Donegall, who opened six wide avenues also known as passes.
Falls Road was originally called the Pound, however it derives its present name from an older Irish name Tuath-na-bhfal, meaning "district of the falls" or "hedges".
Hercules Street, is named after Sir Hercules Langford.
Mountpottinger and Pottinger's Lane both derive from the famous Pottinger family.
Mustard Street is named after a mustard works.
Old Forge and New Forge both derive their names from forges for smelting iron.
Shankill Road derives its name from Irish: Seanchille meaning "old church", which is also the name of the local parish.

Origins of some streets and roads in Dublin, Republic of Ireland^[22]

O'Connell Street, formerly known as Sackville Street, it was renamed after Daniel O'Connell. Its Irish name is Sráid Uí Chonaill.
Grafton Street, developed by the Dawson family, it is named after the Earls of Grafton who owned land in the area. Its Irish name is Sráid Grafton.
Pearse Street, originally called Moss Lane, then Great Brunswick Street, it was renamed after Padraig Pearse. Its Irish name is Sráid an Phiarsaigh
St. James's Street takes its name from a Holy Well in the vicinity, dedicated to St James.

References

↑ Joyce calculates that at least 700 of the "kil(l)-" placenames, usually taken to mean "church", actually refer to woods that no longer exist.
↑ Lacy, Thomas. Sights and Scenes in Our Fatherland. Simpkin, Marshall & Co., 1863. Page 404.
↑ Placenames Database of Ireland - Wicklow: Archival records
↑ Toner, Gregory: Place-Names of Northern Ireland. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996, ISBN 0-85389-613-5
↑ Newry & Mourne Council Area, Northern Ireland Place-name Project
↑ logainm.ie "Pallas"
↑ "Place Name Confusion – Donegal or Tirconaill", The Irish Times, 24 April 1924.
↑ "Back to 'Donegal'", The Irish Times, 22 November 1927.
↑ http://ied.dippam.ac.uk/records/25662
↑ Placenames Database of Ireland (see archival records)
↑ S.I. No. 156/1993 - Local Government (Change of Name of Urban District) Order, 1993. Irish Statute Book.
↑ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1951/en/si/0138.html
↑ An Uaimh - its Origin. Navan Historical Society.
↑ "S.I. No. 200/1971:Local Government (Change of Name of Urban District) Order, 1971".
↑ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1950/en/si/0281.html
↑ http://www.ballymoneytimes.co.uk/news/Legal-advice-over-Irish-street.6193846.jp
↑ http://www.ballymoneytimes.co.uk/news/Unionists-defer-consideration-of-Irish.5438703.jp
↑ Sister Fidelma's World
↑ The Fair Hills of Ireland by Stephen Gwynn, 1906
↑ Origin of Belfast Street Names
↑ Ulster Place Names - West Belfast
↑ Irish Place and Street Names

External links

For a list of words relating to Place names in Ireland, see the Ireland category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Placenames Database of Ireland, Placenames Branch, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
PlacenamesNI.org, Northern Ireland Place-name Project
Placenames in the North of Ireland, Geography in Action, website for the Northern Ireland Geography Curriculum
The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places Vol.1 (1912 ed.) Vol.2 (1922 ed.) Vol.3 (1922 ed.) by P.W. Joyce, on the Internet Archive:

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