County Nicknames

Dapos

Hey i've been wondering for a while wat some of the counties nicknames are. Can the wisdom of this form help me out. i'll list out wat i know (or think i know)

antrim -> The Saffrons / The Glensmen
armagh -> orchard county
clare -> banner county
cork -> rebels/ rebel county
carlow -> The Scallion Eaters
cavan -> The Breffni county
down -> The Mournemen (football)/The Ardsmen (hurling)
donegal -> The Tír Conaill Men
dublin -> The metropolitans
derry -> The Oak Leafs
fermanagh -> The Ernesiders
galway -> tribesmen
kerry -> the kingdom
kilkenny -> the cats
kildare -> the lillywhites
louth -> the wee county
limerick -> treaty county or shannonsides?
letrim -> the wild rose county?
laois -> The O'Moore County
london -> the exiles
longford -> O'Farrell County/slashers
monaghan -> Farney county
meath -> the royal county
mayo -> the westeners
new york -> the exiles - same as london??
offaly -> the faithful county
roscommon -> The Sheepstealers???
sligo -> yeats county / yeat's men
tipperary -> the premier county
tyrone -> the red hand?
westmeath -> the lake county??
wexford -> The model county
wicklow -> the garden county
waterford. -> the deise
warwichshire -> exiles???

Maybe there aren't any for some county's i'm not sure

EDIT: cavan and monaghan thanks to PORNAPSTER

EDIT: Found the rest of the names on wiki. What do ye think. are they accurate.

cournioni

Cavan - The Breffni county
Monaghan - Farney county / Shíthole

mikemac

Offaly-Faithful county
Roscommon-Sheepstealers. I'd love to know where this name came from
Laois-Queens County (I think )

Edit: Heres' a link with some more of these
http://www.anfearrua.com/story.asp?id=1004

Revelation Joe

Isn't Leitrim 'the Wild Rose county' ?

cruiserweight

Wexford are also called the yellow bellies, as well as being the model county for the rest of ye

mise_me_fein

My mate from Kilkenny says Wexford are called the Strawberries and Knackers

KK are officially the marble county but are more renowned as the cats. waterford are officially the crystal county but more renowned as the deise.tipp are sometimes referred to as the stonethrowers (by KK crowd). the dubs may be referred to as jackeens by the country folk.

Pride Fighter

You forgot Warwickshire LOL.

Haven't a Clue

Could someone explain where the hell the Deise came out of?

fricatus

Haven't a Clue wrote:

Could someone explain where the hell the Deise came out of?

The Déise (Déisí or Decies) were a Gaelic tribe that lived in what is now county Waterford. How long ago I don't know, but it was before even the city was founded (in 914).

There's an area of the city (just where the Cork Road enters town) called Ballinaneashagh. It's the only place I know of where the locals find it easier to use the Irish spelling (Baile na nDéise).

EDIT: Up the Déise! Congratulations on a great Munster final win!

Pride Fighter

Dublin is also known as the best county because quite simply it is!!

smashey

Pride Fighter wrote:

Dublin is also known as the best county because quite simply it is!!

Best at what?:D

Anyway, given our recent performances, Donegal should be known as the sleepers.

Pride Fighter

It is not necessarily the best at Gaelic Games although with 45 Leinster football titles, 22 all Irelands, 20 Leinster hurling titles and 6 all Ireland hurling titles we are one of the best.The capital of Ireland is in Dublin for a reason, we are just the best at everything we do!

phil

Longford's generally called 'The Slashers', but most people outside of the town will taken offence to that as the town team are called Longford Slashers.

The more PC nickname would be O'Farrell County.

Phil.

Dapos

suppose warwichshire are exiles too. wonder where these names came from

K-9

Pride Fighter wrote:

It is not necessarily the best at Gaelic Games although with 45 Leinster football titles, 22 all Irelands, 20 Leinster hurling titles and 6 all Ireland hurling titles we are one of the best.The capital of Ireland is in Dublin for a reason, we are just the best at everything we do!

They've only 8 since 1923. You'll find a lot of their 14 wins before that had a large country influence as it wasn't an easy option for country players who worked in Dublin to travel to play for their own counties.

Kerry have had 28 in same period. Galway 9. Meath 7. Cavan 5, Down 4.

harney

Pride Fighter wrote:

Dublin is also known as the best county because quite simply it is!!

smashey wrote:

Best at what?:D.........

I believe the term Pillow Biters comes to mind

blackbelt

harney wrote:

I believe the term Pillow Biters comes to mind

You're not related to Mary are you?:D

dumbyearbook

Dapos wrote:

mayo -> the westeners

Never heard this before !

Psychedelic

Pride Fighter wrote:

You forgot Warwickshire LOL.

who the hell are Warwickshire by the way? i saw them on the fixtures list last week and was wondering who they were. is this their first year in the All Ireland?

and what's the story with New York? are their players actually from New York and they fly over to play a game once a year or what?

Psychedelic

Psychedelic wrote:

who the hell are Warwickshire by the way? i saw them on the fixtures list last week and was wondering who they were. is this their first year in the All Ireland?

Warwickshire are the english county that the city of Birmingham is in where there would always have been a considerable irish contingent emigrating to. As far as i know they have been competing at junior or lower tier level with years.

Crumble Froo

carlow -> The Scallion Eaters

is this for real?

cos im constantly slaggin a mate from there, and this is just classic if this is actually what theyre called! (it's hard to say, they've never really been forefront of anything in my somewaht limited memory)!

g'wan the lily whites!

racso1975

narco Quote:
carlow -> The Scallion Eaters



is this for real?

cos im constantly slaggin a mate from there, and this is just classic if this is actually what theyre called! (it's hard to say, they've never really been forefront of anything in my somewaht limited memory)!

EHHHH hello where the fluck have you been last year we hosted the world ploughing championship!!!!!
the country's ploughing champion lives in carlow and he is 3 rd best in world!!!

Ah fluck it ur wan that travels round the world on that travel show is from carlow.......christ i hope we wint the minors tomorrow!!!!!

singingstranger

Psychedelic wrote:

and what's the story with New York? are their players actually from New York and they fly over to play a game once a year or what?

Their players are pretty much all Irish ex-pats and they get a home game in the first round of their Championships every year. Usually they get beaten and they forfeit the qualifiers because they can't afford to come over and back - and if they could, many of their players quite literally wouldn't get back into the US.

If I remember correctly this actually caused massive problems in 2005(?) when NY had a shock victory over Derry in the Ulster SHC semi-final but couldn't come to Ireland for the final; nor would Antrim pay their way to NY to play it.

pd101

kildare are known as the flat county aswell i think

Haven't a Clue

pd101 wrote:

kildare are known as the flat county aswell i think

No, that's Meath I think.

Kildare are the Thoroughbred county i believe with all the horse connections

aidz

monaghan also known as the oriel county

megadodge

mayo -> the westeners

Should be 'The Chokers'

Meself

Tyrone are known as the O'Neill County after the Earl of Tyrone

seabee

micmclo wrote:

Roscommon-Sheepstealers. I'd love to know where this name came from

I think it came from around the time of the famine when people used to be sent to "Van Diemens Land" after being found guilty of commiting a crime and a high percentage of the convicts from Roscommon were done for Sheep Stealing so some smart ass gave roscommon people the nickname.
I'll see can anyone verify this.

FAO Singingstranger
That happened in 2006 and the game was finally played in Boston on the 22nd of October (the same weekend as the Interprovincial Football Final) but i'm not sure who ended up paying for it.

Getting back to the original post I've heard Galway referred to as the Herring Chokers, Kildare as the Short Grass county and Wexford as The Pikemen

megadodge

I've heard Galway referred to as the Herring Chokers

It's actually 'The Heron Chokers'.

mullanimal

Deleted User wrote:

KK are officially the marble county but are more renowned as the cats. waterford are officially the crystal county but more renowned as the deise.tipp are sometimes referred to as the stonethrowers (by KK crowd). the dubs may be referred to as jackeens by the country folk.

waterford is officially the Gentle county but the Deise (pronounced Day sha) seems to be what everyone knows us as now... some use the crystal county too cos of de glass factory...

The Deise did settle in the region, they were a tribe from Tara (Deise Teamhrach) and settled between the city and youghal inside the suir... probably why there's so many dolmens in the area.

scoobydoo2

Pride Fighter wrote:

Dublin is also known as the best county because quite simply it is!!

Best at almost getting there.

Dublin wonder bra full of support but no cup......

Jaden

Laois - The Lemon County.

reddiva

mise_me_fein wrote:

My mate from Kilkenny says Wexford are called the Strawberries and Knackers

The knackers?! Ha, and Kilkenny people can obviously talk....

sheesh

micmclo wrote:

Offaly-Faithful county
Roscommon-Sheepstealers. I'd love to know where this name came from
Laois-Queens County (I think )

Edit: Heres' a link with some more of these
http://www.anfearrua.com/story.asp?id=1004

"The Roscommon Stealers" sounds cool until you see what they're stealing

freyners

sheesh wrote: »

"The Roscommon Stealers" sounds cool until you see what they're stealing

Its alot more than sheep;)
normally roscommons nickname begins wit sheep.....
why?
Cause their reactions to it is brilliant:D
C'mon the tribes

garbanzo

Apols to Micko but aren't Wicklow known as the Goatsuckers ?

Also, I have a great memory of being The Hill back in the '80's watching The Dubs playing some shower and the roar would go out . . . . " come on de bleedin' taxpayers ! "

leitrimexile

Didnt know that one about Galway, Heron Chokers great nickname. My favourite is scallion eaters. ? Whats that about. Heres a list i have. Must add to it.

Nicknames Antrim Glensmen Armagh Orchard (Cathedral City) Carlow Barrow-siders Cavan Breffini Clare Banner Cork Rebel Derry Maiden City/Oak leaf Donegal Tir Chonaill Down Mourne Dublin Metropolitan Fermanagh Maguire Galway Tribesmen/Joyce Country Kerry Kingdom Kildare Lily-whites/Shortgrass Kilkenny Cats/Marble City Laois O'Moore Leitrim O'Rourke Limerick treaty city London Longford Annally/O'Ferrall Louth Wee Mayo Meath Royal Monaghan Farney Offaly Faithful Roscommon Sheep-stealers Sligo Yeats Tipperary Premier Tyrone O'Neill Waterford Decies Westmeath Lake Wexford Model Wicklow Garden

ccosgrave

To shed more light on Wexford being called the yellow-bellies, it has to do with the early days of the GAA, when they didn't have jerseys for each team - instead, the Wexford players just tied a bit of yellow material around their waists.

lucylu

Wicklow Goatsuckers
Kildare Short Grass
Tipperary Stone Throwers
Carlow Scallion Eaters (ATE-Rs)

thatsnotmyname

leitrimexile wrote: »

Didnt know that one about Galway, Heron Chokers great nickname. My favourite is scallion eaters. ? Whats that about. Heres a list i have. Must add to it.

Nicknames Antrim Glensmen Armagh Orchard (Cathedral City) Carlow Barrow-siders Cavan Breffini Clare Banner Cork Rebel Derry Maiden City/Oak leaf Donegal Tir Chonaill Down Mourne Dublin Metropolitan Fermanagh Maguire Galway Tribesmen/Joyce Country Kerry Kingdom Kildare Lily-whites/Shortgrass Kilkenny Cats/Marble City Laois O'Moore Leitrim O'Rourke Limerick treaty city London Longford Annally/O'Ferrall Louth Wee Mayo Meath Royal Monaghan Farney Offaly Faithful Roscommon Sheep-stealers Sligo Yeats Tipperary Premier Tyrone O'Neill Waterford Decies Westmeath Lake Wexford Model Wicklow Garden

very good,
but you missed mayo : the yew county
as in the tree there are nine yew trees on the mayo crest
and the there is a relevance for it being nine cant remember at the moment though

GeeNorm

thatsnotmyname wrote: »

very good,
but you missed mayo : the yew county
as in the tree there are nine yew trees on the mayo crest

I've always heard

"Mayo - God help us!"

That's no joke:(

li@mo

Mayo = The Rhubarbs

smashey

leitrimexile wrote: »

Donegal Tir Chonaill

Same thing.

IIMII

Haven't a Clue wrote: »

Could someone explain where the hell the Deise came out of?

The Déise were a tribe living in Meath. Cormac Mac Airt was High King at Tara when his son started seeing one of the Déise girls. Her brother found out and attacked Cormac McAirt's son. Cormac Mac Airt intervened and killed the Déise brother, but his own son was killed and he was maimed. As a physically imperfect king, Cormac Mac Airt could no longer sit at Tara - he moved across the (Gabhra) valley and built a new fort on the hill of Skryne (Achaill), from where he continued to rule until his death a year later. Where the Waterford connection comes in is that in punishment for the death of his son, Cormac Mac Airt banished the Déise from Tara and Meath forever. And they settled in Waterford and became accomplished chrystal-makers.