Viking Placenames in Mayo & Sligo

Connacht

Lads, we all know the 'classic' Viking placenames in Ireland, like Wexford, Arklow and Waterford.
The Vikings are said to have attacked the West - places like Inishmurray in Sligo Bay amd Inisboffin further along the coast. But what present-day Mayo & Sligo placenames can have their origins traced to them ? Thanks.

tac foley

Off-hand, I can't think of any in either county. It's true, as far as we can tell, that Sligo was the first place attacked by the Vikings in the mid-late 8thC, but they don't seem to have made enough impression to get anywhere in either county named after them, let alone by them.

The only name that immediately comes to mind is the Skerries, and anywhere with the same name. The name is a gaelification of the Norse word for a small island.

Whinemeal, I'll do some digging around...

tac

pedroeibar1

Perhaps there are none, as the placenames we have from the Vikings are from places they settled, and not where they raided?
P

tac foley

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Perhaps there are none, as the placenames we have from the Vikings are from places they settled, and not where they raided?
P

...as indeed I wrote.

tac

fontanalis

The gal in Donegal may relate to vikings.

enfield

Skerries, na-sceirí, the reefs or reef islands.
Skerries, sceirí, sceire, sea rocks.

Tabnabs

An interesting piece here:

Although Mayo has to date, very little evidence of Viking activity this situation is by no means static. At Cushalogurt in the east of Clew Bay a large Viking silver hoard containing fine examples of broad-band armrings was found. The name Cushalogurt may have derived from the name for the fortified enclosure longphurt.

From here
http://www.travels-in-time.net/e/ireland09arteng.htm

Connacht

Thanks all.
Yeah, am aware of that website Tabnabs, but I am really looking for a placename people will recognise, like towns or villages. Cheers.

dubhthach

fontanalis wrote: »

The gal in Donegal may relate to vikings.

Indeed: Dún na nGall = "Stone fort" of the Foreigners

From what I recall it was an actual Viking longphort that was destroyed by the Cenél Chonaill (I believe specifically by O'Donnell's)

However its a name derived from Irish language as oppose to been from norse.

tac foley

My own family name is a descriptive adjective in Old Irish. 'Foghlada' means raider or plunderer, a clear allusion to the occupation of any number of otherwise un-named invaders.

Everybody in my family has the same appearance, common to many from Cork, Wexford and Waterford - tall, well-built, blonde/red haired and square-jawed Swedes/Norwegians and Danes. Any of us look like anybody from Denmark, Southern Norway or Sweden. the genetic tie-up is unmistakeable.

tac

nuac

Re Vikings in Clew Bay Mayo

The island of Inishcuttle is said to be named after a Danish or viking Kettel ( or similar ) said to be buried there

franc 91

In Corca Dhuibhne there's Smerwick (Ard na Caithne) which is a bay they would have known apparently - it's also near Baile na nGall and it's also known as Gall-Iorras (but these might not necessarily be a reference to Vikings).

P. Breathnach

franc 91 wrote: »

In Corca Dhuibhne there's Smerwick...

I have sometimes wondered about that name, as it does not sound as if it has Irish roots. How's about this?

Smerwick Harbour was a Viking settlement from which butter was shipped to Limerick. The name Smerwick comes from two Norse words, smoer and wik, meaning butter and harbour.

Source: http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/ballydavid/bd-history.html. I can't judge the quality of the scholarship.

PS: In doing a bit of digging to see if I could find support for the claim above, I was reminded that Smerwick is name which lost all legal standing under the Placenames Order (Gaeltacht Regions) 2004.

goose2005

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I have sometimes wondered about that name, as it does not sound as if it has Irish roots. How's about this?

Source: http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/ballydavid/bd-history.html. I can't judge the quality of the scholarship.

PS: In doing a bit of digging to see if I could find support for the claim above, I was reminded that Smerwick is name which lost all legal standing under the Placenames Order (Gaeltacht Regions) 2004.

Fastnet is also Norse: Hvasstann-ey, "sharp-tooth isle"

dubhthach

I could be wrong on this but I think I recall an article in the "Galway Archaeological and Historical Society" about a Viking burial discovered in Connemara. Shield/Sword etc no doubt somewhat similiar to the burial found in Dublin couple years ago (on site of Dunnes in George Street?)

slowburner

Among the material recovered of ancient manufacture were an iron sword of 7th-8th century date; an iron spearhead of about the same age and a Viking axe, perhaps of 10th-century date. A number of iron knives recovered may also date to medieval times. Eamonn P. Kelly, National Museum of Ireland Dublin.

This is the only reference to Viking material in Galway that I could find.
The dig was in 1991 and not in Connemara.
Maybe the reference you saw, has not been included in the database yet.

dubhthach

slowburner wrote: »

This is the only reference to Viking material in Galway that I could find.
The dig was in 1991 and not in Connemara.
Maybe the reference you saw, has not been included in the database yet.

This is what I'm thinking about, it's been a long time since I read the article, my Dad has been getting this journal for years (read them all when I was a kid)

Sheehan, J; (1987) 'A reassessment of the Viking burial at Eyrephort, Co. Galway' Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 41 :60-72.

thadiisgirl

And what about a placename like Danesfort in Roscommon? Like others I'm sure, we have strong Scandinavian-type looks throughout the line coming from there.

dubhthach

thadiisgirl wrote: »

And what about a placename like Danesfort in Roscommon? Like others I'm sure, we have strong Scandinavian-type looks throughout the line coming from there.

Logainm.ie reports it's "Lios Lochlainn" literally Viking fort (Eg. Danesfort) given that map implies it's right beside the Shannon this is hardly surprising.

Cork boy 55

Who did Foxford in mayo get it's name ???

i..e Wexford Waterford etc

slowburner

thadiisgirl wrote: »

And what about a placename like Danesfort in Roscommon? Like others I'm sure, we have strong Scandinavian-type looks throughout the line coming from there.

Danesfort, Danesrath - anything like that tends to be something of a misnomer.
Just so in mining terminology - ''Danes' works" refer to any signs of earthworks from the mists of antiquity.
It's a kind of umbrella term to refer to the unknown builders of old earthworks like raths, mounds and fairy forts etc.
Some say that this type of reference to the Danes is a derivative of the Tuatha de Dannán.

nuac

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Who did Foxford in mayo get it's name ???

i..e Wexford Waterford etc[/QUO

Don't know where Foxford came from.

The Irish name is Béal Easa - mouth of the waterfall.

There may have been a ford in the vicinity, altho the Moy is a fairly big river at that spot.

electoralshock

I live in west mayo on the slopes of Croagh Patrick, there is a standing stones in a form of a circle. My family have called it the 'Dane's Yard' and the name has been passed down for generations. I don't know how the vikings ended up this area. Perhaps Croagh Patrick might have been a reason?

nuac

re Danes/vikings on Croagh Patrick

they may have heard of the gold.

slowburner

electoralshock wrote: »

I live in west mayo on the slopes of Croagh Patrick, there is a standing stones in a form of a circle. My family have called it the 'Dane's Yard' and the name has been passed down for generations. I don't know how the vikings ended up this area. Perhaps Croagh Patrick might have been a reason?

In all probability, the 'Dane' you mention, is a corruption of the tuatha dé Danann.
There are many places in Ireland bearing the word 'Dane'; 'Danesfort', 'Danesrath' etc.
The inclusion of Dane, does not mean that the area was once inhabited by Vikings.
It has generally been used to describe places of unknown antiquity - probably because of visible earthworks, which may or may not survive.
Most of these earthworks predate the Vikings by one and a half thousand years, or more.

electoralshock

slowburner wrote: »

In all probability, the 'Dane' you mention, is a corruption of the tuatha dé Danann.
There are many places in Ireland bearing the word 'Dane'; 'Danesfort', 'Danesrath' etc.
The inclusion of Dane, does not mean that the area was once inhabited by Vikings.
It has generally been used to describe places of unknown antiquity - probably because of visible earthworks, which may or may not survive.
Most of these earthworks predate the Vikings by one and a half thousand years, or more.

That would make more sense. Thanks for this.

littlejp

There's a signpost for Valhalla on the road to Dromore West from Ballisadare in Sligo.

cormacocomhrai

slowburner wrote: »

Danesfort, Danesrath - anything like that tends to be something of a misnomer.
Just so in mining terminology - ''Danes' works" refer to any signs of earthworks from the mists of antiquity.
It's a kind of umbrella term to refer to the unknown builders of old earthworks like raths, mounds and fairy forts etc.
Some say that this type of reference to the Danes is a derivative of the Tuatha de Dannán.

There's a Danesfield in Moycullen that was mistranslated by a landlord with a confidence in his proficiency in Irish that exceeded his ability. The name of the place was Gort Uí Lochlainn-O'Loughlin's field. The name O'Loughlin being derived from the Irish word for a viking.

I've read that the Blasket is a viking word and refers to dangerous seas. I can't vouch for that

nuac

The vikings might well have got boats into the Corrib. They would have been interested in the access up as far as Cong, and by porterage into Mask.

afaik no traces found

Einhard

AFAIK, the Vikings who invaded and settled in Ireland were mostly Norwegians, while the Danes targeted mainland Europe and Britain. Hence the Danelaw and Danegeld in Britain. If that were true, then it's doubly unlikely that "Dane" in Irish placenames actually refers to Danish occupation.

dubhthach

Einhard wrote: »

AFAIK, the Vikings who invaded and settled in Ireland were mostly Norwegians, while the Danes targeted mainland Europe and Britain. Hence the Danelaw and Danegeld in Britain. If that were true, then it's doubly unlikely that "Dane" in Irish placenames actually refers to Danish occupation.

In Irish we talk of two types of Vikings

Fionnghaill (Fionn == Blond, Gall = Foreginer -- Gaill = foreigners)
Dubhghaill (Dubh == Black)

In this contact the Fionnghaill were Norwegian Vikings, the Dubhghaill in comparison were Danish. The original viking settlement was mostly norwegian however it was taken over by Danish Vikings from 9th century onwards. these were heavily connected into Britain. So for example the Kings of Dublin were also often Kings of York as well.

Fingal in North Dublin is "Fine Gall" in Irish, literally the "Kindred/family of Foreigners". This is exact opposite meaning of "Fine Gael" the name of the political party, though some would claim they should rename themselves "Fine Gall"

In context of Viking Ireland the word Gall was specifically used for Vikings, interesting enough it's origin in Irish language was to do with been from Gaul (Gallia)

cormacocomhrai

dubhthach wrote: »

Fingal in North Dublin is "Fine Gall" in Irish, literally the "Kindred/family of Foreigners". )

AFAIK Fingal originates from the Irish for a fratricide/ murder within a family as in the story of Fionghal Rónáin for example.

InTheTrees

dubhthach wrote: »

I could be wrong on this but I think I recall an article in the "Galway Archaeological and Historical Society" about a Viking burial discovered in Connemara.

I heard this too. In fact I stood in the car park to this beach and talked with an Archaeologist(!) who told me it was about 100 yards to the south, but the rain was coming down so hard at that point that I didnt explore!

Hows that for unsubstantiated hearsay?



https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=53.511479,-10.134534&spn=0.005264,0.01104&t=h&z=17

Simon.d

I noticed this a while back alongside the Ballysadare River in Sligo.. A cropmark potentially indicating the presence of an underlying D-shaped enclosure (i.e. somewhat longphorty looking)....



What got me curious about it subsequently was this article from the Sligo champion, and the thoughts of Mr Kelly on the area: http://www.sligochampion.ie/lifestyle/vikings-had-a-much-bigger-presence-in-sligo-than-had-been-first-thought-2027968.html

Map: http://binged.it/V0OEZ4

dubhthach

Simon.d wrote: »

I noticed this a while back alongside the Ballysadare River in Sligo.. A cropmark potentially indicating the presence of an underlying D-shaped enclosure (i.e. somewhat longphorty looking)....



What got me curious about it subsequently was this article from the Sligo champion, and the thoughts of Mr Kelly on the area: http://www.sligochampion.ie/lifestyle/vikings-had-a-much-bigger-presence-in-sligo-than-had-been-first-thought-2027968.html

Map: http://binged.it/V0OEZ4

That area looks like a flood plain, there is a ridge overlooking it with a Cashel and a moument known as a "Druid's Alter" in the Ordance Survey map.

Simon.d

dubhthach wrote: »

That area looks like a flood plain, there is a ridge overlooking it with a Cashel and a moument known as a "Druid's Alter" in the Ordance Survey map.

Indeed.. An active enough looking place... It's extremly slim that there's much to the cropmarks.. But they're interesting nonetheless..

Eamon Kelly believes this site (very close by) was an actuall longphort: http://binged.it/PSf7Ec

slowburner

These links to excavation reports on Knoxpark might be of some interest.

http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Sligo&id=2730

http://heritagecouncil.ie/unpublished_excavations/section8.html


and a reference to E.P. Kelly's re-interpretation of the site.

Kelly, E.P., ‘Re-evaluation of a supposed inland promontory fort: Knoxspark, Co. Sligo – Iron Age fortress or Viking stronghold’, in G. Cooney, K. Becker, J. Coles, M. Ryan & S. Sievers eds., Relics of Old Decency: archaeological studies in later prehistory. Festschrift for Barry Raftery, Wordwell, Dublin, 485-497.

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