Ainmeacha áiteanna i nGaeilge - Irish place names and their meanings

Bard · 23-01-2003 10:22AM #1

If we all put the name of the town or village we come from, it's Irish form and it's meaning here, we could build up a decent index of them...

I might as well get the ball rolling with where I was born and where I now live...

Limerick - Luimneach
- From "Loimeanach", meaning: "Bare Marsh"
"Loimneach" or "bare marsh" is the name that originally applied to part of the shoreland of the Shannon immediately below the present city.

Donabate - Domhnach Bat (North County Dublin)
- From "Domhnach Bate", meaning: "Church of the ferry"
The name refers to an ancient church which is preserved in the graveyard of the existing parish church in the village.

Dun · 23-01-2003 02:11PM

I was born, raised and am living in..

Clonmany - Cluain Maine
- 'Meadow of the Monks'
Another alternative is 'Meadow of St. Maine'.

is a village on the peninsula of...

Inishowen - Inis Eoghain
- 'Island of Eoghan'
Inishowen was once an island, (it also contained the cityside of Derry before Derry city was annexed to Co. Coleraine, and the county was renamed). The name itself refers to Eoghan (Owen), son of Niall of the Nine Hostages and progenitor of many Clans, most notably McLaughlin, who also gave his name to Tyrone (Tír Eoghain) .

.. and along with ..

Tirconnell - Tír Conaill
- 'Land of Conall'
Conall was another son of Niall of the Nine Hostages (progenitor of the O'Donnells and Dohertys) - a brother of Eoghan, above.

.. both make up the county of ..

Donegal - Dún na nGall
- 'Fort of the Foreigners'
Two possibilities - I always heard that it was a name given by Lizzie the first of England, because us Irish were the 'foreigners' and Donegal was the last bit of Ireland to be conquered, or else it was because there was a Viking settlement at Donegal (town). Perhaps a better historian could enlighten us

Gael · 23-01-2003 10:28PM

Sraidainmneacha Gaeilge Bhaile Atha Cliath

Dublin Streetnames in Irish

http://www.iol.ie/~sob/sraid/

pepperkin · 24-01-2003 12:29AM

My place name in Irish....

*grins*

"Armpit of the world that smells like sh|te"

AKA Washington DC

Or, wait, was that supposed to be Irish LANGUAGE, not LINGO?

Gael · 28-01-2003 05:43PM

I'm from Dunboyne, "Dún Bóinne",
Fort of the White Cow Goddess.

Living currently in Maynooth,
"Má Nuad"(Maigh Nuad, in older spelling)
"The Plain of Nuad", who was a legendary celtic god of some type I believe.

Bard · 28-01-2003 05:54PM

I've been told that Donabate actually comes from "Domhnach Bheata", meaning "Church of the Beast"... which is a much cooler origin, in fairness

Apparently the story goes that the Vikings landed there and their king believed that they were being followed across the sea by a beast of pure evil... so they erected a church at their landing spot - the church of the beast - and prayed there, pleading with the evil to stay away from the shores of this peaceful and beautiful land they had found.

The evil stayed away and the name of "Domhnach Bheata" stuck, to later be altered to the much tamer sounding Domhnach Bat (Church of the Ferry) or, in English, Donabate.

Of course I can't back this up with any valid sources (apparently the book about Donabate written by our local historian says something about it, but I haven't seen it). Still, it's an interesting theory...

The Reaper · 06-02-2003 02:38PM

Donaghamoyne- Donaghmoine
holding fort?

[Iramus] · 12-02-2003 08:05PM

the actual place i live's got an irish name anyway:
Ailt an Aidhean:
Glen(i think) of Ivy....cool eh?

oh yeah, did you know there's a town in Donegal called Muff? take an irish meaning of that lol!

Dun · 13-02-2003 02:05PM

Originally posted by [Iramus]
oh yeah, did you know there's a town in Donegal called Muff? take an irish meaning of that lol!

Poor little Muff - had it's fair share of bad publicity since the introduction of that particular piece of American slang. There was even a picture of a sign on the Graham Norton show on Channel 4. Unfortunately it was a car wash - in a 'Top' petrol station. So it was the Top Muff Car wash. I think they've stopped their village festival. Nobody wants the title "Muff Festival Queen".

By the way, it's Magh as Gaeilge, meaning 'plain' (as in a big open field).

Sangre · 20-02-2003 09:08PM

Leopardstown
Baile na Lobhar
Town of the lepers

I win

reimo · 20-03-2003 11:01AM

Navan
An Uaimh
-The Cave

I'm a feckin CaveMan...
Well, it beats being a leper!

Gael · 20-03-2003 05:14PM

I know for a fact that there are a number of Irish place names that are called after body parts and sexual organs of various people. I must see if I can find them.:D

Dónall · 23-03-2003 09:28PM

Is as Baile Átha Luain mé, Athlone. Átha is a ford or river crossing, as in alot of Irish town names - Luain was a legendary character, though I've also heard of an enormous white bull who, as he was dieing, shed chunks of himself all over the midlands and formed a ford at Athlone this way.

D'fás mé suas ansiúd i gCarn na mBeach, the cairn of the bee I suppose; I grew up in Cornamagh, Athlone - now a suburb really.

I was at school and college in Blackpool, Ireland - Dubhlinn and then Maynooth, already done.

Tá mé i mo chonaí i Maidrid, an Spáinnn, faoi lathair. Madrid comes from Mageritt, apparently, in Arabic, and means "the place of streams".

Beidh mé i mo chonaí i Raghnallach go luath. Níl a fhíos agam cad é sin i mBéarla. Chonaic mé an sráid ansin ar an nasc go chúir
Gael ar an thread seo chomh maith ach níl aon aistriú aici.
Ceard é Bessborough Parade i nGaeilge?

Tá súil agam nach bhfuil mo chuid Gaeilge ufásach. Rachfaidh sí bhfeas nuair atá mé ansin arís.

ykt0di9url7bc3 · 23-03-2003 10:03PM

Kilkenny - Cill Chainnigh
- 'Church of Caince'

seamus · 23-03-2003 10:52PM

Knocklyon - Cnoc Liamhna
I have absolutely no idea what 'Liamhna' means, and google's no help. Anyone?

So next closest thing;
Templeogue - Teampall Oige (sp?) More correctly Teach Mealoige
Meaning "Church of St Maolog".

Where I live now;
Lucan - Leamhcán
"Place of the marshmallows". Hmmmm

Where I lived for 3 months last year;
Donard - Dún Ard
"High Fort" imaginatively enough

Dellboi · 27-03-2003 02:44PM

Tallaght - Tamhlacht

means 'hill of the dead' or something to that effect as far as i know. nice.

qwidgybo · 31-03-2003 10:26PM

táim i mo chónaí i nDroichead Átha....drogheda,bridge of/at the ford...

[Iramus] · 04-04-2003 09:31PM

@Seamus

I checked up Liamhna, theres no such word!? Its prob tha name of a person

smiles · 08-04-2003 10:56PM

Tullyallen: "Tulach Álainn" : Beautiful Hill

great little village

<< Fio >>

CuLT · 11-04-2003 08:16AM

I remember reading in the Knocklyon news (I think) that its means "hill of gold" or something to that effect.

I realize the word Liamhna seems quite different to Óir though.

zxzCHLOEzxz · 22-01-2009 06:43PM

ballybrit

Agus · 22-01-2009 10:06PM

zxzCHLOEzxz wrote: »

ballybrit

http://www.logainm.ie/?text=Ballybrit

Baile an Bhriotaigh

Redbhoy · 23-01-2009 10:39AM

Fionnghlas (Clear Stream) tá an sruth síos an dtalamh anois.

Ach tá ollmhargadh ann faoi lathair - (ClearWater)

Ar chailleamar na Sasanach riamh?

leela333 · 11-01-2011 08:27AM

knocklyon known in irish as cnoc liamhna was originally known as cnoc linn meaning hill of flax
dunno why it was called that though

Krusader · 12-01-2011 12:21AM

Maybe because Flax was grown there

feicim · 13-01-2011 01:45AM

Dellboi wrote: »

Tallaght - Tamhlacht

means 'hill of the dead' or something to that effect as far as i know. nice.

Close enough:). I believe it means "Plague grave".

mathepac · 13-01-2011 03:03AM

seamus wrote: »

...
Where I live now;
Lucan - Leamhcán
"Place of the marshmallows". Hmmmm ...

The marshmallow is a herb with medicinal / sacred associations dating back thousands of years in numerous cultures, common to boggy / marshy areas which might tie in with Lucan's proximity to the Liffey.

I'm not at home and don't have my ancient deBhaldraithe to hand to cross-check for you, but I believe the correct derivation of the Anglo name Lucan is actually "The Elm Grove" or "The Place of Elms", subject to correction of course. The elm-tree was a powerful pagan / druidic tree and a source of medicines and ancient folk remedies.

Crasp · 13-01-2011 03:13AM

Kinsale - Cionn tSáile. Cionn refers to the headland (Old Head of Kinsale) and I guess Sáile refers to shelter provided by the Headland (Kinsale is a harbour)?

Clonakilty - Cloich na Coillte. "Stones of the woods/forest" I guess?

Ballinspittle - Baile an Spidéal. No fooking clue.

Belgooley - Béal Guala, "mouth of the coal" according to wikipedia.

Carrigaline - Carraig Uí Leighin, meaning "rock of Ó Leighin" (wiki again).

An gal gréine · 13-01-2011 02:37PM

Logainm.ie is a good source of info here.

Ainmeacha áiteanna i nGaeilge - Irish place names and their meanings

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