Irish Hill and Mountain Names
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Irish Hill and Mountain Names The following document is extracted from the database used to prepare the list where Stradbally on its own denotes a parish and village); there is usually no of peaks included on the „Summits‟ section and other sections at equivalent word in the Irish form, such as sliabh or cnoc; and the Ordnance www.mountainviews.ie The document comprises the name data and key Survey forms have not gained currency locally or amongst hill-walkers. The geographical data for each peak listed on the website as of May 2010, with second group of exceptions concerns hills for which there was substantial some minor changes and omissions. The geographical data on the website is evidence from alternative authoritative sources for a name other than the one more comprehensive. shown on OS maps, e.g. Croaghonagh / Cruach Eoghanach in Co. Donegal, marked on the Discovery map as Barnesmore, or Slievetrue in Co. Antrim, The data was collated over a number of years by a team of volunteer marked on the Discoverer map as Carn Hill. In some of these cases, the contributors to the website. The list in use started with the 2000ft list of Rev. evidence for overriding the map forms comes from other Ordnance Survey Vandeleur (1950s), the 600m list based on this by Joss Lynam (1970s) and the sources, such as the Ordnance Survey Memoirs. It should be emphasised that 400 and 500m lists of Michael Dewey and Myrddyn Phillips. Extensive revision these exceptions represent only a very small percentage of the names listed and extra data has been accepted from many MV contributors including Simon and that the forms used by the Placenames Branch and/or OSI/OSNI are Stewart, Brian Ringland, Paul Donnelly, John FitzGerald, Denise Jacques, Colin adopted here in all other cases. Dalton, Brendan O'Reilly, Mark Brennan, myself and others. Wherever possible, the Irish forms in column 3, „Name Origin and Meaning‟, are I have been gathering the place-name data and other information presented in also taken from www.logainm.ie, the website of the Placenames Branch, or columns 2-4 from 2004 onwards, and some changes have also been made to from OSI maps (OSNI does not provide Irish forms on its Discoverer Series), the anglicised forms given in column 1 as a result of this research. The but many peaks are only marked in an anglicised form. Therefore, there was a anglicised forms are taken from the highest available authority, namely the greater reliance on other authoritative sources, such as regional place-name Placenames Branch (An Brainse Logainmneacha), followed the Ordnance surveys and works on local history. These sources are cited in square brackets Survey maps. In the vast majority of cases, these are in agreement, but there after the Irish form of the name. See below for the key to the abbreviations are occasional differences, and some typographical errors occur on the used. An original interpretation has only been offered for certain transparent 1:50,000 maps. A different anglicised form from that shown in these official names for which no published source has been found. These are marked with sources has been adopted only in exceptional cases, which mainly fall into two my initials: [PDT]. The Irish forms, which sometimes reflect dialect or Classical categories. Firstly, the cartographers had a habit of adding the word „mountain‟ Irish forms, have sometimes been modified for consistency to give a to the names of several peaks during the first Ordnance Survey in the 1830s standardised modern Irish form. The English translations have also been and 1840s, e.g. Errigal Mountain, Muckish Mountain, Sawel Mountain, standardised (e.g. so that Ir. binn is consistently rendered as „peak‟), and are Mangerton Mountain, etc. These tend to be principal peaks in the area in which therefore not necessarily exactly as provided in the source quoted for the Irish they are located. This tendency has been ignored in the Mountain Views list for form, although great importance has been attached to these. They have only a number of reasons: the word „mountain‟ is redundant in these cases as the been disregarded where there is compelling evidence for an alternative name already denotes a peak without it (unlike, say, Stradbally Mountain, interpretation. The information presented in column 4, Notes about peak and name(s), is very CMcG An Fear Deireanach den tSloinneadh / The Last of the Name - varied in nature. Often it consists of a discussion of the name or an explanation Charles McGlinchey of the interpretation provided. However, it may also include information relating to the topography, history, mythology, folklore, archaeology or other aspects of DCM Dictionary of Celtic Mythology – James MacKillop the mountain. Some information has also been added on published Dinneen Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla / Irish-English Dictionary – Rev. descriptions of walking routes, particularly for peaks which are not generally Patrick S. Dinneen well covered in walking guides. DUPN A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names - Patrick McKay Column 5, „Area‟, refers to the system of areas used for the MV list. In order to ensure that every peak is assigned to an area, the classification is somewhat ET Éire Thuaidh / Ireland North - a cultural map and gazetteer of pragmatic. For example, Slieve Croob and its satellites are listed under Mourne Irish place-names, published by the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Mountains rather than having an area of their own. Isolated hills in areas that are generally flat have been assigned to areas with names specially coined for GE Gasaitéar na hÉireann - Ordnance Survey of Ireland MV, such as „North Midlands‟. On the website there is an additional field called „Sub-area‟ which enables further distinctions to be made, but this is not given GUH Gleanings from Ulster History – Séamas Ó Ceallaigh here due to limited space. Therefore, this data should not be interpreted too literally. HDGP Historical Dictionary of Gaelic Placenames – edited by Pádraig Ó Riain, Diarmuid Ó Murchadha & Kevin Murray Comments on the list are welcome and notification of errors and omissions gratefully received. HU A Hidden Ulster - Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Paul Tempan, May 2010 IPN Irish Place Names - Deirdre Flanagan and Laurance Flanagan JOK James O'Kane - article on placenames of Inishkeel and Kilteevoge parishes in Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie Key to Abbreviations for Place-Name Sources JON John O‟Neill – unpublished thesis on the Placenames of AMacAB Unpublished notes on the element sliabh in Irish Place-names - Glencolumbkille. Alan Mac An Bhaird LL Liostaí Logainmneacha - An Brainse Logainmneacha. Buile Shuibhne Buile Shuibhne („The Frenzy of Sweeney‟) – edited and Available for counties Limerick, Louth, Waterford and Monaghan, Offaly and translated by James G. O‟Keeffe Tipperary. CF Cois Feoire (place-names of Co. Kilkenny) - Eoghan Ó logainm.ie Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann, the Placenames Ceallaigh Database of Ireland, a website developed by Fiontar at DCU on behalf of the Placenames Branch (Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs). URL: www.logainm.ie MacNeill The Festival of Lughnasa - Máire MacNeill PNCL Place-Names of Co. Leitrim - Rev. John Pinkman MD Metrical Dindshenchas - edited by Edward Gwynn PNCW Place-Names of County Wicklow - Liam Price MNIMA „Minor Names in an Irish Mountain Area‟ – an article by PND Place-Names of Decies - Canon Patrick Power Breandán S. Mac Aodha, published in Studia Celtica vol. 24-25 (1989-90), pp. 141-152. PNNI Place-Names of Northern Ireland - published by the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University Belfast, esp. volume III (The MÓM „The Mountain Names of County Down‟, Mícheál Ó Mainnín, in Mournes) by Mícheál Ó Mainnín. Nomina 17 (1994) 31-53. Siúlóidí Acla Siúlóidí Acla / A Bilingual Guide to Walking in Achill NIPNP Replies Replies from the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project to enquiries from the public. SOD Dinnseanchas na gCruacha - Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh O‟Flaherty A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught – Stubbs „Place Names in the County of Louth‟ – a series of articles by Roderic O‟Flaherty Major Gen. F.W. Stubbs, published in the County Louth Archaeological Journal, Vol. 2 (no.1, 2, 3 & 4). OG Onomasticon Goedelicum - Edmund Hogan SWoI Walk Guide: South-West of Ireland – Seán Ó Súilleabháin OSI Ordnance Survey of Ireland maps (usually from the Discovery Series, 1:50,000, unless otherwise stated) TCCD Tríocha-Céad Chorca Dhuibhne - An Seabhac (Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha) OSM Ordnance Survey Memoirs TH Toponomia Hiberniae (4 vols), a survey of the place-names of OSNB Ordnance Survey Name Book - with Irish versions mainly South Kerry – Breandán Ó Cíobháin proposed by John O'Donovan TNCT Townland Names of County Tyrone – Patrick M‟Aleer PDT Suggested Irish version proposed by Paul Tempan in the absence of other published sources TR Connemara, map and gazetteer - Tim Robinson PJW (The Origin and History of) Irish Names of Places (3 vols) – T6000 map of Beara by Eoghan Ó Súilleabháin in Tuosist 6000 Patrick Weston Joyce UR Logainmneacha Uíbh Ráthach - An Seabhac (Pádraig Ó PNABD Place Names and Antiquities of the Barony of Duhallow – Siochfhradha) Michael J. Bowman PNCC Place Names of Co. Carlow – Edward O‟Toole An asterisk (*) indicates that no name has been found for the peak on OS maps or in A hash sign (#) after the source abbreviation indicates that the Irish version provided other authoritative sources. The name given here has been adopted specially for the here is not exactly the form in the source quoted. A common reason for this is that the Mountain Views list, but should not be regarded as official. In most cases the name source gives a form in dialect or in Classical Irish, whereas the version provided here adopted is that of a townland or one derived from some nearby landmark.