Place Names UNIT 6 All of Them Were Originally in Irish, but in Ireland Were Translated Into English

There are more than 62,000 place English tongue for all towns, lands and names on the island of Ireland. Nearly places’. From this point on, place names UNIT 6 all of them were originally in Irish, but in Ireland were translated into English. King Charles II decided to do something Below are some of the formerly Irish PLACE NAMES about that in 1664 AD. He declared that words that have found their way into our the people of Ireland ‘shall have new modern place names. and proper names more suitable to the After a while the name Ulaid came to Have you ever wondered what the ORIGINAL EXAMPLE place names mean in your area, mean the land where this tribe lived. IRISH ENGLISH SPELLING MEANING OF USE The Vikings changed this name to village, street or town? Achadh Augh Field Aughnacloy Ulaidstir. After that the Normans called Place names in Ulster, like everywhere it Uluestere. That, of course, is how we Baile Bally Town Ballymena in Ireland, date from hundreds or, get the name Ulster. In Irish, Ulster Béal Bel Mouth of a river Belfast in some cases, thousands of years is called Ulaidh or Cúige Uladh (the Carraig Carrick Rock Carrickfergus ago. Around 1800 years ago, a Greek province of Ulster). Cill Kill Church Shankill geographer called Ptolemy made a map of Europe that included Ireland. Cnoc Knock Hill Knockbreda You can see this map on page 9. Dún Down or Dun Fort Downpatrick Inis Inish or Ennis Island Enniskillen The 17th century engraver Wenceslas Loch Lough Lough, Lake Loughuile Hollar produced a map of Ireland. Compare his map to Ptolemy’s map. Mullach Mulla or Mullagh Top of a hill Mullaghbawn What differences can you see? Hollar’s map opposite has some Place names in Ireland often have two In this next example, the second part of interesting names on it, like Buvinda, different parts to them. The first part the place name is a colour. Near Newry which refers to the River Boyne. Also describes a geographical feature like a there is a town called Mullaghbawn. on the map is Voluntii, named after the hill, a valley or a fort. The second part The two Irish words here are mullach tribe who were also known as Ulaid. is often an adjective. Here are a few and bán. This tribe lived in north-east Ireland. examples: Mulla = mullagh = top of a hill Does the name of the tribe look Bawn = bán = white familiar to you? In Lisburn, County Antrim there is a So Mullaghbawn means ‘white summit’. place called Knockmore. This comes from two Irish words. Knock = cnoc = hill More = mór = large So Knockmore means ‘large hill’. Wenceslas Hollar’s map of Ireland 32 33 Skerries The word ‘Bally’, which comes OTHER INFLUENCES ON from the Irish word baile, PLACE NAMES meaning ‘town’, is the most common word in Irish place As you have discovered, traditions in Ireland Calheme names. It is sometimes (and especially in Ulster) come from a mixture followed by a person’s name. of different cultures, and place names are the Burnside For example: same. You won’t be surprised to hear that some • Ballyeamon – Co. Antrim place names come from the languages spoken Glarryford by the Vikings, the Scots and the English. • Ballywalter – Co. Down In other words, they come from the different • Ballynichol – Co. Down people who have lived there for centuries. • Ballyphilip – Co. Down VIKING (NORSE) SCOTS NAMES Loanends Ballyholme • Ballyadam – Co. Cork NAMES Burnside Whinney Hill Strangford Calheme Orangefield Sometimes the word Bally is Howth Glarryford Greyabbey followed by an adjective. Carlingford Loanends For example: Skerries Whinney Hill • Ballymore comes from baile Banbridge and mór which is the Irish ENGLISH NAMES NAMES WHICH COME Strangford word for large. Markethill FROM A MIXTURE OF Markethill Orangefield LANGUAGES • Ballykeel comes from baile Walterstown Banbridge – and caol which is the Irish Castlebellingham Irish and English word for narrow. Mount Norris Mount Norris Ballyholme – • Ballybeg comes from baile Greyabbey Irish and Norse and beag which is the Irish Carlingford word for small. Castlebellingham SUMMARY • Nearly all place names in Ireland • Some names also include adjectives were written in Irish until 1664 AD, that describe appearances or colours. when King Charles II ordered them • Some place names in Ireland come to be translated into English. from other languages such as • Many place names in Ireland come Norse, English or Scots. Walterstown from geographical features or from Skerries the names of people who lived there. Howth 34 35.

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