Irish Landscape Names
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Irish Landscape Names Preface to 2010 edition Stradbally on its own denotes a parish and village); there is usually no equivalent word in the Irish form, such as sliabh or cnoc; and the Ordnance The following document is extracted from the database used to prepare the list Survey forms have not gained currency locally or amongst hill-walkers. The of peaks included on the „Summits‟ section and other sections at second group of exceptions concerns hills for which there was substantial www.mountainviews.ie The document comprises the name data and key evidence from alternative authoritative sources for a name other than the one geographical data for each peak listed on the website as of May 2010, with shown on OS maps, e.g. Croaghonagh / Cruach Eoghanach in Co. Donegal, some minor changes and omissions. The geographical data on the website is marked on the Discovery map as Barnesmore, or Slievetrue in Co. Antrim, more comprehensive. marked on the Discoverer map as Carn Hill. In some of these cases, the evidence for overriding the map forms comes from other Ordnance Survey The data was collated over a number of years by a team of volunteer sources, such as the Ordnance Survey Memoirs. It should be emphasised that contributors to the website. The list in use started with the 2000ft list of Rev. these exceptions represent only a very small percentage of the names listed Vandeleur (1950s), the 600m list based on this by Joss Lynam (1970s) and the and that the forms used by the Placenames Branch and/or OSI/OSNI are 400 and 500m lists of Michael Dewey and Myrddyn Phillips. Extensive revision adopted here in all other cases. and extra data has been accepted from many MV contributors including Simon Stewart, Brian Ringland, Paul Donnelly, John FitzGerald, Denise Jacques, Colin Wherever possible, the Irish forms in column 3, „Name Origin and Meaning‟, Dalton, Brendan O'Reilly, Mark Brennan, myself and others. are also taken from www.logainm.ie, the website of the Placenames Branch, or I have been gathering the place-name data and other information presented in from OSI maps (OSNI does not provide Irish forms on its Discoverer Series), columns 2-4 from 2004 onwards, and some changes have also been made to but many peaks are only marked in an anglicised form. Therefore, there was a the anglicised forms given in column 1 as a result of this research. The greater reliance on other authoritative sources, such as regional place-name anglicised forms are taken from the highest available authority, namely the surveys and works on local history. These sources are cited in square brackets Placenames Branch (An Brainse Logainmneacha), followed the Ordnance after the Irish form of the name. See below for the key to the abbreviations Survey maps. In the vast majority of cases, these are in agreement, but there used. An original interpretation has only been offered for certain transparent are occasional differences, and some typographical errors occur on the names for which no published source has been found. These are marked with 1:50,000 maps. A different anglicised form from that shown in these official my initials: [PDT]. The Irish forms, which sometimes reflect dialect or Classical sources has been adopted only in exceptional cases, which mainly fall into two Irish forms, have sometimes been modified for consistency to give a categories. Firstly, the cartographers had a habit of adding the word „mountain‟ standardised modern Irish form. The English translations have also been to the names of several peaks during the first Ordnance Survey in the 1830s standardised (e.g. so that Ir. binn is consistently rendered as „peak‟) and are, and 1840s, e.g. Errigal Mountain, Muckish Mountain, Sawel Mountain, therefore, not necessarily exactly as provided in the source quoted for the Irish Mangerton Mountain, etc. These tend to be principal peaks in the area in which form, although great importance has been attached to these. They have only they are located. This tendency has been ignored in the Mountain Views list for been disregarded where there is compelling evidence for an alternative a number of reasons: the word „mountain‟ is redundant in these cases as the interpretation. name already denotes a peak without it (unlike, say, Stradbally Mountain, where The information presented in column 4, Notes about peak and name(s), is very Preface to 2019 edition varied in nature. Often it consists of a discussion of the name or an explanation of the interpretation provided. However, it may also include information relating A selection of mountain ranges, peninsulas, headlands and islands has now to the topography, history, mythology, folklore, archaeology or other aspects of been added to the list, with information on the geographical features themselves the mountain. Some information has also been added on published and on their names. 171 new entries have been added in this edition, making descriptions of walking routes, particularly for peaks which are not generally well 1,261 entries in total. The ranges are mainly those which were already covered in walking guides. mentioned in the 2010 MV list of peaks. 31 existing entries have also been significantly revised and/or expanded. The title of the list has been changed to Column 5, „Area‟, refers to the system of areas used for the MV list. In order to “Irish Landscape Names” to reflect the wider range of content. I hope to add a ensure that every peak is assigned to an area, the classification is somewhat selection of significant water features, rock features, glens and passes in later pragmatic. For example, Slieve Croob and its satellites are listed under Mourne updates. 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 Paul Tempan, May 2019 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 here due to limited space. Therefore, this data should not be interpreted too literally. Preface to 2020 edition Comments on the list are welcome and notification of errors and omissions gratefully received. The Irish language names of features situated in the Gaeltacht, wholly or partially, have now been highlighted in bold type. Irish forms have been added Paul Tempan, May 2010 for secondary peaks which do not have a separate name, e.g. Barr Trí gCom (mullach thoir thuaidh) for Baurtregaum NE Top, Cnoc na Ceachan (mullach i gcéin thoir theas) for Caha Far SE Top. Numerous minor revisions, corrections and standardisations to ensure consistency of format have been carried out. Key to Abbreviations for Place-Name Sources AMacAB Unpublished notes on the element sliabh in Irish Place-names - CF Cois Feoire (place-names of Co. Kilkenny) - Eoghan Ó Ceallaigh Alan Mac An Bhaird CMcG An Fear Deireanach den tSloinneadh / The Last of the Name - AOF Antiquities of Old Fingal – Christine Baker Charles McGlinchey Buile Shuibhne Buile Shuibhne („The Frenzy of Sweeney‟) – edited and DCM Dictionary of Celtic Mythology – James MacKillop translated by James G. O‟Keeffe Dinneen Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla / Irish-English Dictionary – Rev. JON John O'Neill – unpublished thesis on the Placenames of Patrick S. Dinneen Glencolumbkille. DLDPN A Dictionary of Lake District Place-Names – Diana Whaley LL Liostaí Logainmneacha - An Brainse Logainmneacha. Available for counties Limerick, Louth, Waterford and ISTI Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig, “L’influence scandanive sur la Monaghan, Offaly and Tipperary. toponymie irlandaise’ in: Ridel, É. (ed.). L’Héritage maritime des Vikings en Europe de l’Ouest. Caen, 2002. LME Logainmneacha Mhaigh Eo – Fiachra Mac Gabhann DUPN A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names - Patrick McKay logainm.ie Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann, the Placenames Database of Ireland, a website developed by Fiontar at DCU on DPNW Dictionary of the Place-names of Wales – Hywel Wyn Owen and behalf of the Placenames Branch (Department of Community, Richard Morgan Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs). URL: www.logainm.ie ET Éire Thuaidh / Ireland North - a cultural map and gazetteer of MacNeill The Festival of Lughnasa - Máire MacNeill Irish place-names, published by the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland MD Metrical Dindshenchas - edited by Edward Gwynn GE Gasaitéar na hÉireann - Ordnance Survey of Ireland MNIMA “Minor Names in an Irish Mountain Area‟ – an article by Breandán S. Mac Aodha, published in Studia Celtica vol. 24-25 GUH Gleanings from Ulster History – Séamas Ó Ceallaigh (1989-90), pp. 141-152. HDGP Historical Dictionary of Gaelic Placenames – edited by Pádraig Ó MÓM „The Mountain Names of County Down‟, Mícheál Ó Mainnín, in Riain, Diarmuid Ó Murchadha & Kevin Murray Nomina 17 (1994) 31-53. HU A Hidden Ulster - Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin NIPNP Replies Replies from the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project to enquiries from the public. INP The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places – Patrick Weston Joyce (3 vols.) O’Flaherty A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught – Roderic O‟Flaherty IPN Irish Place Names - Deirdre Flanagan and Laurance Flanagan OG Onomasticon Goedelicum - Edmund Hogan I&T Islandmagee and Templecorran: A Postcard History – R.S. Ó Direáin and F. McHugh OSI Ordnance Survey of Ireland maps (usually from the Discovery Series, 1:50,000, unless otherwise stated) JOK James O'Kane - article on placenames of Inishkeel and Kilteevoge parishes in Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie OSM Ordnance Survey Memoirs OSNB Ordnance Survey Name Book - with Irish versions mainly SWoI Walk Guide: South-West of Ireland – Seán Ó Súilleabháin proposed by John O'Donovan TCCD Tríocha-Céad Chorca Dhuibhne - An Seabhac (Pádraig Ó PDT Suggested Irish version proposed by Paul Tempan in the Siochfhradha) absence of other published sources TH Toponomia Hiberniae (4 vols), a survey of the place-names of PDT Glynns Paul Tempan “How Benwellerorie became Agnew’s Hill”, The South Kerry – Breandán Ó Cíobháin Glynns (Journal of the Glens of Antrim Historical Society) vol.