Ireland placenames that have a nice ring to them

[thebuzz]

Shelmalier / Boolavogue _ the boys of Wexford

Always thought Boolavogue and Enniscorthy were class names.

[Farrandeelin]

Townlands of my grandparents.

Derryneskin (Doire Naoscán - Oakwood of the snipes)
Derrinraw (Doire an Rátha - Oakwood of the Rath)
Dernasell West (Doire na Saille Thair - Oakwood of the salted meat)
Cushenny (Cúil Sionnaigh - Corner of the fox)

Fantastic.

Mines would be 

Edenballymore x2( Eadán An Bhealaigh Mhór- Brow Of the Main Road. Bogside is in this townland and it is not Eadán An Bhaile Mhór as most people claim)
Coshquin(Cois Caoine-Next to the pleasent water)
Creggan(An Cregáin- Stony Place).

All Derry City townlands. Creggan which I mention above isnt actually where the present estate is, it is where Glenowen is today. The creggan estate is made up of Glassagh , Ballymagowan and Edenballymore.

Derry city on the westbank  was part of Inishowen long before modern borders.

+1 to the fantastic comment.

Mine would be:
Farrandeelin (Fearann Díleann - townland of the floods)
Knockmore (Cnoc Mór - big hill)
Lisaniska (Lios an Uisce - fort of the water)
Rinmore (Rinn Mór - the big promontory)

PS, why did towns change* their Irish names?
Nás na Ríogh has a nicer ring to it than An Nás, likewise Gort Inse Ghluaire instead of An Gort.

[omochain]

Keady
Derrynoose
Dungannon
Dungiven
Clontibret
Tyrconnell / Donegal

I like Clontibret, mainly coz we beat the Brits there once.
Did you know that Tír Chonaill is Donegal minus Inis Eoghain?

And it was the Dernoose men who did most of the fighting and strategic thinking at Clontibret. As "Yellah Mickey" once told me and I quote "There are Two ounces of wit in the world and one and a half is in Drumnahavil. For those of you who aren't Harold D that's the epicenter of Dernoose.

"Yellah Mickey" is correct.

Tis a bit blowy in Drumnahavil this evening.

You should take shelter in Tossie's😜

[seafoid]

Townlands of my grandparents.

Derryneskin (Doire Naoscán - Oakwood of the snipes)
Derrinraw (Doire an Rátha - Oakwood of the Rath)
Dernasell West (Doire na Saille Thair - Oakwood of the salted meat)
Cushenny (Cúil Sionnaigh - Corner of the fox)

Fantastic.

Mines would be 

Edenballymore x2( Eadán An Bhealaigh Mhór- Brow Of the Main Road. Bogside is in this townland and it is not Eadán An Bhaile Mhór as most people claim)
Coshquin(Cois Caoine-Next to the pleasent water)
Creggan(An Cregáin- Stony Place).

All Derry City townlands. Creggan which I mention above isnt actually where the present estate is, it is where Glenowen is today. The creggan estate is made up of Glassagh , Ballymagowan and Edenballymore.

Derry city on the westbank  was part of Inishowen long before modern borders.

+1 to the fantastic comment.

Mine would be:
Farrandeelin (Fearann Díleann - townland of the floods)
Knockmore (Cnoc Mór - big hill)
Lisaniska (Lios an Uisce - fort of the water)
Rinmore (Rinn Mór - the big promontory)

PS, why did towns change* their Irish names?
Nás na Ríogh has a nicer ring to it than An Nás, likewise Gort Inse Ghluaire instead of An Gort.

The Guaire in Gort Inse Guaire is also remembered in Dún Guaire in Cinn Mhara/Kinvara

[Itchy]

Townlands of my grandparents.

Derryneskin (Doire Naoscán - Oakwood of the snipes)
Derrinraw (Doire an Rátha - Oakwood of the Rath)
Dernasell West (Doire na Saille Thair - Oakwood of the salted meat)
Cushenny (Cúil Sionnaigh - Corner of the fox)

Fantastic.

Mines would be 

Edenballymore x2( Eadán An Bhealaigh Mhór- Brow Of the Main Road. Bogside is in this townland and it is not Eadán An Bhaile Mhór as most people claim)
Coshquin(Cois Caoine-Next to the pleasent water)
Creggan(An Cregáin- Stony Place).

All Derry City townlands. Creggan which I mention above isnt actually where the present estate is, it is where Glenowen is today. The creggan estate is made up of Glassagh , Ballymagowan and Edenballymore.

Derry city on the westbank  was part of Inishowen long before modern borders.

+1 to the fantastic comment.

Mine would be:
Farrandeelin (Fearann Díleann - townland of the floods)
Knockmore (Cnoc Mór - big hill)
Lisaniska (Lios an Uisce - fort of the water)
Rinmore (Rinn Mór - the big promontory)

PS, why did towns change* their Irish names?
Nás na Ríogh has a nicer ring to it than An Nás, likewise Gort Inse Ghluaire instead of An Gort.

They didnt change them, the british sent a guy around surveying the place names of Ireland. It was a good piece of work too as he recorded both the Irish name but also an anglicised name for the town. Over time as the mother tongue was lost the anglicised name came to the forefront. The real question is why did governments from 1922 to today not revert back. As I said earlier, I would rather see all our town names in Irish in big writing with the english version underneath in smaller writing. That would do more to promote the language than most efforts in my lifetime.

Anyway, for those interested watch this show which i thought was very interesting..

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/creedon-s-atlas-of-ireland/SI0000005960?epguid=IH000379664

[BennyCake]

Townlands of my grandparents.

Derryneskin (Doire Naoscán - Oakwood of the snipes)
Derrinraw (Doire an Rátha - Oakwood of the Rath)
Dernasell West (Doire na Saille Thair - Oakwood of the salted meat)
Cushenny (Cúil Sionnaigh - Corner of the fox)

Fantastic.

Mines would be 

Edenballymore x2( Eadán An Bhealaigh Mhór- Brow Of the Main Road. Bogside is in this townland and it is not Eadán An Bhaile Mhór as most people claim)
Coshquin(Cois Caoine-Next to the pleasent water)
Creggan(An Cregáin- Stony Place).

All Derry City townlands. Creggan which I mention above isnt actually where the present estate is, it is where Glenowen is today. The creggan estate is made up of Glassagh , Ballymagowan and Edenballymore.

Derry city on the westbank  was part of Inishowen long before modern borders.

+1 to the fantastic comment.

Mine would be:
Farrandeelin (Fearann Díleann - townland of the floods)
Knockmore (Cnoc Mór - big hill)
Lisaniska (Lios an Uisce - fort of the water)
Rinmore (Rinn Mór - the big promontory)

PS, why did towns change* their Irish names?
Nás na Ríogh has a nicer ring to it than An Nás, likewise Gort Inse Ghluaire instead of An Gort.

They didnt change them, the british sent a guy around surveying the place names of Ireland. It was a good piece of work too as he recorded both the Irish name but also an anglicised name for the town. Over time as the mother tongue was lost the anglicised name came to the forefront. The real question is why did governments from 1922 to today not revert back. As I said earlier, I would rather see all our town names in Irish in big writing with the english version underneath in smaller writing. That would do more to promote the language than most efforts in my lifetime.

Anyway, for those interested watch this show which i thought was very interesting..

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/creedon-s-atlas-of-ireland/SI0000005960?epguid=IH000379664

Yeah I agree.

Another thing I can't understand is the amount of streets in Dublin in particular, that are still named after English dukes, princes or politicians. What the feck is that all about?!

The same with Nelson standing for nearly 50 years in the capitals Main Street. It should have been wired it with explosives, as the Brits were leaving to catch the boat.

[weareros]

Great thread and for anyone interested in a deeper dive PW Joyce wrote a great collection of books in late 1800s on the origins and meaning of Irish placenames, which carry so much history. In my own parish always enjoyed the sound of "Attiantaggart" which means the site of the priests house. Also enjoy those that carry a scary supernatural element, such as Dromahair - ridge of the two demons, Annascaul - river of the shadow, Loughandoul - lake of the devil.

[Evil Genius]

Another thing I can't understand is the amount of streets in Dublin in particular, that are still named after English dukes, princes or politicians. What the feck is that all about?!

The same with Nelson standing for nearly 50 years in the capitals Main Street. It should have been wired it with explosives, as the Brits were leaving to catch the boat.

Quite right!

Let's eliminate every English name about the place.

Then eliminate their language entirely, make everyone speak Irish.

"Tá an stair marbh, déanaimis dul ar ais chuig Year Zero!"

[Alternatively, we could just go back to discussing the myriad Irish names which have a nice ring to them]

[BennyCake]

Another thing I can't understand is the amount of streets in Dublin in particular, that are still named after English dukes, princes or politicians. What the feck is that all about?!

The same with Nelson standing for nearly 50 years in the capitals Main Street. It should have been wired it with explosives, as the Brits were leaving to catch the boat.

Quite right!

Let's eliminate every English name about the place.

Then eliminate their language entirely, make everyone speak Irish.

"Tá an stair marbh, déanaimis dul ar ais chuig Year Zero!"

[Alternatively, we could just go back to discussing the myriad Irish names which have a nice ring to them]

I didn't say to eliminate the English language. It's just strange that you would continue to retain names adapted by the oppressor of hundreds of years. Places named after English Earls, Dukes, Queens, Lords etc. It's like some sort of street naming Stockholm Syndrome.

Anyway...

(Yes, let's)

[From the Bunker]

Another thing I can't understand is the amount of streets in Dublin in particular, that are still named after English dukes, princes or politicians. What the feck is that all about?!

The same with Nelson standing for nearly 50 years in the capitals Main Street. It should have been wired it with explosives, as the Brits were leaving to catch the boat.

Quite right!

Let's eliminate every English name about the place.

Then eliminate their language entirely, make everyone speak Irish.

"Tá an stair marbh, déanaimis dul ar ais chuig Year Zero!"

[Alternatively, we could just go back to discussing the myriad Irish names which have a nice ring to them]

I didn't say to eliminate the English language. It's just strange that you would continue to retain names adapted by the oppressor of hundreds of years. Places named after English Earls, Dukes, Queens, Lords etc. It's like some sort of street naming Stockholm Syndrome.

Anyway...

(Yes, let's)

We have a myriad of streets in Castlebar named by our previous lawmakers. Ellison St, Spenser St, Charles St, Duke St, Lucan st etc The thing is these streets have been called this for 150 years now. People who live there and have lived there would have an affection to the name (but would think little of it's origins). You could not change the name even if you wanted. There would be uproar! The original reason for naming these streets means nothing to these people. It's part of our history of who we were and now who we are. I'd have more of a gripe with Developers that put silly unconnected names on housing estates. Often calling them after Daughter and the like.

[armaghniac]

Exactly. We have this wonderful heritage of place-names, yet developers can call estates what they like, Tuscany downs my arse.

[Rudi]

Rosenallis Co Laois

[Orior]

Exactly. We have this wonderful heritage of place-names, yet developers can call estates what they like, Tuscany downs my arse.

Or Abington Manor, off the Crumlin Road in Belfast :-(

[The Boy Wonder]

Rosenallis Co Laois

Rosenallis sounds even better in Irish - Ros Fhionnghlaise (wood of the clear stream).
A lovely little village in the foothills of the Sliabh Bloom mountains.

[BennyCake]

Watergrasshill
Spiddal
Dunkineely