Placename Pronunciations

[Farrandeelin]

Isn't Dungloe's translation An Clochán Liath?

[Eamonnca1]

Newtownards.  For years I'd see the road signs and think "New-TOWN-ards." Took me a while to figure out it was the "Newton-ARDS" they talked about on the wireless.

[Hardy]

Just in my little corner of East Meath we have Bellewstown (Sliabh Bhaile na gCailleach but now appearing on signs as "Baile an Bheileogaigh"), Gormanston, Julianstown and (I kid you not) Mount Hanover. The original Irish names for these are lost as far as I know and the "official" Irish versions are now also gaelicised from English ("Baile Iuliáin", etc.) in a bizarre circle of linguistic confusion.

[Hardy]

Oh - and we also have Beauparc. Don't ask me.

[AZOffaly]

Waterville in Kerry is an Coireán. I think that means the 'crescent' and must relate to the shape of the bay seafront there.

[seafoid]

Oh - and we also have Beauparc. Don't ask me.

name of a landlord's pad

[johnneycool]

Newtownards.  For years I'd see the road signs and think "New-TOWN-ards." Took me a while to figure out it was the "Newton-ARDS" they talked about on the wireless.

Sometimes its just 'Newton', other times just 'Ards' and its full title is "Newtown- Nards", the double N sound in the middle is very nasally important.

Another word, Demense, pronounced "Da-mains" locally, I presume it is a Norman word, no?

[AZOffaly]

Newtownards.  For years I'd see the road signs and think "New-TOWN-ards." Took me a while to figure out it was the "Newton-ARDS" they talked about on the wireless.

Sometimes its just 'Newton', other times just 'Ards' and its full title is "Newtown- Nards", the double N sound in the middle is very nasally important.

Another word, Demense, pronounced "Da-mains" locally, I presume it is a Norman word, no?

Demesne is a standard word. It's like the 'estate'. Belvedere Demesne, Kinnity Demesne.

[muppet]

Newtownards.  For years I'd see the road signs and think "New-TOWN-ards." Took me a while to figure out it was the "Newton-ARDS" they talked about on the wireless.

Sometimes its just 'Newton', other times just 'Ards' and its full title is "Newtown- Nards", the double N sound in the middle is very nasally important.

Another word, Demense, pronounced "Da-mains" locally, I presume it is a Norman word, no?

Demesne is a standard word. It's like the 'estate'. Belvedere Demesne, Kinnity Demesne.

As in 'Demesne man'?

[Farrandeelin]

It's sad (to me anyway) the 'proper' form of Irish isn't used on the signs, instead of this Béarlachas, which is becoming more and more regular in primary schools, but that's for another day's work. I mean a placename is a placename, and it shouldn't be watered down. OK, rant over! Also Hollymount is Maolla in Irish. I suppose someday soon we'll have Sliabh na gCuillin.

[mouview]

Logainm on TG4 is worth a view - explains background and influences to placenames and townlands.

[armaghniac]

Just in my little corner of East Meath we have Bellewstown (Sliabh Bhaile na gCailleach but now appearing on signs as "Baile an Bheileogaigh"), Gormanston, Julianstown and (I kid you not) Mount Hanover. The original Irish names for these are lost as far as I know and the "official" Irish versions are now also gaelicised from English ("Baile Iuliáin", etc.) in a bizarre circle of linguistic confusion.

In many cases,  in the Pale the Irish names have been lost and townlands etc have Pale names, whereas in Ulster almost all townlands have Gaelic names. You can see this heading west from Dundalk where east of Hallballscross has Pale townland names and west of that, in the lost Armagh lands seized by Louth, Gaelic ones.

Also Irish names are not always of great antiquity, Crois Mhic Lionnáin is no different than Baile Iuliáin, except the person it is named after might have had a Gaelic name, there must have been a townland name there before that.  Other townland names around Cross are much older than that.

Hilltown is an interesting one, as it is named after a person not a mound of earth, so is Baile Hill. 

[5 Sams]

+ 1 Some the English place names which have stayed totally faithful to the original Irish are in the deepest black north. Limavady, Ballyhackamore, Tandragee, Shankill, etc.

[armaghniac]

+ 1 Some the English place names which have stayed totally faithful to the original Irish are in the deepest black north. Limavady, Ballyhackamore, Tandragee, Shankill, etc.

has anyone seen a good discussion of why that is? it may partly reflect the Scottish origins of Planters who were used to such names, but I imagine it mostly has to with land tenure and the like.