Featured themes 16/08/2025

Truth can be a matter of perspective (Part I)
Farbreaga / An Fear Bréige
‘the false man’
(logainm.ie #55861)

Date: 16/08/2025

In our discussion of nicknames among the Gaelic Irish over the last two weeks, we have noted a number of personal epithets and descriptive adjectives that were not all that complimentary. We continue the theme with a few more examples:

‘Ferrall Bradagh’ [Fearghal Bradach], i.e., thieving/dishonest Fearghal Bradach , of Co. Longford (Fiants [Eliz.] §4924, anno 1596);
‘Walter Bradagh m‘Laghlin boy’ [Ualtar Bradach mac Lochlainn Bhuí], i.e., thieving/dishonest Ualtar Bradach mac Lochlainn Bhuí , son of ‘yellow’ Lochlann of Co. Galway (Fiants [Eliz.] §4028, anno 1582) (see last week’s note for the epithet buí ‘yellow’; anglic. Laghlin could also represent the common Irish name Maoleachlainn);
‘Morgh bregaghe m‘Teig oge’ [Murcha Bréagach mac Taidhg Óig], i.e., lying/deceitful Murcha Bréagach mac Taidhg Óig , of Inchiquin, Co. Clare (Fiants [Eliz.] §3042, anno 1577);
‘John Bregagh’ [Seán Bréagach], i.e., lying/deceitful Seán Bréagach , [prob. Co. Limerick] (Fiants [Eliz.] §6461, anno 1600);
‘Edm. Bregagh M‘Echey, of Tullegolkhorke’ [Éamann Bréagach Mac an Chaoich], i.e., lying/deceitful Éamann Bréagach Mac an Chaoich , of ‘Tullegolkhorke’ [defunct], par. Iniskeen, Co. Cavan (Fiants §4908, anno 1586). (Mac an Chaoich was the name of the main branch of Muintir Raghallaigh (the O’Reillys) in southeast Co. Cavan (cf. #380); they gave their name to the barony of Clankee / Clann Chaoich , #11).

The words bréagach ‘lying’ and bradach ‘thieving’ have a range of meanings and, of course, are not confined to personal epithets. A cow that wanders off its own land and interests itself in the crops of a neighbouring farmer, for instance, is a bó bhradach ‘trespassing cow’; bradach can also mean ‘obtained unjustly, stolen’ and – trespassing into the territory of bréagach – ‘false’ (see Dinneen, Ó Dónaill s.v.). In placenames, particularly those referring to topographical features, the sense these words convey is that the places in question are in some way unreliable, deceptive or even dangerous (compare Eng. treacherous conditions). The late Fiachra Mac Gabhann was no doubt correct in translating Moneenbradagh / An Móinín Bradach (logainm.ie #35707) in Co. Mayo as ‘the dangerous (little) bogland’ (Logainmneacha Mhaigh Eo V, p. 540). Note also that Portaghbradagh (logainm.ie #44765) in Co. Sligo was described in the 17th century as containing ‘Red Shaking Bog’ (Down Survey [1654], bar. Tireragh), whence its Irish name An Portach Bradach , ‘the dangerous peat bog’. This is also the most likely sense of bradach intended in the case of Bolabradda / An Bhuaile Bhradach (logainm.ie #52877), Co. Wexford, where the alluvial soil along the Inch River – suggesting historical overflowing – would have remained soft underfoot long after the surrounding ground had dried enough for cattle to be introduced (see Logainmneacha na hÉireann IV, p. 555).

Just like An Bhuaile Bhradach in Co. Wexford, there is a significant patch of alluvial soil in the townland of An Baile Bradach / Balbradagh (logainm.ie #38613) in Cp. Meath, and perhaps the element bradach in this placename is linked to that area remaining soft and muddy after the surrounding ground has long since become safe for cattle. In light of the generic baile ‘town(land)’, however, it is possible that bradach here is the substantivized adjective meaning ‘thief, plunderer’, and that the sense intended is Baile Bradach , ‘town(land) of (the) thieves’. Close analysis of the landscape and soil in other ambiguously named places, such as Boherbraddagh / Bóthar Bradach (logainm.ie #32035) in Co. Limerick (“thieving road / road of thieves” in Logainmneacha na hÉireann I, lch. 73), might throw some light on which meaning is more likely. Sometimes the topography seems to clearly indicate peril, as in the names of Glenbradagh / Gleann Bradach (logainm.ie #12300), a particularly steep-sided valley in Co. Cork, and An Méile Bradach (logainm.ie #1396731), a cluster of rocks off the coast of Na hArlanna in the Donegal Gaeltacht.

The word bréagach ‘lying, deceitful’ could also convey a sense of ‘dangerously deceptive, treacherous’. Parts of the townland of Ballybregagh / An Bhuaile Bhréagach (logainm.ie #52339) in Co. Wexford, for example, would remain unsuitable for cattle even after quite a long period of dry weather (see Logainmnneacha na hÉireann IV, p. 239). Bréagach in river-names warns of flash flooding or other deceptive behaviour, e.g. Breagagh / An Bhréagach , ‘the treacherous (river)’ in Cos. Tipperary (logainm.ie #116103) and Kilkenny (logainm.ie #116566) and the smaller Srahanbregach / An Sruthán Bréagach , ‘the false(?) stream’ (logainm.ie #41847) in Co. Offaly. (O’Donovan said that the river Breagagh / An Bhréagach in his native county of Kilkenny was “but a mere streamlet” in the summer, until there was an unexpected cloudburst over the mountains, whereupon “the little runnel is suddenly swelled to such a height that it often sweeps away men and cattle” LSO (Donegal [sic]) p.31 (1835).)

In other placenames, however, it is clear that bréagach did not have treacherous or dangerous connotations. As mentioned before in these notes, many geographical features are figuratively named from their appearance from a certain angle, giving rise to some very imaginative back-stories in folk etymology. (We find a nice subversion of the usual placename-etymologizing in the 9th-century tale Fionaíl Rónáin ‘the kin-slaying committed by Rónán’ (Mid.Ir. Fingal Rónáin). An important event in the story takes place near some stone cairns with the wonderful name Ba Aoife , ‘the cows of Aoife’. Rather surprisingly, the narrator does not attempt any imaginative analysis, stating matter-of-factly: “Ba Aoife ‘the cows of Aoife’ are stones on the side of the mountain. They look like white cows from afar.” [Bae Aífi .i. clocha filet la tóeb int ṡléibe. It cosmaile fri bú finna do chéin.] The author was merely keeping his powder dry: the plot takes a tragic turn when a character makes an untimely metaphorical reference to the cairns as ‘cows’. No spoilers! [Cf. FSÁG s.nn. Baoi Aoife, Bun Aoife.]) In any case, there are a number of placenames such as Farbreaga / An Fear Bréige (logainm.ie #55861) in Co. Wicklow (bréige, the genitive of the noun bréag ‘falsehood’, used as an adjective meaning ‘false’) and An Fear Bréagach (logainm.ie #1418649) in the south Kerry Gaeltacht (‘Cloch mhór ard, cheapfá gur fear atá ann’ 1969) which refer to stones resembling a human figure from a distance: both names can be translated as ‘the false man’. A reminder that truth is often only a matter of perspective. More examples next week!

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Truth can be a matter of perspective (Part I) Farbreaga / An Fear Bréige ‘the false man’ (logainm.ie #55861)

Truth can be a matter of perspective (Part I)
Farbreaga / An Fear Bréige
‘the false man’
(logainm.ie #55861)