Cluain na Sióg/Clonnasheeoge
"the pasture of the fairies"
See logainm #45661
Date: 10/11/2025
While the festival of Samhain/Halloween has probably been very much Americanised in recent years, the native Irish festival often involved one group now rarely mentioned in Halloween discourse---the sióga "fairies". In native tradition the síoga were reputedly particularly active during Samhain/Halloween, but they are only specifically mentioned in a small number of townland names. This includes Clonnasheeoge/Cluain na Sióg "the pasture of the fairies" (see logainm.ie: #52570) as well as Parknashoge/Páirc na Sióg "the park of the fairies" in County Wexford (see logainm.ie: #52864). It is notable that the sióga/fairies were also mentioned in another now-defunct townland name near Hollyfort in County Wexford, namely Raheneshioge/Ráithín na Sióg "the (little) ringfort of the fairies". It seems that there was once a particularly strong tradition surrounding the sióga/fairies in parts of County Wexford. Elsewhere, we have the townland name Ballynasheeoge/Baile na Sióg "the town(land) of the fairies" in Galway (see logainm.ie: #18636). We also have the English names Fairyhill in Clare, Fairyhall in Limerick and Fairy Island in Sligo, but the evidence is insufficient to determine whether these are English creations or translations from Irish.
(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)