Lú/Louth
Lú / Louth
Date: 21/08/2023
The Old Irish word Lugnasad is explained as the Festival of Lug, Lammas, first of August in the Dictionary of the Irish Language (dil.ie), and it is from this Lugnadad that Modern Irish Mí Lúnasa the month of August; the month of the festival of Lugh is derived. As one of the principal figures of native Irish mythology it might be expected that his name, Lugh, would figure frequently in Irish townland and other placenames in Ireland, but this is evidently not the case. However, one very well-known placename containing his name is Louth/Lú. The underlying early Irish form of Lú is Lughmhadh (gen. Lughmhaidh), a compound of Lugh + madh, the final element of which is unclear in meaning. It is clear, however, that it was pronounced as Lú from the eighteenth century at least, whence the standard Irish form of the name today. It has often been opined that it is from a compound of Lugh + maigh plain, but the overall evidence for this placename militates against such an interpretation.
(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)