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Date: 01/06/2026

As Ireland takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1 it may be worth reminding ourselves that the origin of the European Union goes back to the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957, which created a common market among the six founding members, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. Ireland, Britain and Denmark later joined this European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973. This event can doubtless be viewed as a transformative event for the post-colonial Republic of Ireland which arguably allowed it to emerge economically from an over-reliance on Britain as an export market. Some might also argue that it allowed Ireland to slowly break out of cultural isolation dominated by the anglosphere, although the position of the Irish Language as the vernacular in Irish speaking areas (Gaeltacht) has actually further weakened since our joining the EEC (the percentage of Irish speakers had decreased: see cso.ie), even if legal protections for the language were admirably strengthened significantly by means of the Official Languages Act of 2003.

In any case, Ireland’s associations with Rome, and continental Europe in general, are long and deep since the predominance of Christianity in Ireland with the arrival of Saint Patrick in the 5th century. This, of course, was very much reciprocated by the significant role played by Irish missionary clerics in the reintroduction of Latin learning and Classical culture to much of western Europe subsequent to the collapse of the Roman empire. We need only remind ourselves of locations on the European mainland that have patron saints of Irish origin: Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (see Dictionary of Irish Biography s.n. Gallus (Gall)); Sankt Kilian in Würzburg, Germany (see Dictionary of Irish Biography s.n. Kilian (Cilian)); and the less well-known San Frediano in Lucca, Italy. Even the word for the horsedrawn coaches so ubiquitous in Vienna, der Fiaker, is derived from Saint Fiacrius (Fiachra), an Irish hermit monk who gave his name to Saint Fiacre in Brittany ((see Dictionary of Irish Biography s.n. Fiacre (Fiachra)) ─ he is considered the patron saint of gardeners and taxi-drivers, whence der Fiaker “cab -horse-drawn vehicle” (see leo.org). Then, we have John Scottus Eriugena, one of the more famous Irish theologians of the 9th century who was linked to centres of learning in the area of Reim, Soissons, Laon, and the palace of Charles the Bald at Compiègne who himself became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (see Dictionary of Irish Biography s.n. John Scottus Eriugena). That said, there is probably no more famous among the Irish missionaries who headed to mainland Europe than Saint Columbanus (Colmán), the founder of monasteries at numerous locations in France (Luxeuil), Austria (Bregenz) and Italy (Bobbio), among others (see Dictionary of Irish Biography s.n. Columbanus (Colmán, Columba)) .

Be that as it may, the introduction of Christianity to Ireland through the Latin Church brought many loanwords associated with it and its culture into the Irish language. Some of these, such as sagart ‘priest’ (Lat. sacerdos), easpag ‘bishop’ (Lat. episcopus), teampall ‘church’ (Lat. templum) and cill ‘cell, church’ (Lat. cella), are readily recognisable, but others such as that which lies behind the placename Baslick in County Roscommon are much less obvious at first sight. In any case, given the importance of the Treaty of Rome in Ireland’s recent past, and no doubt its future, along with the historical importance of Irish Christian missionaries in early medieval Europe, we will look at some of the Irish placenames that contain references to Rome and Romans, even if they are not particularly numerous.

Kilnarovanagh / Cill na Rómhánach “the church of the Romans” (logainm.ie #23189) northwest of Killarney in County Kerry refers to an ecclesiastical foundation which lay, according to one account, in a ring-fort called ‘Lisnarovanagh’, doubtless from Lios na Rómhánach “the ring-fort of the Romans”, although other locations in the townland have been suggested (see heritagedata.map KE057-051002). A second townland of exactly the same name, Cill na Rómhánach “the church of the Romans” (logainm.ie #11501), is located south of Macroom in County Cork, and this most likely refers to the site of the ancient burial ground recorded here (see heritagedata.map CO083-007). It has been suggested that this placename may reflect adherence of the clerics at that site to the Roman method of calculating Easter rather than that of the native Irish church which originally used a different method (ibid.).

There are no ruins recorded at Roman Island / Oileán na Rómhánach ‘the island of the Romans’ (logainm.ie #37588) next to Westport in County Mayo, and the reason for it name remains a mystery. In the case of Tobernarova / Tobar na Róimhe ‘the well of Rome’ (logainm.ie #1415373) in the townland of Oolahills East the name refers not to Romans, but to the name of the city itself. Little is known of its origin, but it was recorded as a ‘holy well’ in the archaeological inventory (see heritagedata.map LI025-023), and a local tradition of it being a holy well was recorded in the Ordnance Survey Name Book, along with a charming explanation as to the origin of the name:

This little well, which is regarded as sacred by the peasantry, is about 18 inches deep, 12 inches wide at its mouth, and 24 inches wide at the bottom. It is curiously formed by nature in a solid rock, having always a depth of 6 inches of water in it, and it is said that neither the greatest drought nor the heaviest rainfall decreases or fills it. Its formation, as told by the natives is as follows: The family of Oola Castle lacked water and appealed to the Pope, who consecrated a bottle of water for them. The property of this water was that, when poured on the spot where is now the well, a well of excellent water appeared, rendering enough at all times, though not supplied from any other source. The people also affirm that the water of this well cannot be made to boil by any heat. (see ibid.)

In County Roscommon we have Rathnarovanagh / Ráth na Rómhánach “the ring-fort of the Romans” (logainm.ie #43035). This is attested as (genitive) ‘Ratha na Romanach’ in the Annals of Connacht (1248), when ‘Fedlimid mac Cathail Crobdeirg’ gave this townland to the canons of the parish of Kilmore … ‘at the bidding an entreaty of Tadc O Mannachain [Tadhg Ó Manacháin], in honour of Mary and Augustine’. (Fedlimid mac Cathail Crobdeirg do thabairt Ratha na Romanach do chananchaib Cilli Mori … tre impide Taidc h. Mannachan, i n-onoir Mure & Augustin’. It is particularly interesting to note that there are no ecclesiastical remains recorded in this townland, so perhaps it was the dedication to Saint Augustine, a giant of the Latin Church, that gave this townland its name in the first instance. That said, Rathnarovanagh / Ráth na Rómhánach has been equated with defunct Dumha na Rómhánach “the mound of the Romans” (see dias - onomasticon #23282) where the burial of the son of the O’Conor Don was recorded at ‘tempall dúmha na Romhanach’ “the church of Dumha na Rómhánach (‘the mound of the Romans’)” in 1582 (Mac Ui Concobair Duinn .i. Toirrdhelbach mac Diarmada mic Cairbri dég, ocus a adnacal a t-tempall dúmha na Romhanach: ALC ii 1582.24). Should this identification be correct, the reference to “the church of Dumha na Rómhánach” implies that there was indeed a church in Rathnarovanagh / Ráth na Rómhánach right into the late medieval period. Another church with apparent ‘Roman’ associations in the environs of County Roscommon was at ‘Kilnarounanak’ (leg. Kilnaromanak), possibly from Cill na Rómhánach “the church of the Romans”, which was recorded in papal taxation records for the beginning of the 14th century for the diocese of Elphin (Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland, 1302-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman). Unfortunately, its location remains unclear.

Elsewhere in the country we also have ‘Tech na Rómánach’ [Teach na Rómhánach] ‘the (religious) house of the Romans” (see dias-onomasticon) in today’s County Wicklow. This has been tentatively identified with Tigroney / Teach gCróinín (ibid.), but this is extremely doubtful as the evidence for Tigrony (logainm.ie. #55338) is not in keeping with derivation from Teach na Rómhánach.

Remaining on the theme of Rome and Romans, should one be lucky enough to visit Rome, there is little doubt that for many the utterly impressive Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City leaves an indelible mark in one’s memory. It’s unlikely, however, that many know of our very own basilica here in Ireland. The townland of Baslick / Baislic (logainm.ie #2056) in County Roscommon is an exceptionally rare Irish example of a placename deriving from Latin basilica (OIr. baislec < Latin basilica; see Historical Dictionary of Gaelic Placenames, Facsicle 2 s.v. Baisleac). The ecclesiastical foundation here, long a ruin, was according to Irish literature, very much connected with the Patrician tradition in early Ireland, it being a church of Soicheall, a protégé of Patrick himself (see: P. Ó Riain, A Dictionary of Irish Saints; C. Doherty, ‘The basilica in Early Ireland’, Peritia 3 (1984)). Little remains of this once-important foundation, but it still serves as an incredibly scenic graveyard for the locals.

Baslick / Baislic (Photo:© Mary Timoney)

Finally, the Latin word basilica also lies behind one other townland name in Ireland, namely Baslickaun / Baisleacán “little church (basilica)” (logainm.ie # 22209) next to Waterville in County Kerry. Baisleacán is a diminutive form of baisleac (< Lat. basilica) (see Historical Dictionary of Gaelic Placenames, Facsicle 2 s.v.v. Baisleac, Baisleacán). In regard to the basilica in question, that was likely the ecclesiastical remains recorded next to a burial ground, stone cross and possible beehive huts that are located in this townland (see heritagedata.maps KE098-049002/003-5). That said, a local explanation recorded in 1946 states that ‘there is a cave in this townland which in the olden days was called ‘an bhaislic’ or baislica – the only Greek name in Ireland that used be said’. It seems, then, that at least for some the name Baisleacán “little church (basilica)” had transferred from the ancient ecclesiastical site itself to a basilica or grotto-like natural feature in the landscape. Some might say that this reinterpretation somewhat parallels the Treaty of Rome ─ it has morphed from a body which created a common market among the six sovereign founding member states, to one with twenty seven member states, almost unrecognisable from the original.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Justin Ó Gliasáin)

Date: 01/06/2026

We saw in previous notes how highly the domestic cat was valued in Gaelic Ireland, in the sense that a significant financial penalty was levied for unlawful killing or injury of the animal. Modern cat-lovers will be pleased to know, however, that cats had more than a monetary value in early Irish society, and that some Old and Middle Irish sources even record the names of individual pet cats. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Pangur Bán ‘white Pangur’, who features in a well-known Old Irish poem. (The poem is preserved in the 9th-century Codex Sancti Pauli, now held in Austria and apparently written by an Irish cleric in the abbey of Reichenau near Konstanz on what is now the border of Germany and Switzerland. Cf. Oskamp, Éigse 17 (1978); Toner, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 57 (2009).) The first quatrain goes as follows:

Messe ocus Pangur bán,                           Myself and white Pangur
cechtar nathar fria ṡaindán;                      each of us at his special craft:
bíth a menma-sam fri seilgg,                     his mind is wont to be on hunting
mu menma céin im ṡaincheirdd.               my own mind on my special craft.

The 16th-century text known as O’Davoren’s Glossary contains explanations of some of the terminology in the early Irish law tracts. Here we find an entry beginning ‘Glasnenta .i. ainm do chat…’ [Glasnenta, i.e., the name of a cat…], which sets out the honour-price of a certain type of cat so called (Stokes 1862: 95). (Fergus Kelly (EIF p.123) takes this to be an extract from the legal tract Catṡlechtae ‘cat-sections’ which we mentioned last week.) The first element of the name is OIr. glas, which referred to a range of colours in the earlier language before becoming the standard Modern Irish word for the colour ‘green’. The editors of the Dictionary of the Irish language suggest that this cat-name should be understood as meaning ‘Nettle-Green’ (eDIL s.v. 2 glas), but Kelly (EIF p.123) suggests ‘nettle-grey’. The text itself explains the name .i. bís fon nglasnenaigh, nó gebar do nenaigh glais .i. don nenntóig “i.e. which is under the green nettle, or which is brought from a green nettle, i.e. from the nettle” (Murray, Celtica 25). In any case, it is the second element of this name, OIr. nenta = Mod. Ir. neanta, a collective noun meaning ‘nettles’, which concerns us this week.

The word neanta – diminutive neantóg, neantán (see FGB s.vv. neanta, neantóg; see also Dinneen s.v. neannta) – occurs in many placenames around the country. It usually found as a qualifying element, as in the townland name Tornant [Upper, Lower] / Tor Neanta ‘tall rock(?) of nettles’ (logainm.ie #54717) in Co. Wicklow. (The precise meaning of the generic element tor is unclear in this name; its various senses in Modern Irish include ‘bush, clump, tuft; tall rock, steep rocky height; tower’ (FGB s.v. 1, 2 tor). Note that the hilltop in Tornant Upper features a standing stone, a megalithic tomb and a stone circle: cf. archaeology.ie WI0-15-039; WI0-15-036; WI0-15-037.) Another Co. Wicklow example is Ballinanty / Baile an Neanta ‘the town(land) of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #55267). There is a Creggananta / Creig an Neanta ‘the rock, crag of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #19383) in Co. Galway. Our colleagues from the Northern Ireland Placenames Project have researched the townland Ballynant (logainm.ie #60183; placenamesni.org) in Co. Fermanagh, and their conclusion is that it derives from Baile an Neanta ‘the town(land) of the nettles’ or Baile Neanta without the article.

Note that the examples just mentioned treat neanta as a masculine noun, gen. an neanta ‘of the nettles (coll.)’. However, neanta is more usually found as a feminine noun in placenames: thus, in Co. Limerick we have Ballynanty / Baile na Neanta ‘the town(land) of the nettles’ (logainm #30825), Cappananty / Ceapach na Neanta ‘the plot of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #30529) and Knockananty / Cnocán na Neanta ‘the hillock of the nettles’ (logainm.ie # 31222). In Co. Galway there is Srahaunananta / Srathán na Neanta ‘the (little) river valley of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #20068) and Cornananta / Corr na Neanta ‘the round hill of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #20361). Further north we have Carrownananta / Ceathrú na Neanta ‘the quarter of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #45027) in Co. Sligo and Derrynananta / Doire na Neanta ‘the (oak-)wood, grove of the nettles’ (logainm.ie #1371793) in Co. Cavan.

There are few examples of the derivatives neantóg and neantán, however. One fairly certain exception is Kilnantoge / Coill Neantóige ‘wood of (the) nettle’ (logainm.ie #41640) in Co. Offaly. And the townland name Nantinan / Neantanán ‘place of nettles’ (logainm.ie #23369) in Co. Kerry gets a mention in Dinneen’s Dictionary (s.v. neanntanán), where he explains it as “a nettle shrubbery”. The same name Nantinan / Neantanán is borne by a civil parish and townland in Co. Limerick (logainm.ie #1584; #32235).

Research has not been completed on Glasnant (logainm.ie #15942) in Co. Donegal, but preliminary work also reflects the presence of neanta ‘nettles’ or a derivative thereof in the Irish precursor. (The similarity to the Old Irish cat-name Glas Nenta mentioned above can safely be presumed to be coincidental!)

It is likely that neanta ‘nettles’ flourished in many locations prior to the introduction of more modern agricultural practices and the 17th-century mania for ‘improvement’ of land (a word that occurs almost 200 times in The Civil Survey, A.D. 1654-1656 ... County Wexford alone!). Apart from referring to its simple prevalence and visibility in the countryside, however, these placenames may also reflect the utility of the nettle in Gaelic society. Early Irish texts refer to the nettle’s use as a seasonal food (EIF p.311), and in the modern era it is also known for medicinal properties. The Schools’ Folklore Collection of the 1930s recorded a Co. Roscommon tradition that drinking three portions of brután neantóg (a type of nettle soup) during the month of March would ward off illness for the rest of the year (BNS 0015.144). A recipe for nettle broth and dumplings was collected in Phibsborough, on the doorstep of Dublin City (BNS 0799.209). But the schoolchildren of Co. Meath went one better, providing a detailed recipe for nettle beer (BNS 0684.238). Many people in Ireland still make nettle soup today. For a twist that is both traditional and modern, you can infuse the neantóg ‘nettle’ with the creamh ‘wild garlic’ – discussed in a previous note – to make a very good pesto.

Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill

Date: 25/05/2026

One of the first Irish-language nursery jingles children learn is Neantóg a dhóigh mé, copóg a leigheas mé (‘It was a nettle that stung me, it was a dock-leaf that cured me!’). Even in the predominantly Anglophone Ireland of today this folk remedy is still well known, and of course it is not restricted to this county. While the scientific basis for the “cure” is questionable to say the least, there is a good chance that the next time you receive a sting from a nettle you will notice – when you’re finished cursing – that the copóg ‘dock-leaf’ is growing at the same spot. Like the nettles it intermixes with, the copóg ‘dock’ is very well represented in townland names, as we will see below.

One noticeable feature is the frequency with which copóg occurs in townland names containing the generic element cúil ‘nook, recess’. The English name Springhill in Co. Tipperary (logainm.ie #47726) is a 19th-century replacement of Cúil na gCopóg ‘the recess, nook of the docks’. This same Irish placename – in the anglicized form Coolnacoppoge – occurs three times in Co. Kerry (logainm.ie #22482; #22828; #22974), with further examples in Cos. Carlow (logainm.ie #3245), Kilkenny (logainm.ie #26563) and Waterford (logainm.ie #50347).

Note that we only have one probable example of Cúil na gCopóg outside Munster and Leinster, in Co. Antrim. Townland names in which copóg occurs with other generic elements show less of a geographical bias. Thus, in the northern half of Ireland we find Lecarrownagappoge / Leithcheathrú na gCopóg ‘the half-quarter (land measure) of the docks’ (logainm.ie #20057) in Co. Galway; Cloonnagoppoge / Cluain na gCopóg (logainm.ie #34810) in Co. Mayo; and two townlands in the Co. Donegal Gaeltacht, namely Mín na gCopóg ‘the level ground of the docks’ (logainm.ie #14432) and Srath na gCopóg ‘the river valley of the docks’ (logainm.ie #14712). (There are two probable examples in Cos. Down and Tyrone.) Further examples are found in the south: Knocknaguppoge / Cnoc na gCopóg ‘the hill of the docks’ (logainm.ie #27031) in Co. Kilkenny; Tooreennaguppoge / Tuairín na gCopóg (logainm.ie #10621) in Co. Cork and Toornagoppoge / Tuar na gCopóg (logainm.ie #49960) and Co. Waterford, which both refer to a ‘bleaching-green’ or ‘lea-field’ (FGB s.v. tuar); and finally – a name which would make any respectable modern farmer shudder – Gorteenaguppoge / Goirtín na gCopóg ‘the (little) field of the docks’ (logainm.ie #8030) in Co. Clare.

Note that the foregoing list is not intended to be exhaustive. Note also that the Placenames Branch bears no responsibility for the medicinal effectiveness of the dock-leaves in any of the places mentioned.

Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill

Date: 18/05/2026

An enthralling sight of the Irish countryside in May is the ubiquitous hawthorn in bloom, sometimes called in Irish bláth bán na Bealtaine “the white flower of May” (not to be confused with lus buí Bealtaine “yellow herb of May”, i.e., the marsh-marigold). Just as the blossom of the hawthorn proliferates across the country at this time of year, the Irish name of the tree itself, an sceach (gheal), features in quite an incredible number of townland names — some 200 in total. Aghnaskea/Achadh na Sceach (#33241) in County Longford and Gortnaskeagh/Gort na Sceach in Counties Kerry (#22982) and Leitrim (#29856) both mean “the field of the hawthorns”. The loose translations of Thornhill in County Cork, from Cnoc na Sceach “the hill of the hawthorns” (#8762) and Bushfield in County Laois, from Machaire na Sceach “the plain, field of the hawthorns” (#28712) are interesting given the secondary meaning of sceach “thorn-bush”. Bushypark in County Galway, too, appears to be a translation of Páirc na Sceach “the park of the hawthorns” (#18670), while on the other hand, Bushypark in County Kildare (#25159) seems to be of English origin. Yet another Bushypark, in County Cork, may represent a partial translation of Scairt an Arbha “the thicket of the grain” (#10400), which has nothing to do with the sceach “hawthorn; thorn-bush”.
Two instances of sceach (gen. sg. sceiche) in County Wexford deserve special attention, namely Scaughmolin/Sceach Moling “the hawthorn of Saint Moling” (#54320) and Knockskemolin/Cnoc Sceiche Moling “the hill of the hawthorn of Saint Moling” (#53289), as they belong to a peculiar group The hawthorn in bloom Knockskemolin/Cnoc Sceiche Moling “the hill of the hawthorn of St. Moling” (see logainm.ie #53289) of townland names in that county that specifically link the Irish saint Moling to trees. The other placename in this group is Monamolin/Muine Moling “the thicket of Moling”, which is found as the name of two completely distinct townlands — one near Rathnure north of New Ross (#53556), and the other near Ballycanew south of Gorey (#1411737) (also the name of a civil parish). See the following extract from Logainmneacha na hÉireann IV: Townland Names in Co. Wexford (2016) pp. 1209–1210 (published by An Brainse Logainmneacha/Placenames Branch of [what is now] the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media):
Moling, bishop of Ferns diocese in the seventh century, is the eponym of the parish names ST. MULLIN'S (par.) and MONAMOLIN (par.), as well as the townlands of MONAMOLIN (par. Templeludigan) and SCAUGHMOLIN (par. Rathaspick). The generic elements sceach “hawthorn” (see de Vál, 1987 p.56) and muine “thicket, brushwood” in these names may originate in the saint’s association with Suibhne Geilt “Suibhne the madman” in Irish literary tradition. Suibhne, driven mad by the terror of battle, resorted to roaming and living wild in trees and hedges. After an encounter with Saint Moling he began to visit his monastery for food each evening after his travels (see ITS xii). This legend seems to have generated the notion of a particular sceach “hawthorn” or muine “thicket”, where Suibhne could sleep, in the environs of Moling’s foundations. Note that Kilnamanagh, the parish in which this townland [Knockskemolin] is located, was also dedicated to Moling (see Culleton, 1999 p.211; cf. RATHASPICK, par.).

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Date: 11/05/2026

To continue with the theme of summer in the month of May, it is interesting to note that the word grian “sun” is a relatively common element in townland names, although, as usual, some placenames containing this element can be interpreted in more than one way. The presence of the article na in Ballynagrenia/Buaile na Gréine “boley, cattle-fold of the sun” (#50797) in Westmeath confirms that it without doubt refers to the sun. So too Auburn/Achadh na Gréine “the field of the sun” (#50761) also in Westmeath, along with Ballynagrany in Carlow (#3175) and Ballynagrena in Louth (#33997), both from Baile na Gréine “the town(land) of the sun”; In County Cork, we find Sunfort/Lios na Gréine “the ring-fort of the sun” (#10707), Rossnagrena/Ros na Gréine “the wooded height of the sun” (#8543) and Ardnagrena/Ard na Gréine “the height of the sun” (#12993). Other similar examples can be found elsewhere in the country too, and in this regard mention must be made of Monagreany/Móin na Gréine “the bogland of the sun” (#53213) in Wexford, the county which nowadays sells itself as part of the Sunny Southeast.
Where the article na is absent, things can become far more problematic. For instance, as Grian (genitive G(h)réine) is also the name of a female character in Irish mythology, Athgreany/Áth Gréine (#54756) in Wicklow might be interpreted as “the ford of Grian”. However, in this instance there is a stone circle in the townland, of which the ‘outlier and the entrance stones are in a direct line with the setting sun at the Midwinter Solstice’ (R. Marsh; Tales of the Wicklow Hills, p. 67). This information sways the balance of probability back in favour of grian “sun”. In the case of Knockgrean/Cnoc Gréine (#32401) in County Limerick, things get even more complicated. That placename refers neither to the heavenly body nor to the personal name, but to the ancient district called Grian which gave its name to the modern civil parish of Grean (#1547) (seeLogainmneacha na hÉireann I: Contae Luimnigh). As always, it is evident that each name must be analysed individually in order to determine its original meaning. Note Tomgraney/Tuaim Ghréine “mound of (the) sun” or “the mound of Grian” (#7778) in County Clare; Ballygreany/Bealach Gréine “pass of the sun” or “the pass of Grian” (#40528) in County Monaghan; the two townlands called Kilgraney/Cill Ghréine “church of (the) sun” or “the church of Grian” (#3513), (#3120) in County Carlow and Coolgreany/Cúil Ghréine “recess of (the) sun” or “the recess of Grian” (#52954) in County Wexford. In many cases it will be exceedingly difficult to disentangle the evidence. Indeed, the very fact that Grian was a figure of Irish mythology means that the likes of Bealach Gréine “pass of (the) sun” (#40528) could always be reinterpreted as containing the name Grian, particularly given the propensity in native Irish culture to create origin tales based on such mythology.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Date: 04/05/2026

Unlike the word for the native Irish festival of spring, Iombolg (< Old Irish Imbolc), which was completely superseded by Lá Fhéile Bhríde “the feast day of Saint Brigit” during the early Christian period, the Irish word for the festival of Summer, Bealtaine (< OIr. Beltaine) remains in common use right up until the present day, generally in reference to the whole month of May (see eDIL s.v. Bel(l)taine). It also survives in a handful of townland names including Lisbalting/Lios Bealtaine “the ring-fort of May” (#48350) in Tipperary, Beltany/An Bhealtaine in Donegal (#16481) and Tyrone (#63248), Beltany Mountain/Sliabh na Bealtaine (#14425) in Donegal and Tamnaghvelton/Tamhnaigh Bhealtaine “the grassy upland of May” (#1417840) in Armagh, the townland in which the mill-town of Laurelvale (#136051) was established in the nineteenth century. A more unusual placename containing an indirect reference to Bealtaine “May” is Baile Maoilbhealtaine “the town(land) of Maoilbhealtaine” (#12121) in Cork. Maoilbhealtaine is an exceedingly rare personal name modelled on the type seen in Maolphádraig “servant of Pádraig” < maol + Pádraig/Saint Patrick (eDIL s.v. 3 Máel). This once-common manner of forming personal names, discussed in an earlier note, seems to have largely died out by the late medieval period. This structure typically involved maol + a saint’s name, but by-names or nicknames were also formed on the same model, as in Maolanfa “servant of (the) storm” < anfa “storm”, from which we get the surname Ó Maolanfa (var. Ó Maolanfaidh)/Melamfy. The personal name Maoilbhealtaine “servant of Bealtaine/May” doubtless belongs to this category. Baile Maoilbhealtaine was anglicized as Maytown, which, of course, is only partially accurate — the fact that it contains an old Gaelic personal name has been lost in the translation. There are two other townlands named Maytown in Ireland, one in Wexford and one in Armagh. However, neither appear to have any connection with the month of May or the festival of Bealtaine. In Wexford, Maytown (#54165) is possibly an English placename consisting of mead “meadow” and town, while the etymology of Maytown in Armagh is even more opaque (see the discussion note and historical evidence at PlacenamesNI.org). For a full discussion of Bealtaine see Kay Muhr, ‘Bealtaine in Irish and Scottish Place-names’, The Journal of Scottish Name Studies 10.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Date: 30/04/2026

On the approach to May 2024 in our series of weekly notes on placenames at logainm.ie we highlighted the fact that the Irish word for the festival of Summer, Bealtaine, remains in common use in Irish up to the present day, generally in reference to the whole month of May (see logainm.ie Baile Maoilbhealtaine). The word also occurs in a handful of townland names including Lisbalting / Lios Bealtaine ‘(the) ring-fort of May’ (logainm.ie #48350) in Co. Tipperary, as well as Beltany / An Bhealtaine in Cos. Donegal (logainm.ie #16481) and Tyrone (logainm.ie #63248), along with Beltany Mountain / Sliabh na Bealtaine (logainm.ie #14425) in Co. Donegal and Tamnaghvelton / Tamhnaigh Bhealtaine ‘(the) grassy upland of May’ (logainm.ie #1417840) in Co. Armagh.

A more unusual example indirectly alluding to Bealtaine ‘May’ is Baile Maoilbhealtaine ‘the town(land) of Maoilbhealtaine’ in Co. Cork. Maoilbhealtaine is a very rare personal name of the same structure found in Maolphádraig < maol ‘servant’ of Pádraig (St. Patrick). This once-common method of forming personal names, which seems to have died out by the late medieval period, generally involved the use of maol + a saint’s name. However, by-names were also formed on the same model, as for example Maolanfa ‘servant of anfa (‘storm’)’, the source of the surname Ó Maolanfa (var. Ó Maolanfaidh), usually anglicized Melamfy, or similar. The personal name Maoilbhealtaine belongs to the latter category. The townland name Baile Maoilbhealtaine was anglicized as Maytown, which, of course, does not give the full story, as the fact that it contains a personal name has been lost in the translation. There are two other townlands named Maytown in Ireland, one in Co. Wexford and one in Co. Armagh. However, neither appear to have any connection with the month of May. Maytown in Wexford seems originally to be an English formation from mead ‘meadow’ + town (see Logainmneacha na hÉireann IV: Townland Names of Co. Wexford), while the etymology of Maytown in Armagh is even more opaque and remains unclear (see placenamesni.org: Maytown).

There are also a small number of townlands called Mayfield in English, e.g. Mayfield or Ballynagalliagh / Baile na gCailleach (logainm.ie #25175) in Co. Kildare; Mayfield or Rocketscastle / Gort Ardach ‘field of Ardach’ (where Ardach was itself a placename) (logainm.ie #49141) in Co. Waterford; Mayfield / Lios Mhic Fheorais ‘the ring-fort of Mac Fheorais’ (logainm.ie #36128) in Co. Mayo (discussed below); and the well-known district of Mayfield / Baile na mBocht ‘the town(land) of the poor’ (logainm.ie #129588) to the northeast of Cork City.

As can be seen by their Irish names, none of these Mayfields are translations or pseudo-translations, as was the case with Co. Cork’s Maytown < Baile Mhaoilbhealtaine. Rather, they are late 18th- or early 19th-century English creations deriving from house names (see Mayfield (House), Mayfield Cottage). The Irish name found in Mayfield or Ballynagalliagh / Baile na gCailleach ‘the town(land) of the nuns’ (logainm.ie #25175) in Co. Kildare doubtless refers to this townland having once been in the possession of the ‘Nunnery of Kildare’ (Irish Monastic Possessions, 1540-1541, p. 146). Baile na mBocht ‘the town(land) of the poor’ (logainm.ie #129588), the original Irish name of Mayfield in Cork, was also ecclesiastical land, possibly part of the estate of Saint Stephen’s of Cork (see Calendar of Patent Rolls, p. 244b). The names Baile na mBocht ‘the town(land) of the poor’ and Baile Bocht ‘town(land) of (the) poor’ generally appear to apply to ecclesiastical land that had been set aside for the needy (see Logainmneacha na hÉireann IV: Townlands in Co. Wexford, s.n. Ballybought / Baile Bocht, p. 232). The Irish name of Mayfield or Rocketscastle / Gort Ardach ‘field of Ardach’ (logainm.ie #49141) in Co. Waterford does not refer to any ecclesiastical foundation, but apparently implies that this Gort was part of a larger area called Ardach. The earliest attestation to the alias Rocketscastle is ‘Rockwells Castle’ in the Civil Survey of 1654, at which time it was home to ‘Richard Strang … Irish Papist’ (p. 106). The original name of Mayfield (logainm.ie #36128) in Co. Mayo, namely Lios Mhic Fheorais ‘the ring-fort of Mac Fheorais’, is particularly interesting (see F. Mac Gabhann, Logainmneacha Mhaigh Eo, vol. 7). The name Mac Fheorais is technically a patronymic, meaning literally ‘the son of an individual named Feoras’. (Feoras is an alternative form of Piaras, the gaelicized version of Anglo-Norman Piers.) However, Mac Fheorais was also adopted as a surname by the gaelicized (de) Bermingham family (see P. W. Woulfe Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall). Senior branches of this family were located at Carrick / Carraig Fheorais ‘the rock of Feoras (by metonymy, the de Berminghams)’ (logainm.ie #25517) and Russellswood / Coill an Ruiséalaigh (logainm.ie #25523) in Co. Kildare, and in Ballinabrackey / Buaile na Bréachmhaí ‘the boley of the wolf-plain’ (logainm.ie #133201), Castlejordan / Caisleán Shiurdáin (logainm.ie #38936) and Longwood / Maigh Dearbhaí (logainm.ie #38954) in Co. Westmeath (see Analecta Hibernica 18 ‘The O Clery Book of Genealogies’). Further west, their presence in Connaught was so strong that part of Co. Galway actually became known as ‘Bermingham’s country’ (E. MacLysaght, More Irish Families, p. 33). It is unsurprising, therefore, that Ordnance Survey fieldwork in 1838 found that Mayfield / Lios Mhic Fheorais in Co. Mayo was locally understood to contain this surname.

As to the English house names from which the other examples of Mayfield derive, the original naming motivation may simply have been the connotations of summer that May invokes. Indeed, Mayfield still has great cachet in the modern Anglosphere. It occurs frequently in the names of streets and housing estates developed in 20th-century Ireland, with many examples found in the streetscapes of Cos. Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford (see sráidainm.ie) along with Cos. Antrim and Down (see placenamesni.org).

Note finally that some instances of Mayfield in placenames in England appear to derive from the mayweed, a most charming plant with daisy-like flowers. For example, Mayfield in East Sussex is derived from ‘Magavelda … “Open land where mayweed grows”. O[ld] E[nglish] mægthe + feld’ (Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names). (Note that Mayfield in Staffordshire appears to be from ‘Medevelde … Matherfeld … “Open land where madder grows”. O[ld] E[nglish] mæddre [‘madder’] + feld’.) This plant is known in Irish as lus anainn or, lately, lus Bhealtaine (téarma.ie). However, the English name mayweed is not common in the vocabulary of modern Hiberno-English and none of the examples of Mayfield in Ireland are likely to refer to this plant.

For more information on Bealtaine in Irish and Scottish placenames see: Kay Muhr, ‘Bealtaine in Irish and Scottish Place-names’, The Journal of Scottish Name Studies 10. https://clog.glasgow.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JSNS/article/view/134/162

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Justin Ó Gliasáin)

Date: 20/04/2026

As we are now well into calving season in the countryside it is interesting to note some of the numerous townland names that refer to the two common words signifying calf in Irish, gamhain and lao. Although placenames referring to calves form only a small portion of the huge overall number of townland names which refer to cows (a proliferation which derives from the central importance of cattle husbandry in Gaelic Irish society) they are nonetheless far too numerous to list in full here. Examples include Ballinalea/Buaile na Lao “the boley, cattle-fold of the calves” (#55476) in Wicklow; Móin na Lao/Móin na Lao “the bog(land) of the calves” (#53313) in Wexford; Cornalee/Corr na Lao “the round hill of the calves” (#42521) in Roscommon; Gortnalee/Gort na Lao in Laois (#28695) and Fermanagh (#60537); Lios na Lao “the ringfort of the calves”, which is the forerunner to Lisnalea in Cavan and Kilkenny as well as Lisnalee in Monaghan (see logainm.ie); Cluain Lao “pasture of (the) calves”, which is the forerunner to Clonlea in Clare, Clonleigh in Donegal, Cloonlee in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo, Clonlee in Offaly, Clonalea in Tipperary (see logainm.ie); Drumalee/Droim an Lao “the ridge of the calf” (#4602) in Cavan. Killaloo in Derry is from Coill an Lao “the wood of the calf” (#58830), a placename that makes clear that the existence of woodland and cattle husbandry need not be mutually exclusive, as is often the case with more intensive modern farming methods. (Note that all of the placenames referring to calves in the plural use the genitive form …na lao “of the calves” rather than the modern ‘strong plural’ ending …na laonna “of the calves” [see eDIL s.v. lóeg]; we know of no townland name, excluding modern translations such as Deerpark/Páirc na bhFianna, whose Irish form contains a strong genitive plural ending in -anna.) The particularly deceiving spelling of Culdaly in Sligo at first sight seems to point to the surname Ó Dálaigh/Daly, but in fact this townland name is pronounced with the stress on the last syllable. It is an anglicization of Coill Dá Lao “wood of (the) two calves” (#45533), another placename that reflects the practice of cattle-grazing in wooded areas. Remarkably, a 1930 recording of one of the last native Irish speakers from the Culdaly area features a song praising the wonders of this very townland (archived online at the Doegen Records Web Project under the title ‘Coill Dá Laogh’). Of note in the context of the current article is the laudatory line ‘Tá caoirigh bhána ann is díol eallaigh…’ (“There are white sheep there and plenty cattle…”).

Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill

Date: 13/04/2026

Nowadays, most of the garlic we use in everyday cooking is imported from the Far East. However, at this time of year the Irish countryside provides us with an abundant, if vastly underused, native alternative. Practically overnight, whole swathes of moist, shaded areas – such as the woodlands along the River Liffey in Lucan, Co. Dublin – become carpeted in wild garlic, with its characteristic leaves and unmistakable aroma. The striking effect readily explains the proliferation of the Irish word creamhchoill ‘wild-garlic wood’ in townland names across the country. (Creamhchoill is a close compound of creamh ‘wild garlic’ [etymologically related to the English word ramsons] + coill ‘wood’.)

As well as being easy to recognize, areas producing wild garlic were also highly prized in early Irish society. In his essential book Early Irish Farming (EIF), based mainly on an analysis of early legal texts, Fergus Kelly reveals many details of the traditional early Irish diet and other aspects of native culture all but erased from the national consciousness after the destruction of Gaelic society in the 17th century. One text explicitly states the esteem in which creamh (OIr. crem) ‘wild garlic’ was held in the early period. The plant was so highly valued that every year, just before Easter, a client was obliged to provide his lord with a creimhfheis (OIr. crimḟeis) ‘garlic feast’ – consisting of wild garlic, cheese and milk – on pain of a fine (EIF pp.308-309). (We may note in passing that the early texts also show that garlic-flavoured butter was on the menu in Gaelic Ireland (ibid., p.326), over a thousand years before the arrival of garlic bread with modern Italian cuisine.)

The importance of creamh ‘wild garlic’ to our Gaelic ancestors is also reflected in numerous townland names. The most direct reference is An Chreamhach, the forerunner to Knavagh (logainm.ie #21264) in Co. Galway, which means simply ‘the place abounding in wild garlic’. However, by far the most common placename referring to creamh is the abovementioned Creamhchoill ‘wild-garlic wood’. This Irish name produces a variety of anglicized versions such as Crophill (logainm.ie #25013) and Crewhill (logainm.ie #25421) in Co. Kildare; Crawhill (logainm.ie #44483) in Co. Sligo; Craffield (logainm.ie #55217) in Co. Wicklow; Cranfield (logainm.ie #63045) and Crankill (logainm.ie #62934) in Co. Antrim; and Cranfield in Cos. Down (logainm.ie #67021) and Tyrone (logainm.ie #64206). Note the tendency towards analogy with the unrelated English placename elements field and hill in these anglicized forms. The townland name Greamhchoill (logainm.ie #35416) in the Co. Mayo Gaeltacht (formerly Graghil in English) is a development from this same word Creamhchoill via the prepositional phrase i gCreamhchoill ‘in Creamhchoill’. (In the late 20th-century one local explanation of the name was based on analogy with grean ‘grit, gravel’ + poill ‘holes’!)

The same word also occurs in townland names in conjunction with other generic elements, e.g. Cluain Creamhchoille / Clooncraffield ‘(wet) pasture of (the) wild-garlic wood’ (logainm.ie #43547) in Co. Roscommon, and Deramfield / Doire Chreamhchoille ‘(oak-)wood, grove of (the) wild-garlic wood’ (logainm.ie #5238) in Co. Cavan.

Far less common than Creamhchoill are the following references to woods of wild garlic in the form of open compounds, likely to be of later origin: see for example Killycramph / Coill an Chreamha ‘the wood of the wild garlic’ (logainm.ie #4729) in Co. Cavan, and Derrycraff / Doire Chreamha ‘(oak-)wood, grove of wild garlic’ (logainm.ie #37526) in Co. Mayo. Killycramph, the name of two townlands in Co. Fermanagh (logainm.ie #59847; #60938), also appears to derive from Coill an Chreamha or Coillidh Chreamha ‘(the) wood of (the) wild garlic’ (see placenamesni.org).

Occurrences of creamh ‘wild garlic’ are not restricted to townland names denoting woodlands, although that collocation is significant. There are numerous instances of the placename Cluain Creamha ‘(wet) pasture, meadow of (the) wild garlic’: we find it anglicized as Cloncrew (logainm.ie #31745) in Co. Limerick; Clooncraff (logainm.ie #43986) in Co. Roscommon; and Coolcraff [sic] (logainm.ie #33013) in Co. Longford. As it happens, three separate examples of Cluain Creamha fell victim to big-house rebranding during the 18th century: in Co. Offaly it became [Cloncraff or] Bloomhill (logainm.ie #41358); in Co. Longford, Mountdavis (logainm.ie #103036); and in Co. Roscommon, Mountdillon (logainm.ie #44249).

Other names of more or less low-lying places containing references to creamh include Eanach Creamha ‘marsh of (the) wild garlic’, which is the forerunner to both Annacroff (logainm.ie #39266) and Annacramph (logainm.ie #41059) in Co. Monaghan; Gleann Creamha ‘valley of (the) wild garlic’, anglicized Glengraff (logainm.ie #18148) in Co. Galway and Glencrue (logainm.ie #46351) in Co. Tipperary; Tamhnach an Chreamha / Tawnaghaknaff ‘the green field of the wild garlic’ (logainm.ie #36790) in Co. Mayo; and Currach an Chreamha / Curraghacnav ‘the wet land of the garlic’ (logainm.ie #49862) in Co. Waterford. (We will discuss the variation between -cr- and -cn-/-kn- in subsequent notes.)

Townlands on higher ground include Drumgramph / Droim gCreamha ‘ridge of (the) wild garlic’ (logainm.ie #40102; #40113) in Co. Monaghan and Lettercraff / Leitir Creamha ‘hillside of (the) wild garlic’ (logainm.ie #20876) (alongisde Lettercraffroe / Leitir Creamha Rua ‘(the) red Leitir Creamha’ (logainm.ie #20877)) in Co. Galway. We find Corr an Chreamha ‘the round hill of the wild garlic’ anglicized as Corcraff (logainm.ie #4910) in Co. Cavan and twice as Corracramph, in Cos. Donegal (logainm.ie #14240) and Leitrim (logainm.ie #30129). We also find creamh qualifying the generic element ros, whose semantic range includes ‘point, headland’, ‘(wooded) height’ and simply ‘wood’. The close compound Creamhros (logainm.ie #15878) – anglicized Croaghros – refers to high ground on the banks of Lough Swilly in Co. Donegal and the open compound Ros an Chreamha (logainm.ie #10627) – anglicized Bettyville! – refers to elevated ground near Kanturk in Co. Cork.

Even islands can be named after this popular little plant. Anyone in the vicinity of Westport in Co. Mayo at this time of the year might fancy a trip out to Clew Bay to see if Crovinish / Creimhinis ‘wild-garlic island’ (logainm.ie #37260) remains true to its name.

These Irish townland names provide more evidence for the popularity of wild garlic in Gaelic Ireland, further to the special mention it received in the early legal texts. So next time you are tucking into a nice garlicky meal, as well as daydreaming of Lombardy, Tuscany and Venice you might also consider the fact that your Gaelic forebears were just as fond of the very same flavour, in the form of the native creamh.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Date: 03/04/2026

While only one known example of An Nollaig “Christmas” occurs among townland names, namely Boleynanollag/Buaile na Nollag “the boley, cattle-fold of Christmas” (#21027) in Galway, the feast of An Cháisc “Easter” occurs far more frequently. On a similar theme to Boleynanollag/Buaile na Nollag we find Boolanacausk/Buaile na Cásca “the boley, cattle-fold of Easter” (#7433) in Clare; and another Buaile na Cásca was loosely translated Easterfield (#20989) in Galway. These names most likely referred to an area of land that regularly became available for grazing each year around Easter. It is notable, however, that most of the other townland names referring to An Cháisc “Easter” specifically refer to elevated ground, as in Knocknacaska/Cnoc na Cásca “the hill of Easter” (#24263) in Kerry; Cornacask/Corr na Cásca “the round hill of Easter” (#20472) in Galway (also half-translated as Easterfield); Drumcask/Droim Cásca “the ridge of Easter” (#4026) in Cavan; and Mullanacask/Mullach na Cásca “the summit of Easter” (#40582) in Monaghan. These names probably derive from the native Irish custom of holding assemblies on hills. Indeed, this is hinted at in the explanation of Cnoc na Cásca “the hill of Easter” in Kerry which John O’Donovan wrote in the Parish Namebook of the Ordnance Survey: ‘hill of Easter (meetings here)’. In Monaghan he noted ‘some ceremonies here Easter Sunday’ in the case of Mullanacask/Mullach na Cásca “the summit of Easter”. How Kilnacask/Coill na Cásca “the wood of Easter” (#48861) in Tipperary might have received its name is, however, less certain.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

Featured themes

“basilica”
Baislic / Baslick
(logainm.ie #2056)

Townland names with a sting
Kilnantoge / Coill Neantóige
‘wood of (the) nettle’
(see logainm.ie #41640)

Docks
Coolnagoppoge / Cúil na gCopóg
‘the recess, nook of the docks’
(see logainm.ie #22482)

The hawthorn in bloom
Knockskemolin/Cnoc Sceiche Moling “the hill of the hawthorn of St.Moling”
(see logainm.ie #53289)

The sun
Ballygreany/Bealach Gréine “pass of (the) sun”
(see logainm.ie #40528)

Mayday
Maytown/Baile Maoilbhealtaine “the town(land) of Maoilbhealtaine”
(see logainm.ie #12121)

Mayfield / Baile na mBocht
‘the town(land) of the poor’ (logainm.ie #129588)

Calving season
Culdaly/Coill Dá Lao “wood of (the) two calves”
(see logainm.ie #45533)

Carpets of wild garlic
Crewhill / Creamhchoill ‘wild-garlic wood’
(see logainm.ie #25421)

Easter
Knocknacaska/Cnoc na Cásca “the hill of Easter”
(see logainm.ie #24263)

Featured themes

“basilica” Baislic / Baslick (logainm.ie #2056)

Townland names with a sting Kilnantoge / Coill Neantóige ‘wood of (the) nettle’ (see logainm.ie #41640)

Docks Coolnagoppoge / Cúil na gCopóg ‘the recess, nook of the docks’ (see logainm.ie #22482)

The hawthorn in bloom Knockskemolin/Cnoc Sceiche Moling “the hill of the hawthorn of St.Moling” (see logainm.ie #53289)

The sun Ballygreany/Bealach Gréine “pass of (the) sun” (see logainm.ie #40528)

Mayday Maytown/Baile Maoilbhealtaine “the town(land) of Maoilbhealtaine” (see logainm.ie #12121)

Mayfield / Baile na mBocht ‘the town(land) of the poor’ (logainm.ie #129588)

Calving season Culdaly/Coill Dá Lao “wood of (the) two calves” (see logainm.ie #45533)

Carpets of wild garlic Crewhill / Creamhchoill ‘wild-garlic wood’ (see logainm.ie #25421)

Easter Knocknacaska/Cnoc na Cásca “the hill of Easter” (see logainm.ie #24263)

“basilica”
Baislic / Baslick
(logainm.ie #2056)

Townland names with a sting
Kilnantoge / Coill Neantóige
‘wood of (the) nettle’
(see logainm.ie #41640)

Docks
Coolnagoppoge / Cúil na gCopóg
‘the recess, nook of the docks’
(see logainm.ie #22482)

The hawthorn in bloom
Knockskemolin/Cnoc Sceiche Moling “the hill of the hawthorn of St.Moling”
(see logainm.ie #53289)

The sun
Ballygreany/Bealach Gréine “pass of (the) sun”
(see logainm.ie #40528)

Mayday
Maytown/Baile Maoilbhealtaine “the town(land) of Maoilbhealtaine”
(see logainm.ie #12121)

Mayfield / Baile na mBocht
‘the town(land) of the poor’ (logainm.ie #129588)

Calving season
Culdaly/Coill Dá Lao “wood of (the) two calves”
(see logainm.ie #45533)

Carpets of wild garlic
Crewhill / Creamhchoill ‘wild-garlic wood’
(see logainm.ie #25421)

Easter
Knocknacaska/Cnoc na Cásca “the hill of Easter”
(see logainm.ie #24263)