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Ever wonder what some Irish town names mean in English? Here is an alphabetical list of terms with their English translation, the variant spellings, and examples. Thanks to Ray Marshall for sharing this information with other Kerry researchers. He in turn thanks John Fitzgerald for the list of Gaelic words. |
| Term/Translation | Variations | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Achadh (field) | Agha-, Ath-, Aha-, Agh-, A- | Aghadoe |
| Ard (hill/height) | Ard- | Ardmore, Ardagh |
| Ath (ford) | Agha-, Ath-, Aha-, Agh-, A- | Adare, Athenry, Athlone, Annacloy |
| Baile (town/homeplace) | Bally-, Bal-, Ball-, Ballina-, Ballyna- | Ballydehob, Ballinlough, Ballyagherty |
| -Bawn ( ) | ||
| Beal (mouth) | Bal-, Bel- | Ballina, Belfast, Belmullet, Bellanagare |
| Beann (peak, pointed hill) | Bin-, Ben- | Binroe, Benburb |
| -Beg (lesser, under, lower, smaller) | ||
| Bóthar (road) | Boher- | Stoneybatter, Boherduff |
| -Brack ( ) | Knockbrack | |
| Bun (bottom, mouth of a river) | Bun- | Bunclody, Buncrana, Bunratty |
| Caiseal (circular fort) | Cash- | Cashel |
| Carn (cairn, heap of stones) | Carn- | Carndonagh, Carnew, Carnlough |
| Carrig (rock) | Carrig-, Carrick- | Carrick, Carrickfergus, Carrickmacross |
| Ceapach (tillage plot) | Cap- | Capparoe, Cappamore |
| Ceathru (quarter) | Car(ra)-, Carrow-, Curra- (ry-), Curragh- | |
| Cill (church) | Kill-, Kil- | Killarney, Kildare, Kilcullen, Kilkenny |
| Cluan (meadow) | Cloon-. Clon- | Clones, Clonmel, Clontarf, Clontibret |
| Cnoc (hill) | Knock- | Knockdown, Crockaness, Cruckanim |
| Coill (a wood) | Kil-, Kyl- | Kylemore, Cuilbane, Killinch, Killeshil |
| -Creen ( ) | Knockeenkreen | |
| Cruach (rounded hill) | Croagh- | Croaghbeg, Croaghpatrick |
| Cúl (rear) | Cool-, Cul | |
| Cúm (hollow) | Coom- | Coomcallee, Coomclochan |
| Doire (oak wood, grove) | Derry- | Derry, Derrycarna, Derrygarriv |
| Domhnach (Sunday/church) | Donny-, Dunna-, Donna- | Donaghmore, Donnybrook, Rathdowney |
| -Down ( ) | ||
| Dún (fort, palace) | Dun-, Don- | Doneraile, Dundrum, Dunloe, Doonagore |
| Droim (ridge, hillock) | Drum-, Drim-, Drom- | Drumcree, Drumanoo, Drumcondra |
| -Duff ( ) | ||
| Eiscir (esker) | Ahascragh, Esker | |
| Fionn (clear, white) | Fin- | Finglas, Fintragh |
| Glaise (small river) | Glas- | Glasagh |
| Glaisín (stream) | Glash- | Glasheencoombaun |
| Gleann (glen, valley) | Glen-, Glan- | Glendalough, Glenealy, Glenroe |
| Gort (tilled field) | Gurt-, Gort- | Gortboy, Gortahork, Gurteenflugh |
| Inbhear (mouth of a river) | Dromineer, Inver | |
| Inis (island, water meadow) | Inis- ,Inish- ,Inch- ,Insh- | Ennis, Inch, Inistioge, Lahinch |
| Kil- | See Cill | |
| Knock- | See Cnoc | |
| Leath (half) | Le-, La- | |
| Leitir (hillside) | Let- | Letterkenny, Lettermore |
| Lios (ring fort) | Lis- | Lismore, Listowel, Lisheenagower |
| Loch (a lake) | Lough- | Lough, Loughbeg, Loughrea |
| Machaire (a plain) | Magh- | Maghera, Magherafelt |
| Magh (plain) | May, Moy | Maydown, Mayboy, Moybuy, Moycullen |
| Mám (mountain pass) | Maum- | Maum,Maumtrasna, Maumturk |
| Meen ( ) | Meen- | Meenleitrim, Meanganeare |
| -Mor (greater, over, upper, larger) | ||
| Muileann (a mill) | Mullin- | Mullinahone, Mullinavat, Mullingar |
| Mullach (a summit) | Mal-, Mul- | Malahide, Mullagh, Mullaghmore |
| Poll (a hole) | Pol- | Pollans, Pollrone |
| Port (bank of a river, landing place) | Port- | Portlaoise, Portmarnock, Portroe |
| Rath (circular fort, earth mound) | Rath-, Ra- | Raheen, Rabane, Rathkeale, Rathmore |
| Ros (wood, headland) | Ros- | New Ross, Roscommon, Roscrea |
| Sean (old) | Shan- | Shandon, Shankill, Shanmullagh |
| Sliabh (mountain) | Sl- | Slemish, Slievenamon, Slievenamuck |
| Tamhlagh (grave) | Talla-, Tamla- | |
| -Tooreen | ||
| Tra (strand, beach) | Tra- | Tralee, Tramore |
| Tuaim (burial mound) | Tuam- | Tuam, Tuamgraney |
| Tullach (hillock, mound) | Tulla-, Tul-, Toll- | Tullamore, Tulrahan |
| Uaimh (cave) | Mullinahone, Ovens |