The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicisations of Irish language names; that is, adaptations of the Irish names to English phonology and spelling. However, some names come directly from the English language, and a handful come from Old Norse and Ulster Scots. The study of placenames in Ireland unveils features of the country's history and geography, and the development of the Irish language. The name of Ireland itself comes from the Irish name Éire, added to the Germanic word land. In mythology, Éire was an Irish goddess of the land and of sovereignty (see Ériu).
In some cases, the official English or anglicised name is wholly different from the official Irish language name. An example is Dublin. Its name is derived from the Irish dubh linn (meaning "black pool"), but its official Irish name is Baile Átha Cliath (meaning "town of the hurdled ford").
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For most of the "Gaelic period", there were very few towns or large settlements in Ireland. Hence, most places were named after noteworthy features of the landscape, such as hills, rocks, valleys, lakes, islands, and harbours. As time went on, more places were named after man-made features, such as churches, castles, and bridges. Some of the most common elements found in Irish placenames are shown in the table below. The differences in spelling are often due to differences in pronunciation.
| Anglicised spelling | Irish | English translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| agha, aghy, aghey, augha | achadh | field | Aghalee, Aughagower |
| ard | ard | high/height | Ardglass |
| ath | áth | ford | Athlone |
| bally | baile | homestead/settlement | Ballymena |
| bally, balla(gh), bella(gh) | bealach | pass/passage | Ballyclare, Ballaghmore |
| bane, baun, bain | bán | white | Strabane, Cregganbaun, Kinbain |
| beg | beag | small | Carrickbeg |
| bel, bell | béal | mouth/rivermouth | Belfast |
| ben, bin | binn/beann | peak | Benbaun, Binevenagh |
| boy | buí | yellow | Bawnboy |
| brack | breac | mottled | Mullaghbrack |
| bun | bun | river's bottom/foot/mouth | Bundoran |
| cashel | caiseal | stone ring-fort | Cashel (Tipperary), Cashel (Galway) |
| cappa(gh) | ceapach | plot/tillage | Cappamore, Cappagh |
| carn | carn | cairn | Carnmoney |
| carrow, carry | ceathrú | quarter | Carrowdore, Carryduff |
| carrig, carrick, craig | carraig/creig | rock/rocky outcrop | Carrigaline, Carrickfergus, Craigarogan |
| cahir, caher | cathair | stone ring-fort | Cahircon, Caherdaniel |
| clare | cláir | level land | Cooraclare |
| clough, clogh | cloch | rock | Cloughjordan, Clogheen |
| clon, clone, cloon | cluain | meadow | Clonmel, Cloondara |
| coom | cúm | hollow | Coomkeen |
| cor | corr | small round hill | Corblonog |
| corry, curry | coire | corrie | Rockcorry, Tubbercurry |
| croagh | cruach | stack | Croaghgorm |
| cul, cool | cúl | back | Coolmine, Cultra |
| cul, cool | cuil | nook/corner | Coolock |
| derry | doire | grove/oak-grove | Derry |
| dona(gh) | domhnach | church | Donaghadee, Donabate |
| droghed, drohed, drohid | droichead | bridge | Drogheda, Clondrohid |
| drum, drom | druim/droim | ridge | Dromore, Drumshanbo |
| duff, duv | dubh | black | Claddaghduff, Cloughduv |
| dun, doon | dún | stronghold/fort | Dungannon, Doonbeg |
| ennis | inis | island | Enniskillen |
| esk, eish | eiscir | esker | Eskra |
| fin, finn | fionn | clear/white/fair | Finglas |
| freagh, frack | fraoch | heather | Letterfrack |
| garv | garbh | rough | Garvaghey |
| glas, glass | glas | green | Glasnevin |
| glen, glan | gleann | valley | Glenties, Glanmire |
| gorm | gorm | blue | Glengormley |
| gort | gort | field | Gortnahoe |
| illan, illaun | oileán | island | Illaunmaistir |
| inish, innish, innis | inis | island | Inniskeen, Inishmaan |
| kil, kill | cill | church | Kildare |
| kil, kill | coill | woodland[1] | Kilcogy |
| kin, ken | cionn/ceann | head | Kinallen, Kenmare |
| knock | cnoc | hill | Knockcloghrim |
| lea | liath | grey | Killylea |
| letter | leitir | hillside | Letterkenny |
| lis | lios | earthen ring-fort | Liscannor |
| lough | loch | lake | Loughgall |
| lurgan | lorgain | long ridge | Lurgan |
| maum, maam | mám | mountain pass | Maum, Maam Cross |
| magh, may, moy, moi(gh) | maigh/machaire | plain | Magherafelt, Maynooth, Moycullen |
| mona, money | móna/monaidh | peatland/turf | Cornamona, Ballymoney |
| mulla(gh) | mullach | summit | Mullaghbawn |
| mullin | muileann | mill | Mullingar |
| more | mór | big/great | Tullamore |
| noe | nua | new | Ballynoe |
| owen | abhainn | river | Owenbeg |
| poll, poul | poll | hole | Pollagh, Poulaphouca |
| port | port | stronghold/fort | Portlaoise |
| port | port | landing place | Portadown |
| rath, rah | ráth | earthen ring-fort | Rathfarnham, Raheny |
| rea(gh), reva(gh) | riabhach | brindled/speckled | Moneyreagh, Cloonsheerevagh |
| roe | rua | red | Carraroe |
| ros, rosh, rus, rush | ros | wooded promontory | Roscrea, Kilrush |
| sall, salla, sally | sail(each) | willow(s) | Ballysally, Sallins |
| shan | sean | old | Shandon |
| sheskin | seiscenn | marsh/quagmire | Sheskin |
| ske, skey, skay, skea(gh) | sceach | hawthorn | Skeheenarinky, Ballyskeagh |
| slieve | sliabh | mountain | Slieve Donard |
| termon | tearmann | refuge/sanctuary | Termonfeckin |
| tieve | taobh | hillside | Tievebulliagh |
| tyr, tir | tír | territory | Tyrone, Tirconnell |
| tober, tubber | tóbar | water well | Tobermore, Tubberclare |
| tra | trá | beach/strand | Tramore |
| tuam, toom | tuaim | burial mound | Tuam, Toomevara |
| tully, tulla(gh) | tulach | hillock/mound/heap | Tullyhogue, Tullamore |
| vea(gh), vei(gh) | bheith | (of) birch | Ballyveagh |
During the 800s and 900s, Vikings from Scandinavia raided monasteries along Ireland's coasts and waterways. The Vikings spoke the Old Norse language and are also called Norsemen. They set up small coastal camps called longphorts — these were used as bases for their raiding parties and as shelters during the winter. Eventually some longphorts grew into Norse settlements and trading ports. The biggest of these were Dublin (which became a Norse-Gaelic kingdom), Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick. Over time, the Norsemen embraced Gaelic language and culture, becoming known as the Norse-Gaels (or Gall-Gaidhel in Irish).
Placenames derived from Old Norse:
| Place | Old Norse (approximation) |
Old Norse translated |
Irish (modern) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arklow | Arkells-lág | Arkell's low place | an tInbhear Mór | The Irish was historically anglicised as Invermore. |
| Carlingford | Kerling-fjorðr | Old Woman Fjord | Cairlinn | |
| Dalkey | Dalk-øy | Column Island | Deilginis | The name is a meld of deilg (Irish) + øy (Norse). |
| Fastnet | Hvasstann-ait | Windy Tooth + "ait" | Carraig Aonair | — |
| Howth | Hovuð | Head | Binn Éadair | — |
| Lambay | Lamb-øy | Lamb Island | Reachrainn | — |
| Leixlip | Lax Hlaup | Salmon Leap | Léim an Bhradáin | The Irish is a translation of the Old Norse, meaning "salmon leap". |
| Saltee | Salt-øy | Salt Island | Na Sailtí | The Irish is a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse. |
| Strangford | Strangr-fjorðr | strict or narrow fjord | Loch Cuan | — |
| Skerries | Skeri | skerries | Na Sceirí | The Irish is a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse. |
| Waterford | Veðra-fjorðr | Weather Fjord | Port Láirge | The English name is a folk etymology. |
| Wexford | Veisa-fjorðr | Loch Garman | The Irish was historically anglicised as Loughgarman.[2] | |
| Wicklow | Víkinga-lág | vikings' low place | Cill Mhantáin | The Irish was historically anglicised as Kilmantan.[3] |
After the Norman invasion of Ireland, which began in 1169, Anglo-Norman and English language placenames emerged in the areas under Anglo-Norman control. Most of these are within the bounds of "The Pale" — the area that stayed under direct English control for the longest, and where English language and culture held sway. It stretched along the east coast from Dundalk in the north to Dalkey in the south.
Between 1556 and 1641, during its "conquest of Ireland", the English colonised parts of the country with settlers from Great Britain. This is known as the "Plantations of Ireland". The northern province of Ulster was the most heavily colonised. Those who settled as part of the "Plantation of Ulster" were required to be English speaking. The result is that northeast Ulster also has a great number of English-derived placenames.
Such placenames often refer to buildings and other manmade features. They often include forms such as -town, -ton, -ville, -borough, -bury, bridge, mill, castle, abbey, church, etc. However, forms such as hill, mount, mont, wood, bay, brook etc. are not uncommon.
In the Republic of Ireland, both Irish and English names have equal status and are displayed on roadsigns. However, in the Gaeltacht, the English/anglicized names have no official status and do not appear on roadsigns.
During and after the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, some English names were reverted to their Irish or anglicized forms. This included:
Pursuant to the Official Languages Act, 2003 and the advice of the Coimisiún Logainmneacha (Place-Names Commission), the Placenames (Centres of Population and Districts) Order 2005 was issued, listing the equivalent in the Irish language of place-names specified in the Order with its English form. The Irish words then had the same meaning and same force and effect as the place-name. This order lists a little fewer than 2,000 place-names, many of which were changed from the Irish form used since independence, e.g. Bray went from Brí Chualann to Bré and Naas changed from Nás na Rí to An Nás.
In Northern Ireland, the new recognition of the status of the Irish language does not extend to bilingual roadsigns — it is down to individual district councils to decide to place them. Some towns in Fermanagh, Omagh, Armagh Moyle, Magherafelt, Newry and Mourne and Cookstown council areas display bilingual names on some welcome signs (e.g. "OMAGH" An Ómaigh).
Irish street signs may be erected at the request of locals, provided there is enough support.[4][5]
There are four provinces in Ireland, three of which derive their English name from a mixture of their ancient Irish provincial name with the Old Norse term for land/territory/place; staðr.[6][7]
In Irish the provinces are known as cúigí, the singular of which is cúige. The word cúige originally meant "a fifth", as in one-fifth part of Ireland. This is because Meath, as seat of the High King of Ireland, was once a province in its own right, incorporating modern counties Meath, Westmeath and parts of surrounding counties. Meath was later absorbed into Leinster.
In Irish, the counties are known as contaetha, the singular of which is contae. Irish versions of county names only have official status in the Republic of Ireland.
Most of the counties were named after a town in that county (commonly referred to as a county town); usually an administrative centre. Some of these towns, such as Louth, have declined into small villages or have lost their county town status to other towns.
Counties named after their present or former county towns: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow. The county of Londonderry is named after the city of Derry, though its county town was Coleraine until 1972 when counties were abolished as administrative units in Northern Ireland and replaced with unitary councils.
Some counties derive their names from ancient Irish túatha, kingdoms or people:
In 1994, County Dublin was abolished as an administrative unit and replaced with three new administrative counties:
Many streets and roads in Ireland derive their name from that of the townland, settlement or parish it goes through or heads towards, many of which are of Irish origin. Other streets and roads derive their names from local buildings, manufacturies or people etc.
In Irish, a street is sráid, a road is bóthar (meaning "cow path"), a lane is lána, and an avenue is ascaill. A linear village is called a sráidbhaile ("[one]-street settlement")—this has been anglicised as Stradbally, which is the name of a number of villages on the island. Whilst Irish forms only have official status in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland district councils are allowed to erect bilingual roadsigns.
Origins of some streets and roads in Belfast, Northern Ireland[8]
Origins of some streets and roads in Dublin, Republic of Ireland[10]