
Grimoire Vocabulary β Place Names of Ireland
53 entries in this theme. Use the search box below to find a specific word, or scroll the table.
Search just within Place Names of Ireland entries. Type an English word or an Irish one β accents optional.
| Irish | Ogham | How to say it | English | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| an Bhreatain Bheag | ααα ααααααααα αααααα | un VRA-tin VYUG | wales | Logainm | Wales β literally ‘the little Britain’, distinguishing it from An Bhreatain MhΓ³r (Britain). |
| An CabhΓ‘n | ααα αααααα α | un KOW-awn | cavan | Logainm | Cavan. The hollow. |
| An ClΓ‘r | ααα ααααα | un KLAWR | clare | Logainm | County Clare β ‘the plain’ or ‘the level place.’ |
| An Daingean | ααα αααα αααα α | un DANG-un | dingle | Logainm | Dingle. An Daingean means ‘the fortress.’ One of the strongest Munster Gaeltacht areas. |
| An DΓΊn | ααα ααα α | un DOON | down | Logainm | County Down β ‘the fort.’ |
| An IarmhΓ | ααα ααααααα | un EER-vee | westmeath | Logainm | County Westmeath β ‘the western middle.’ Carved out of the older province of Meath. |
| An IΓΊr | ααα αααα | un YOOR | newry | Logainm | Newry β ‘the yew tree.’ Saint Patrick is said to have planted a yew here. |
| An Longfort | ααα ααα αααααα | un LONG-furt | longford | Logainm | County Longford β ‘the fortress.’ |
| An MhΓ | ααα αααα | un VEE | meathsacred placeOld Irish | Logainm | Meath β ‘the middle.’ Was once the fifth province (along with Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Connacht); the seat of the High Kings of Ireland at Tara. |
| An Rinn | ααα ααα α α | un rin | ring | Logainm | An Rinn β Ring, Co. Waterford. The only Munster Gaeltacht outside Kerry/West Cork. |
| an tSionainn | ααα ααααα ααα α α | un TYIN-un | shannon | Logainm | The River Shannon β Ireland’s longest river, from Co. Cavan to the Atlantic at Limerick. Named for the goddess Sionann. |
| Aontroim | αααα αααααα | AYN-trum | antrim | gaelspellLogainm | County Antrim. From aon (one) + droim (ridge). |
| Ard Mhacha | αααα ααααααα | ord WAH-khuh | armaghsacred placeOld Irish | Logainm | Armagh β ‘height of Macha.’ The goddess Macha gave her name to the seat of Saint Patrick’s church and the historical primacy of Ireland. |
| Baile Γtha Cliath | αααααα αααα ααααααα | BAL-uh AW KLEE-uh | dublin | Logainm | Dublin β literally ‘town of the hurdle ford.’ The crossing point of the Liffey where wattle hurdles were laid for fording. The Norse called the same site Dyflinn β ‘black pool’ β which gives English ‘Dublin.’ |
| BeanntraΓ | ααααα α ααααα | BAN-tree | bantry | gaelspellLogainm | Bantry, Cork. From the Beanntraighe (Beann’s people). |
| BΓ©al Feirste | ααααα αααααααα | bayl FERSH-cheh | belfast | Logainm | Belfast β literally ‘mouth of the Farset’ (the river Farset, now culverted). |
| Caiseal | ααααααααα | KASH-ul | cashel | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | Cashel, Co. Tipperary β site of the Rock of Cashel (Carraig PhΓ‘draig), seat of the Kings of Munster. |
| CiarraΓ | ααααααααα | KEER-ee | kerry | gaelspellLogainm | County Kerry β ‘descendants of Ciar.’ Strongest Munster Gaeltacht; West Kerry preserves ancient pronunciation. |
| Cill Airne | ααααα αααα αα | kil AHR-nuh | killarney | WiktionaryLogainm | Killarney β ‘church of the sloes.’ Cill (church) is the most common Irish prefix in place names, marking sites of early Christian foundations. |
| Cill Chainnigh | ααααα ααααα α αααα | kil KHAN-ee | kilkenny | Logainm | Kilkenny β Church of Cainnech. Saint Cainnech (Kenneth) founded a monastery here. |
| Cill Dara | ααααα ααααα | kil DAR-uh | kildaresacred placeOld Irish | WiktionaryLogainm | Kildare β ‘church of the oak.’ Saint Brigid’s monastery, by the sacred oak. |
| Cill MhantΓ‘in | ααααα αααα αααα α | kil VON-tawn | wicklow | Logainm | Wicklow in Irish β ‘church of MantΓ‘n’ (Saint MantΓ‘n, missionary). |
| Cill MocheallΓ³g | ααααα ααααααααααα | kil MUH-khul-ohg | kilmallock | Logainm | Kilmallock β church of MocheallΓ³g, an early saint. |
| Conamara | αααα αααααα | KUN-uh-mar-uh | connemara | gaelspellLogainm | Connemara. Likely ‘Conmaicne by the sea’ β territory of the Conmaicne tribe. The largest Connacht Gaeltacht. |
| Corcaigh | αααααααααα | KUR-kee | cork | gaelspellLogainm | Cork. Corcaigh means ‘marsh’ β the city was built on the marshes of the Lee. |
| Doire | ααααααα | DUR-uh | derrysacred placeOld Irish | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | Derry. Doire means ‘oak grove’ β the original sacred grove where Colm Cille founded a monastery in 546. |
| Gaeltacht | ααααααααααα | GAYL-tukht | irish-speaking region | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | Gaeltacht β the regions where Irish is spoken as a community language. Strong GaeltachtaΓ: West Kerry, Conamara, Donegal, Aran Islands, MΓΊscraΓ. |
| Gaillimh | αααααααααα | GAL-iv | galway | gaelspellLogainm | Galway. Etymology contested; possibly from Gaillimh, a mythological woman drowned in the river. |
| Galltacht | ααααααααααα | GAUL-tukht | english-speaking region | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | Galltacht β the English-speaking regions of Ireland (everywhere outside the Gaeltacht). |
| Gaoth Dobhair | αααααα αααααααα | GEE DOH-er | gweedore | Logainm | Gweedore β heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht. |
| Gleann DΓ‘ Loch | αααααα α αα ααααα | glun daw LUKH | glendalough | WiktionaryLogainm | Glendalough β ‘glen of two lakes.’ Saint Kevin’s monastic city in Wicklow. |
| Inis MeΓ‘in | ααα αα ααααα α | in-ish MAY-in | inishmaan | Logainm | Inishmaan β ‘middle island.’ The most Irish-speaking of the Aran Islands. |
| Inis MΓ³r | ααα αα αααα | in-ish MOHR | inishmore | Logainm | Inishmore β ‘big island.’ Largest of the three Aran Islands. |
| Inis OΓrr | ααα αα ααααα | in-ish EER | inisheer | Logainm | Inisheer β ‘east island.’ Smallest of the Aran Islands. |
| Laois | ααααααα | leesh | laois | gaelspellLogainm | County Laois β named for LoΓgis, an early people of the area. |
| Learpholl | ααααααααααα | LAR-fuhl | liverpool | gaelspellLogainm | Liverpool β historically the principal port of Irish emigration to Britain. |
| Liatroim | αααααααααα | LEE-uh-trum | leitrim | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | County Leitrim β ‘grey ridge.’ |
| Loch Garman | ααααα αααααα α | lukh GAR-mun | wexford | Logainm | Wexford in Irish. Loch Garman β Garman’s lake. Norse name VeisafjorΓ°r gives English ‘Wexford.’ |
| Luimneach | αααααα ααααα | LIM-nukh | limerick | gaelspellLogainm | Limerick. Luimneach means ‘bare ground’ β exposed riverside terrain. |
| LΓΊ | αααα | loo | louth | gaelspellLogainm | Louth. Smallest Irish county. Named for Lugh, where the god Lugh’s horse AonbhΓ‘rr was tethered. |
| Maigh Eo | αααααα ααα | my OH | mayo | WiktionaryLogainm | Mayo β Plain of the Yew. Ancient yew tree gave the county its name. |
| MuineachΓ‘n | ααααα αααααα α | MIN-ukh-awn | monaghan | gaelspellLogainm | County Monaghan β ‘place of small thickets.’ |
| Nua-Eabhrac | αα αααααααααα | NOO-uh AY-vrukh | new york | TatoebagaelspellLogainm | New York City. From nua (new) + Eabhrac (the Irish form of York, from Old Norse JΓ³rvΓk). |
| OileΓ‘in Γrann | αααααααα αααα α α | il-AWN AW-runn | aran islands | Logainm | The Aran Islands β three islands off the Galway coast (Inis MΓ³r, Inis MeΓ‘in, Inis OΓrr); a Gaeltacht stronghold. |
| Port LΓ‘irge | ααααα ααααααα | purt LAWR-guh | waterford | Logainm | Waterford β literally ‘port of the haunch (or the man LΓ‘rag).’ The Norse name was VedrarfjorΓ°r, giving English ‘Waterford.’ |
| Ros ComΓ‘in | αααα αααααα α | rus KUM-awn | roscommon | Logainm | County Roscommon β ‘wood of Coman’ (Saint Coman, founder of an early monastery). |
| Sceilg MhichΓl | ααααααα αααααααα | SKEL-ig vih-HEEL | skellig michael | Logainm | Skellig Michael β the larger of the two Skellig islands off Co. Kerry; site of an early-Christian monastic settlement, UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Sligeach | αααααααααα | SHLIG-ukh | sligo | WiktionarygaelspellLogainm | Sligo. Means ‘shelly place’ β the river Garavogue carries shells down to the bay. |
| Tiobraid Γrann | ααααααααα αααα α α | CHIB-rud AW-run | tipperary | Logainm | County Tipperary β ‘well of Γra’ (a sacred spring). |
| TrΓ‘ LΓ | αααα ααα | traw LEE | tralee | Logainm | Tralee β strand of the river Lee. |
| TΓr Chonaill | αααα αααα ααααα | cheer KHUN-il | donegal | WiktionaryLogainm | Donegal in Irish β ‘land of Conall’ (Conall, brother of Eoghan). Modern Donegal Town is DΓΊn na nGall, fort of the foreigners. |
| TΓr Eoghain | αααα ααααααα α | cheer OH-in | tyrone | Logainm | Tyrone β ‘land of Eoghan.’ Eoghan was son of Niall of the Nine Hostages; TΓr Eoghain was his territory. |
| UΓbh FhailΓ | ααααα ααααααα | EEV AL-ee | offaly | Logainm | County Offaly β ‘descendants of Failghe.’ |
