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IRISH LOCAL NAMES EXPLAINED

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

VOCABULARY OF IRISH ROOT WORDS A B C D E F G I L M N O P R S T U

IRISH LOCAL NAMES EXPLAINED

Galbally, Gallavally, Galvally, Galwally; English town; Gall here means an Englishman.

Galboley, Galboola, Galbooley, Galwolie; a booley or dairy place belonging to Galls or English people.

Gallagh; a place full of rocks or standing stones. See Gall in Vocabulary.

Gallan, Gallane; Gallan, a standing stone.

Gallen. The descendants of Cormac Gaileng, great grandson of Olioll Olum (see Connello), were called Gailenga (O'Dugan), the race of Gaileng, and they gave name to the barony of Gallen in Mayo.

Gallon is used in Cavan to signify a measure of land.

Gallow; another form of Gallagh, which see.

Gardrum, Gargrim; Gearr-dhruim, short ridge or hill: d changed to g in Gargrim (see p. 4).

Garnavilla in Tipperary; Garran-a'-bhile [Garranavilla], the shrubbery of the bile or old tree.

Garracloon; Garbh-chluain, rough meadow.

Garran, Garrane, Garraun ; Garran, a shrubbery. Garranamanagh; the shrubbery of the monks (manach).

Garranbane, Garranbaun; white shrubbery.

Garranekinnefeake; Kinnefeake's shrubbery.

Garry; a garden (garrdha).

Garryard; high garden.

Garrycastle. The Mac Coghlans' castle, near Banagher in King's County, is called in the annals Garrdha-an-chaislein [Garrancashlane], the garden of the castle; and from this the modern name Garrycastle has been formed, and extended to the barony.

Garryduff; black garden (dubh).

Garrymore; great garden.

Garryowen near Limerick; Owen's garden.

Garrysallagh; dirty garden (salach).

Garryspellane; Spellane's garden.

Gartan; a little garden. See Gort in Vocabulary.

Garvagh; Garbhach, rough land (from garbh, rough).

Garvaghy; rough achadh or field.

Garvary; Garbhaire, rough land.

Gay island in Fermanagh; goose island (gedh).

Geara, Gearagh, Gairha; Gaertha [gairha] a bushy place along a river.

Gearhameen river at Killarney ; min smooth, small; a gearha composed of small delicate bushes.

Giants' Causeway. Irish name Clochan-na-bhFomharaigh [Clohanavowry], the cloghan or stepping stones of the Fomorians. These sea rovers were magnified into giants in popular legend, and the name came to be translated " Giants' Causeway."

Girley in Meath; Greallach [Grallagh], a miry place.

Glack; Glaic, a hollow.

Glanbehy; birchy glen (beith).

Glantane, Glantaun; little glen.

Glanworth in Cork; recently corrupted from its Irish name, Gleann-amhnach [Glenounagh], as it is written in the Book of Rights, the watery or marshy glen.

Glascloon; green cloon or meadow.

Glasdrummon, Glasdrummond; green ridge.

Glashaboy, Glashawee; yellow streamlet (glaise and buidhe).

Glasheen; a little stream.

Glasmullagh; green mullach or summit.

Glasnevin near Dublin; takes name from a streamlet flowing through Delville into the Tolka at the bridge. In remote ages some pagan chief named Naeidhe [Nee], must have resided on its banks; from him it was called Glas-Naeidhen [Neean], F. M., Naeidhe's streamlet; and the name extended to the village, while its original application is quite forgotten.

Glassan; a green place.

Glasthule; Glas-Tuathail [thoohil], Tuathal's or Toole's streamlet.

Glenagarey; Gleann-na-gcaerach [Glenagaira], the glen of the sheep (caera).

Glenanair; the glen of slaughter (ar}.

Glenavy in Antrim. The G is a modern addition. The Irish name, as given in the Calendar, is Lann-Abhaich [Lanavy], the church of the dwarf. When St. Patrick had built the church there, he left it incharge of his disciple Daniel, who, from his low stature, was called Abhac [avak or ouk], i. e. dwarf.

Glenbane, Glenbaun; white glen.

Glencar on the borders of Leitrim and Sligo; Gleann-a'-chairthe [Glenacarha], the glen of the pillar stone (cairthe).

Glencullen, Glencullin; holly glen (cuillionn).

Glendine, Glandine; deep glen (doimhin).

Glendowan mountains in Donegal; same as Glendine.

Glenduff; black glen (dubh),

Glengarriff; rough or ragged glen (garbh).

Gleninagh; ivy glen (see eidhnean in Vocabulary).

Glenkeen; beautiful glen.

Glenmore; great glen.

Glennamaddy; the valley of the dogs (madadh}.

Glenogra in Limerick; Ogra's glen.

Glenosheen in Limerick; Oisin's or Osheen's glen.

Glenquin, barony of, in Limerick; see p. 4.

Glenreagh, Glenrevagh; grey glen.

Glenroe; red glen (ruadh}.

Glentane, Glentaun; little glen.

Glenties in Donegal; Gleanntaidhe [glenty], glens; from two fine glens at the head of which it stands.

Glenwhirry in Antrim; Gleann-a'-choire [Glenacurry change of ch to wh), the glen of the river Curry or Coire. Coire means a caldron, and the river got this name from a deep pool formed under a cataract.

Glynn; a glen or valley.

Gneeve, Gneeves; Gniomh [gneeve], a measure of land.

Gola; forks; the plural of gabhal [goul].

Golan; a little goul or fork.

Golden in Tipperary; Gabhailin [Gouleen], a little fork: the Suir divides there for a short distance, forming a fork.

Gort; Gort, a tilled field.

Gortahork, Gortahurk; the field of the oats (coirce).

Gortalassa; the field of the lis or fort.

Gortanure, Gortinure; the field of the yew.

Gortavoher; the field of the boher or road.

Gortboy; yellow field (buidhe).

Gortbrack; speckled field (breac).

Gorteen; little field.

Gortfad, Gortfadda; long field.

Gortgranagh; grain field.

Gortin; little field; same as Gorteen.

Gortmore; great field.

Gortnaglogh; Gort-na-gcloch, the field of the stones.

Gortnagross; Gort-na-gcros, the field of the crosses.

Gortnahoo, Gortnahoon; the field of the cave (uaimh).

Gortnamona; the field of the bog (moin).

Gortnamucklagh; the field of the piggeries. See Mucklagh.

Gortnasillagh; the field of the sallows.

Gortnaskea, Gortnaskeagh, Gortnaskeha, Gortnaskey; the field of the sceachs or whitethorn bushes.

Grortreagh; grey field (riabhach}.

Gortroe; red field (ruadh).

Gougane Barra in Cork; St. Finbar's rock-cleft.

Goul, Gowel; Gabhal, a fork.

Gowlan, Gowlane, Gowlaun; little fork.

Graffa, Graffin, Graffoge, Graffy; grubbed land, or land rooted up by a grafaun or grubbing axe.

Graigue; a village.

Graiguenamanagh; the village of the monks.

Grallagh; Greallach [Grallagh], a miry place.

Granagh, Granaghan; a place producing grain.

Grangegeeth; windy grange (gaeth).

Gransha; a grange, a place for grain.

Greagh; a moory level spot among hills.

Great Connell; great congbhail or habitation (see Conwal).

Greenan, Greenane, Greenaun, Grenan; Grianan, a summer residence, a royal palace. From grian, the sun.

Greenoge; a sunny little spot. From grian.

Grillagh, Grellagh; same as Grallagh.

Gurteen; little tilled field; same as Gorteen.

Gurteenroe; red little field.

Gruilcagh; a place producing broom (giolcach, broom).

Gyleen near Trabolgan in Cork; little gobhal or fork