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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

Idrone, baronies of, in Carlow. So called from the tribe of Hy Drona (Book of R.), the former occupants, who were named from their ancestor Drona, fourth in descent from Cahirmore, monarch of Ireland from A.D. 120 to 123.

Illan, Illane, Illaun; Oilean [oilaun], an island.

Imaile in Wicklow; Hy Mail (O'Dugan), the descendants of Mann Mal, brother of Cahirmore. See Idrone.

Inch; Inis, an island; a low meadow along a river.

Inchmore; great island or river meadow.

Inis, Inish; an island.

Inishannon in Cork; written in the Book of Leinster Inis-Eoganain [Inishowenan], Owenan's or little Owen's island or river meadow.

Inishargy in Down; called in the Taxation of 1306, Inyscargi, showing that the Irish form is Inis-carraige, the island of the rock. The rising ground where the church stands was formerly surrounded by marshes.

Inishbofin; the island of the white cow (bo):-name explained by a legend.

Inishkeen; beautiful island.

Inishkeeragh; the island of sheep (caera).

Inishlounaght in Tipperary; Inis-leamhnachta [loun-aghta], the island or river holm of the new milk probably because it was good grazing land.

Inishmaan, Inishmean; middle island (meadhon).

Inishmacsaint, a parish in Fermanagh, taking its name from an island in Lough Erne, which is called in the annals Inis-muighe-samh [moy-sauv], the island of the plain of sorrel, from which the present name has been formed by a corrupt pronunciation.

Inishmore; great island.

Inishowen in Donegal; the island of Owen, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages (king from 379 to 405). See Tyrone.

Inishrush; the island of the peninsula (ros). Inishturk in Mayo; Inis-tuirc, Hy P., the boar's island (torc). Several islands of this name.

Inishtioge in Kilkenny; written in the Book of Leinster Inis-Teoc, Teoc's island.

Innisfallen in the lower Lake of Killarney; called in the Book of Leinster Inis-Faithlenn [Fahlen], the island of Faithlenn, a man's name.

Inver; Inbhear [inver], the mouth of a river.

Ireland's Eye. Original name Inis-Ereann [Eran] (the island of Eire or Eria, a woman), of which the present name is an attempted translation. Eye is the Danish ey, an island; and the translators understanding Ereann to mean Ireland, rendered the name Ireland's Ey (or island) instead of Eria's Ey. (See Origin and History of Irish Names of Places; pp. 76, 101, 104.)

Isertkelly in Galway; corrupted (similarly to the next two names) from Diseart- Cheallaigh [Disertkelly], F. M., Cellach's or Kelly's hermitage.

Isertkieran in Tipperary; the desert or hermitage of St. Kieran of Ossory. See Seirkieran.

Ishartmon in Wexford; the desert or hermitage of St. Munna. See Taghmon.

Island Magee; the island or peninsula of the Mae Aedhas or Magees, its former possessors. Anciently called Rinn-Seimhne [Rinn-sevne], the point of Seimhne, the old territory in which it was situated.

Iveleary in Cork; took its name from the O'Learys, its ancient proprietors. See next name.

Iverk in Kilkenny; Ui-Eirc [Ee-erc], O'Dugan, a tribe name, signifying the descendants of Erc. Ui [ee] or uibh [iv], signifies descendants.

Iveruss in Limerick; the old tribe of Uibh-Rosa the descendants of Rosa.