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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

Saggart in Dublin; contracted from Tassagard, Irish Teach-Sacra [Tassacra], O'C. Cal., the house of St. Sacra, who flourished in the seventh century.

Saint Mullins in Carlow; Irish name Tigh-Moling [Tee-Molling], O'C. Cal., the house of St. Moling, a native of Kerry, who erected a church there about the middle of the seventh century. See Timolin.

Salt, baronies of, in Kildare; see Leixlip.

Santry in Dublin; Sentreibh [Shantrev; Mart. Taml.], old tribe.

Saul near Downpatrick; Sabhall [Saul], a barn. Dichu, the prince of the surrounding district, was St. Patrick's first convert in Ireland; the chief made the saint a present of his barn, to be used temporarily as a church; and hence the place was called Sabhall-Patrick, St. Patrick's barn, now shortened to Saul.

Scalp; Scealp [Scalp], a cleft or chasm.

Scarawalsh in Wexford; Irish name Sgairbh-a'-Bhreathnaigh [Scarriff-a-vranny], Walsh's scarriff or shallow ford (see Ballybrannagh); which, with an obvious alteration, has given name to the barony of Scarawalsh.

Scardan, Scardaun: Scardan, a cataract.

Scarriff; Scairbh [Scarriv], a rugged shallow ford.

Scart; Scairt [Scart], a thicket or cluster.

Scartaglin in Kerry ; the thicket of the glen.

Scarteen; a little thicket or cluster.

Scartlea in Cork; Scairt-liath, grey thicket.

Scarva; another form of Scarriff.

Seagoe; Suidhe-Gobha [Seegow], the seat of St. Gobha [gow] or Gobanus.

Seapatrick; Patrick's seat (suidhe).

See; suidhe [see], a seat or sitting place.

Seefin; Suidhe-Finn [Seefin], the seat of Finn Mac Coole.

Seein in Tyrone; same as Seefin, with f aspirated and omitted (Suidhe-Fhinn).

Seirkieran near Parsonstown. St. Ciaran or Kieran of Ossory, disciple of St. Finnian of Clonard, erected a monastery in the sixth century, at a place called Saighir [Sair], which was the name of a fountain; and after the saint's time it was called Saighir-Chiarain [Sairkeeran], now contracted to Seirkieran.

Seltan; a place of sallows.

Seskin; Sescenn, a marsh.

Sessia, Sessiagh; Seiseadh [shesha], the sixth part.

Shallon; Sealan, a hangman's rope, a gallows.

Shan; Sean [shan], old.

Shanaclogh; Seancloch, old stone castle.

Shanacloon; old cloon or meadow.

Shanagarry; old garry (garrdha) or garden.

Shanagolden in Limerick; Seangualann [Shanagoolan], old shoulder or hill.

Shanakill; old church.

Shanavally, Shanbally; old bally or town.

Shanbogh, Shanbo; old both or tent.

Shandon; old dun or fortress.

Shandrum; old drum or ridge.

Shangarry; same as Shanagarry.

Shankill; old church.

Shanmullagh; old mullach or summit.

Shantallow; Sean-talamh [Shantalav], old land.

Shanvally; old bally or town (b aspirated).

Shean, Sheean, Sheeaun; Sidhean [sheeaun], a fairy hill.

Shee; sidh [shee], a fairy, a fairy hill.

Sheeroe; red fairy hill.

Sheetrim; Sidh-dhruim [Sheedrim), fairy ridge.

Shelburne barony in Wexford; from the tribe of Siol-Brain (O'Dugan), the seed or progeny of Bran.

Shelmaliere in Wexford; the descendants of Maliere or Maelughra [Meelura].

Sheskin; Sescenn, a marsh. See Seskin.

Shillelagh in Wicklow; Siol-Elaigh (Sheelealy: O'Dugan], the seed or descendants of Elach.

Shinrone in King's County; Suidhe-an-roin [Sheenrone], F. M., the seat of the ron, i. e. literally a seal, but figuratively a hirsute or hairy man.

Shrone; sron, a nose, a pointed hill.

Shruel, Shrule ; see page 3.

Sion; sidhean [sheeaun], a fairy mount.

Skagh; Sceach, a white thorn bush.

Skahanagh, Skehanagh; a place full of sceachs or white thorns.

Skeagh, Skea; the same as Skagh.

Skeheen; a little sceach or bush.

Skelgagh; a place of skelligs or rocks.

Skellig rocks off the coast of Kerry; Sceilig means a rock.

Skerries, Skerry; Sceir [sker], a sea rock; sceire [skerry], sea rocks.

Skreen, Skrine; Scrin [skreen], a shrine.

Sleaty in Queen's County; sleibhte [Sleaty], F. M., i. e. mountains, the plural of sliabh: from the adjacent hills of Slieve Margy.

Slee; Slighe [slee], a road.

Slemish mountain in Antrim, on which St. Patrick passed his youth herding swine; Sliabh-Mis, the mountain of Mis, a woman's name.

Sleveen; little slieve or mountain.

Slieve; Sliabh [sleeve], a mountain.

Slieve Anierin in Leitrim; Sliabh-an-iarainn, the mountain of the iron; from its richness in iron ore.

Slievebane, Slievebaun; white mountain.

Slievebeagh, a range of mountains on the borders of Monaghan, Fermanagh, and Tyrone; Sliabh-Beatha [Slieve Baha], F. M., the mountain of Bith, a legendary hero.

Slieve Bernagh in the east of Clare; Sliabh-bearnach, gapped mountain. See Lisdoonvarna.

Slievebloom; Sliabh-Bladhma [Slieve-Blawma], F. M., the mountain of Bladh [Blaw], one of the Milesian heroes.

Slieveboy; yellow mountain.

Slieve Corragh; rugged mountain.

Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne mountains. Domhanghart [Donart], son of the king of Ulidia, and one of St. Patrick's disciples, built a little church on the very summit of this mountain; hence it was called Sliabh-Domhanghart, Donart's mountain, now anglicised Slieve Donard. Its ancient name was Slieve Slanga, from the bardic hero Slainge, the son of Parthalon, who was buried on its summit, where his carn is still to be seen.

Slieve Eelim, a mountain range east of Limerick; Sliabh-Eibhlinne [Slieve-Evlinne], Evlin's mountain.

Slieve Fuad near Newtownhamilton in Armagh; Fuad's mountain; from the Milesian hero Fuad, who was slain there.

Slieve League in Donegal; Sliabh-liag, the mountain of the flag-stones.

Slieve Lougher east of Castleisland in Kerry; Sliabh-luachra, rushy mountain.

Slieve Mish near Tralee; same as Slemish.

Slievenagriddle near Downpatrick; the mountain of the griddle; the griddle is a cromlech on the hill.

Slievenamon in Tipperary; Sliabh-na-mban, the mountain of the women. Full name Sliabh-na-mban-Feimhinn [Slievenamon-Fevin], the mountain of the women of Feimheann, the ancient territory surrounding it.

Slievenamuck; the mountain of the pigs.

Slievereagh; Sliabh-riabhach, grey mountain.

Slieveroe; red mountain.

Slievesnaght; the mountain of the snow (sneacht).

Sligo; named from the river: Sligeach [Sliggagh], F. M., shelly river (slig, a shell).

Sliguff; a corruption (see page 4) from Slighe-dhubh [Slee-duv], black road.

Slyne Head in Galway; Irish name Ceann-leama [Can-leama], the head of the lyme or leap (leim), which has been corrupted to the present name by changing m to n, and prefixing s. See Stabannon.

Solloghod in Tipperary; Sulchoid [sollohed], F. M., sallow wood.

Sonnagh; a mound or rampart.

Sragh, Srah ; srath [srah], a river holm.

Srahan, Srahaun, Sraheen; little river holm.

Sroohill; see page 3.

Srough; Sruth [sruh], a stream.

Sroughmore; great sruth or stream.

Sruffaun; Sruthan [Sruhaun], a streamlet (p. 4).

Stabannon; corrupted from Tabannon, Bannon's house (teach), by prefixing s. See Slyne head.

Stackallen in Meath; Teach-Collain [Tacollan], F. M., Collan's house.

Staholmog in Meath; St. Colmoc's or Mocholmoc's house.

Stamullin in Meath; Maelan's house.

Stang; a measure of land.

Stillorgan in Dublin; Tigh-Lorcain [Teelorcan], Lorcan's or Laurence's house or church.

Stonecarthy in Kilkenny; first syllable a corruption of stang: Carthy's stang or measure of land.

Stonybatter in Dublin; stony road: see Batterstown and Booterstown.

Stook; Stuaic [stook], a pointed pinnacle.

Stookan, Stookeen; a little stook or pointed rock.

Stradbally; Sradbhaile [Sradvally], F. M., street-town; a town of one street.

Stradone, Stradowan; Srath-doimhin [Sradowan], deep srath or river holm.

Stradreagh; grey street.

Straduff; black river holm.

Straffan in Kildare; same as Sruffaun.

Straid, Strade, Sraud; Sraid [Sraud], a street.

Strancally near Youghal; Sron-caillighe [Srone-cally], the hag's nose or point.

Strangford Lough in Down; a Danish name; strong fiord or bay, from the well-known tidal currents at its entrance. Irish name Loch Cuan.

Struell; see page 3.

Sylaun; a place of sallows.

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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