Irish Place Names

Place Names of Ireland

List of Irish Place Names.

Irish History.

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Name.
County.
Meaning.
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Labba   Labby; Leaba [labba], a bed, a grave.
Labbasheeda Co Clare Leaba-Sioda, Sioda's or Sheedy's labba, bed, or grave.
Labbamolaga Co Cork St. Molaga's grave. See Templemolaga.
Lack   Leac [lack], a stone, a flag stone.
Lacka   The side of a hill.
Lackabane Co Kerry Lackabaun; white hill side.
Lackagh   A place full of stones or flags.
Lackamore Co Limerick Great hill side
Lackan   The same as Lacka: a hill side.
Lackandarragh Co Wicklow Lackendarragh; the hill side of the oaks.
Lackareagh Co Cork Grey hill side (riabhach).
Lackaroe Co Tipperary Red hill side (ruadh).
Lackeen   A little rock or flag.
Lacken   The same as Lacka; a hill side.
Lag   Legg; a hollow; a hollow in a hill.
Lagan   A little hollow; sometimes it means a pillar stone (liagan). The river Lagan probably took its name from a little hollow on some part of its course.
Laghil   Laghile; Leamhchoill [Lavwhill], elm wood.
Laght   Leacht, a sepulchre or monument.
Laghy   A slough, a miry place.
Laharan   Leath-fhearann [Laharan], half land.
Lahard   Leath-ard, half height; a gentle hill.
Lahardan   Lahardane, Lahardaun; a gentle hill.
Lakyle   Leath-choill, half wood.
Lambay island Co Dublin Near Dublin; the latter part is Danish: Lamb-ey, i. e. lamb island. Its ancient Irish name was Rechru or Reachra; and the adjacent parish on the mainland was called from it, Port-Reachrann [Portrahern], the port or landing place of Reachra, which in the course of ages, has been softened down to the present name, Portraine.
Laragh   Lauragh; Lathrach, the site of any thing.
Laraghbryan Co Kildare Bryan's house site.
Largan   Leargan, the side or slope of a hill.
Largy   Leargaidh, same meaning as last.
Larne Co Antrim Latharna (Laharna : Book of L.), the district of Lathair [Laher], son of Hugony the great, monarch of Ireland before the Christian era. Until recently it was the name of a district which extended northwards towards Glenarm; and the town was then called Inver-an-Laharna, the river mouth of (the territory of) Larne, from its situation at the mouth of the Ollarbha or Larne Water.
Latt   The same word as Laght.
Latteragh Co Tipperary Leatracha [Latraha], the plural of Leitir, a wet hill-side (see Letter). It is called in O'C. Cal., Letracha-Odhrain [Oran], Odhran's wet hill-slopes, from the patron, St. Odhran, who died in the year 548.
Laughil   Leamhchoill [Lavwhill], elm wood.
Laune   River at Killarney; Leamhain, F M., elm; the elm-producing river.
Lavagh   Leamhach [Lavagh], a place producing elms.
Lavally   Leath-bhaile, half town or townland.
Lavey Co Cavan The same as Lavagh.
Leagh   Liath [Leea], grey; a grey place.
Leam   Leim, a leap.
Leamlara Co Cork The mare's leap.
Leamnamoyle Co Fermanagh The leap of the mael or hornless cow.
Lear   The same as Lyre.
Lecale   Barony of, in Down; Leth-Chathail [Lecahil], F. M., Cathal's half. Cathal was a chief who flourished about the year 700, and in a division of territory, this district was assigned to him, and took his name.
Lecarrow   Leth-ceathramhadh [Lecarhoo], half quarter (of land).
Leck   The same as Lack.
Leckan,   Leckaun; the same as Lackan.
Leckpatrick   Patrick's flag-stone.
Leeg   Leek, Leeke; the same as Lack.
Legacurry   Legaghory; Lag-a-choire [curry], the hollow (lag} of the caldron or pit.
Lega   Legaun; the same as Lagan.
Legland Same as Leighlin. D added : see p. 4.  
Lehinch   Leith-innse, F. M., half island, i. e. a peninsula.
Leighlin Co Carlow Leith-ghlionn [Leh-lin], F. M., half glen ; from some peculiarity of formation in the little river bed.
Leighmoney   Grey muine or shrubbery.
Leinster   In the third century before the Christian era, Labhradh Loingseach [Lavra Linshagh, Lavra the mariner], brought an army of Gauls from France to assist him in recovering the kingdom from his uncle, the usurper, Coffagh Cael Bra. These foreign soldiers used a kind of broad pointed spear, called laighen [layen]; and from this circumstance the province in which they settled, which had previously borne the name of Galian, was afterwards called Laighen, which is its present Irish name. The termination `ster', which has been added to the names of three of the provinces, is the Scandinavian or Danish stadr, a place. Laighien-ster (the place or province of Laighen) would be pronounced Laynster, which is the very name given in a state paper of 1515, and which naturally settled into the present form, Leinster.
Leitrim Many Counties The name of more than 40 townlands and villages; Liath-dhruim [Lee-drum], F. M., grey drum or ridge.
Leixlip   A Danish name, meaning salmon leap (lax, a salmon), from the well-known cataract on the Liffey, still called Salmon leap, a little above the village. By Irish-Latin writers it is often called Saltus-salmonis (the leap of the salmon); and from this word saltus, a leap, the baronies of Salt in Kildare have taken their name
Lemanaghan Co Offaly In King's County; Liath-Manchain, F. M., St. Manchan's grey land.
Lena   Leny; a wet meadow.
Lenamore   Great wet meadow.
Lerrig Co Kerry A kill side. See Largan.
Letter   Leitir, a wet hill side.
Lettera   Letteragh, Lettery; wet hill-sides. See Latteragh.
Letterkenny   A shortened form of Letter-Cannanan, the O'Cannanans' hill-slope. The O'Cannanans, or as they now call themselves, Cannons, were anciently chiefs or kings of Tirconnell, till they ultimately sank under the power of the O'Donnells.
Lettermacaward Co Donegal Leitir-Mic-a'-bhaird, the hill slope of Mac Ward, or the bard's son.
Lettermore   Great wet hill-side.
Lettermullan   Leitir-Meallain, F. M., Meallan's hill-slope.
Levally   The same as Lavally.
Leyny   The descendants of Luigh or Lewy, the son of Cormac Gaileng (see Gallen), were called Luighne [Leyny: O'Dugan], and they gave name to the barony of Leyny in Sligo (ne, descendants).
Lick   The same as Lack and Leck.
Lickbla Co Westmeath Shortened from Liag-Bladhma [Leeg-Blawma], F. M., the flag-stone of Bladh [Blaw], a man's name. See Slieve Bloom.
Lickeen   Little flag-stone.
Lickfinn   Co Tipperary; white flag-stone.
Lickmolassy Co Galway St. Malaise's [Molasha's] flagstone.
Lickoran   The flag of the cold spring (uaran).
Limerick   Corrupted from the Irish form Luimnech [Liminagh], F. M., by a change of n to r (see p. 3): the name signifies a bare spot of land, from lom, bare.
Lis   Liss; Lios, a circular earthen fort.
Lisalbanagh   The Albanagh's or Scotchman's fort.
Lisanisk   Lisanisky; the fort of the water (uisge).
Lisbane   Lisbaun; white lis or fort.
Lisbellaw   Lios-bel-atha, the lis of the ford-mouth.
Lisboy   Yellow fort; probably from furze blossoms.
Liscannor Co Clare Canar's fort.
Liscarroll   Co Cork; Cearbhall's or Carroll's fort.
Liscartan   The fort of the forge (ceardcha).
Lisdoonvarna Co Clare Takes its name from a large fort on the right of the road as you go from Ballyvaghan to Ennistymon. The proper name of this is Dun-bhearnach [Doonvarna], gapped fort (see Barna), from its shape; and the word Lis was added, somewhat in the same manner as " river" in the expression " the river Liffey:" Lisdoonvarna, i. e. the lis (of) Doonvarna.
Lisdowney Co Kilkenny Downey's fort.
Lisduff   Lisdoo; Lios-dubh, black fort.
Lisheen   Little lis or fort.
Lislea   Lios-liath [lee], grey fort.
Lislevane Co Cork Lios-leamhain, elm fort.
Lismore   Great fort. Lismore in Waterford received its name from the lis or entrenchment built by St. Carthach [Caurhagh] round his religious establishment. It was previously called Magh-sciath [Maskee], the plain of the shield. See Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, p. 261.
Lismoyle   Lios-mael, bald or dilapidated fort.
Lismullin;   The fort of the mill.
Lisnagat;   Lios-na-gcat, the fort of the (wild) cats
Lisnageeragh   The fort of the sheep (caera}.
Lisnalee   The fort of the calves (laegh). See p. 2.
Lisnamuck   The lis or fort of the pigs.
Lisnaskea   Co Fermanagh; the fort of the sceach or whitethorn tree. It took its name from the celebrated Sceach-ghabhra [Skagowra], under which the Maguire used to be inaugurated.
Lisnisk   Lisnisky; the fort of the water.
Lissan   Lissane; little lis or fort.
Lissaniska   Lissanisky; the fort of the water.
Lissaphuca   The fort of the pooka or spright.
Lissard;   High fort.
Listowel   Lios-Tuathail [Lis-Thoohil], Tuathal's fort.
Lissonuffy Co Roscommon Lios-0-nDubhthaigh [Lisonuffy], F. M., the fort of the O'Duffys.
Lixnaw Co Kerry Lic-Snamha [Snawa], F. M., the flag-stone of the swimming (snamh). See Drumsna.
Loughill   Loughil; Leamhchoill [Lavwhill], elm wood.
Londonderry   Its most ancient name, according to all our authorities, was Doire-Chalgaich[Derry-Calgagh], the derry or oak wood of Calgach or Galgacus. In the tenth or eleventh century it began to be called Derry-Columcille, in honour of St. Columkille, who founded his monastery there in 546; and this name continued to the time of James I., whose charter, granted to a company of London merchants, imposed the name of Londonderry.
Longfield   In almost all cases a corruption of Leamh-choill [Lavwhill], elm wood
Longford;   Longphort [Longfort], a fortress. The town of Longford is called in the Annals Longford O'Farrell, from a castle of the O'Farrells, the ancient proprietors.
Loop Head Co Clare; A Danish modification of Leap Head; Irish Leim-Chonchuillinn [Leam-Conhullin], F. M., Cuchullin's leap. For legend see Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, p. 163.
Lorum Co Carlow Leamh-dhruim [Lavrum], elm ridge.
Lough   A lake; an inlet of the sea.
Loughan   Loughane, Loughaun; little lake.
Loughanreagh Co Antrim Grey little lake.
Loughbeg   Little lake.
Lough Boderg   The lake of the red cow.
Lough Bofin   The lake of the white cow.
Loughbrickland Co Down Corrupted by changing r to l, and adding d (see pp. 3 and 4), from Loch-Bricrenn, F. M., the lake of Bricriu, a chief of the first century.
Lough Conn Co Mayo Loch-Con, F. M., the lake of the hound.
Lough Corrib   The correct Irish name is Loch Orbsen, F. M., which was corrupted by the attraction of the c sound in Loch to Orbsen, and by the omission of the syllable sen. Orbsen was another name for Manannan Mac Lir, a celebrated legendary personage.
Loughcrew Co Meath Loch-craeibhe [creeve], the lake of the branchy tree.
Lough Derg   On the Shannon; contracted from Loch-Dergdherc [Dergerk], the lake of the red eye, which is explained by a legend.
Lough Derravara Co Westmeath Loch-Dairbhreach [Darravara], F. M., the lake of the oaks. See Darraragh
Lough Erne   The lake of the Ernai, a tribe of people.
Lough Finn   See Finn river.
Lough Guitane   Near Killarney; Loch-coiteain [cut-thaun], the lake of the little cot or boat.
Lough Melvin Leitrim / Fermanagh Corrupted from Loch-Meilghe [Melye], the lake of Meilghe, an ancient king of Ireland.
Lough Neagh   Written in the Book of Leinster Loch-nEchach [nehagh], the lake of Eochy [Ohy], a Munster chief, who was drowned in it at the time of its eruption in the first century. The N is a mere grammatical inflection, and the name is often used without it; for instance, we find it spelled Lough Eaugh in Camden, as well as in many of the maps of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Lough Oughter Co Cavan Loch-uachtar, upper lake, i. e. upper as regards Lough Erne.
Loughrea Co Galway Loch-riabhach, grey lake.
Lug   A hollow; the same as Lag and Leg.
Lugduff mountain   Over Glendalough; black hollow, from a hollow at the base.
Luggelaw Co Wicklow The hollow of the lagh or hill.
Lugmore   Great hollow.
Lugnaquillia Co Wicklow The highest mountain in Wicklow; Lug-na-gcoilleach [Lugnagulliagh], the hollow of the cocks, i. e. grouse.
Lumcloon   Bare meadow (lom, bare).
Lurgan   The shin; a long hill.
Lurganboy Co Leitrim Yellow long hill.
Lurraga Co Armagh The same as Lurgan.
Lusk Co Dublin Lusca, a cave.
Lusmagh Co Offaly In King's County; the plain of herbs (lus, an herb).
Lynally   In the sixth century there was a forest here called the wood of Ela; and the church founded by St. Colman, about the year 590, was thence called Lann-Ealla (O'C. Cal), the church of Ela, which has been anglicised to the present name.
Lynn   A form of Lann, a house or church.
Lyre   Ladhar [Lyre],a fork formed by rivers or glens. See Lear.

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