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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

Mace; Mas [Mauce], the thigh, a long low hill.

Mackan, Mackanagh, Macknagh, Mackney; a place producing parsnips (meacan, a parsnip).

Macosquin in Derry; corrupted from Magh-Cosgrain [Macosgran], "F. M., Cosgran's plain.

Maghera; Machaire, a plain. Maghera in Down and Maghera in Derry, are both contracted from Machaire-ratha [Maghera-raha], the plain of the fort.

Magherabeg; little plain.

Magheraboy; yellow plain.

Magheracloone; the plain of the cloon or meadow.

Magheraculmoney; the plain of the back (cul) of the shrubbery.

Magheradrool in Down; Machaire-eadarghabhal [Maghera- addrool], the plain between the (river) forks(eadar, between; and gabhal). See Addergoole.

Magherahamlet in Down; the plain of the Tamlaght or plague monument. See Tallaght.

Magheramenagh; middle plain (meadhonach).

Magheramore; great plain.

Magherareagh; grey plain (riabhach).

Maghery; a form of Maghera, a plain.

Magunihy, barony of, in Kerry; Magh-gCoincinne[Magunkinny], F. M., the plain of the O'Conkins.

Mahee island in Strangford Lough; the island of St. Mochaei [Mohee], bishop, a disciple of St. Patrick, and the founder of Nendrum.

Maigue, a river in Limerick ; called Maigh in the annals, i.e., the river of the plain.

Mallow in Cork; called in the Annals Magh-Ealla [Moyallo], the plain of the river Allo, which was anciently the name of that part of the Blackwater flowing by the town. See Duhallow.

Manulla in Mayo; Magh-Fhionnalbha [Mah-Innalva], Hy. F., Finalva's plain.

Massareene in Antrim; Mas-a'-rioghna [Massareena], the queen's hill.

Maul; Meall, a lump, a hillock.

Maum; Madhm [Maum], a high mountain pass.

Maumturk; the pass of the boars (torc).

Maw; Magh, a plain.

Maynooth; Magh-Nuadhat [Ma-nooat], F. M., Nuadh-afs plain; from Nuadhat, king of Leinster, foster-father to Owen More king of Munster. See Bear.

Mayo; Magh-eo [Ma-o], the plain of the yews. Full name Magheo-na-Saxan, F. M., Mayo of the Saxons, from a number of English monks settled there in the seventh century, by St. Colman, an Irish monk, after he had retired from the see of Lindisfarne.

Meelick; Miliuc [Meeluck], F. M., low marshy ground.

Meen; a mountain meadow.

Meenadreen; the mountain meadow of blackthorns.

Meenkeeragh; mountain meadow of the sheep.

Milleen; a little hillock. See Maul.

Moan; Mom [mone], a bog. See Mon.

Moanduff; black bog.

Moanmore; great bog.

Moanroe; red bog.

Moanvane, Moanvaun; Moin-bhan, white bog.

Moat; Mota, a high mound.

Moate in Westmeath; from the great mound at the village; full name Moategranoge, the moat of Graine-og or young Grace, who, according to tradition, was a Munster princess.

Mocollop; the plain (magh) of the collops or cattle.

Modeshill; Magh-deisiol [Ma-deshil], southern plain.

Mogeely; Magh-Ile, F. M., the plain of Ile or Ely.

Moher; see Cliffs of Moher.

Mohill; Maethail [Mwaybill], soft or spongy land; from maeth, soft.

Moig, Moigh; forms of Magh, a plain.

Moira Magh-rath, F. M., the plain of the forts.

Mon; a bog. See Moan.

Monabraher, Monambraher, Monamraher; Moin-na-mbrathar, F. M., the bog of the friars.

Monagay in Limerick; the bog of the goose (gedh); from wild geese.

Monaghan; Muineachon, F. M., a place full of little hills or brakes (muine).

Monamintra in Waterford; Moin-na-mbaintreabhaigh [Monamointree], the bog of the widows.

Monard; high bog.

Monasteranenagh in Limerick; Mainister-an-aenaigh [Monasteraneany], F. M., the monastery of the fair, Anciently called Aenach-beag, little fair.

Monasterboice in Louth; the monastery of St. Boethius or Buite, who founded it in the sixth century.

Monasterevin; the monastery of St. Evin, the founder a contemporary of St. Patrick.

Monasteroris in King's County; Mainister-Fheorais, [orish: F aspirated and omitted-see p. 2], the monastery of Mac Feorais or Bermingham, who founded it in A.D. 1325.

Monear; a meadow.

Moneen; a little bog (moin).

Money; Muine [munny], a shrubbery.

Moneydorragh; Muine-dorcha, dark or gloomy shrubbery.

Moneyduff; Muine-dubh, black shrubbery.

Money gall; the shrubbery of the Galls or foreigners.

Moneygorm; Muine-gorm, blue shrubbery.

Moneymore; great shrubbery.

Monivea in Galway; Muine-an-mheadha [Money-an-va], F. M., the shrubbery of the mead, a kind of drink.

Monroe; Moin-ruadh, red bog.

Montiagh, Montiaghs; Mointeach, a boggy place.

Morgallion. A branch of the Gailenga (see Gallen), settled in Leinster, and a portion of them gave name to the territory of Mor-Gailenga or the great Gailenga, now the barony of Morgallion in Meath.

Mothel, Mothell; same as Mohill.

Mountmellick. The old anglicised name is Montiagh-meelick, the bogs or boggy land of the meelick or marsh. See Montiagh and Meelick.

Mourne mountains in Down. The ancient name was Beanna Boirche [Banna-Borka], F. M., the peaks of the shepherd Boirche, who herded on these mountains the cattle of Ross, king of Ulster in the third century. About the middle of the twelfth century, a tribe of the Mac Mahons from Cremorne (see Cremorne), settled in the south of the present county of Down, and gave their tribe name of Mughdhorna [Mourna], to the barony of Mourne, and to the Mourne mountains.

Movilla in Down; Magh-bhile [Ma-villa], O'O. Cal, the plain of the ancient tree.

Moville in Donegal; the same as last.

Moy; Magh [mah], a plain.

Moyacomb in Wicklow; Magh-da-chon [Moy-a-con], F. M., the plain of the two hounds.

Moyaliff in Tipperary; Magh-Ailbhe [Moyalva], F. M., Ailbhe's or Alva's plain. Moyard; high plain.

Moyarget; Magh-airgid, the plain of silver.

Moyarta in Clare; Magh-fherta (fh silent: see p. 2), the plain of the grave.

Moycullen in Galway; the plain of holly.

Moydow in Longford; Magh-dumha [Moy-dooa], F. M., the plain of the burial mound.

Moygawnagh in Mayo; written in the Book of Lecan, Magh-gamhnach) the plain of the milch cows.

Moyglass; green plain.

Moygoish. The descendants of Colla Uais (see Cremorne), were called Ui mic Uais [Ee-mic-Oosh]; a portion of whom were settled in Westmeath, and gave their name to the barony of Moygoish.

Moyle; Mael, a bald or bare hill.

Moylough; the plain of the lake.

Moymore; great plain.

Moynalty in Meath; Magh-nealta [Moynalta], the plain of the flocks (ealta).

Moyne; Maighin [Moin], a little plain.

Moynoe in Clare; same as Mayo: the n is a grammatical accident.

Moynure; the plain of the yew (iubhiar).

Moyrus; the plain of the ros or peninsula.

Moys; i.e. plains; from magh.

Muckamore in Antrim; Magh-comair [Ma-cummer], F. M., the plain of the cummer or confluence (of the Six mile Water with Lough Neagh).

Muckanagh, Muckenagh; Muiceannach, a resort of pigs; a place where pigs used to feed or sleep (from muc).

Muckelty, Mucker, Muckera, Muckery; the same as Muckanagh.

Mucklagh; Muclach, same as Muckanagh.

Muckinish; pig island.

Muckloon, Mucklone, Mucklin; Muc-chluain, pig meadow.

Muckno in Monaghan; Mucshnamh [Mucknauv], F. M., the swimming place (snamh) of the pigs; the place where pigs used to swim across the little lake.

Muckross; the peninsula of the pigs.

Muff; a corruption of Magh, a plain.

Muing; a sedgy place.

Mullacrew in Louth; Mullach-craeibhe [Mullacreeva], the summit of the spreading tree.

Mullagh; Mullach, a summit.

Mullaghareirk mountains near Abbeyfeale in Limerick; Mullach-a'-radhairc [rirk], the summit of the prospect.

Mullaghbane; white summit.

Mullaghhoy; yellow summit.

Mullaghhrack; speckled summit.

Mullaghdoo, Mullaghduff; black summit.

Mullaghglass; green summit.

Mullaghmeen; Mullach-min, smooth summit.

Mullaghmore; great summit.

Mullaghroe; Mullach-ruadh, red summit.

Mullan, Mullaun; a little mullach or summit.

Mullans; little summits.

Mullen, Mullin; Muileann [mullen], a mill.

Mullinahone in Tipperary; Muileann-na-huamhainn [Mullinahooan], the mill of the cave (uamha); from a cave near the village through which the little river runs.

Mullinavat in Kilkenny; Muilenn-a'-bhata, the mill of the stick.

Mully; the same as Mullagh.

Multyfarnham in Westmeath; Muilte-Farannain [Mul-ty-Farannan], Farannan's mills (muilenn, plural muilte).

Munster. Old Irish name Mumhan [Mooan], which, with `ster' added (see Leinster), forms Mughan-ster [Moonster] or Munster.

Murragh, Murreagh; Murbhach [Murvagh], a flat marshy piece of land by the sea.

Murrow of Wicklow; same as Murragh.

Muskerry. The people descended from Carbery Musc, son of Conary II. (see Corkaguiny), were called Mus-craidhe [Muskery: O'Dugan]; of these there were several tribes, one of which gave name to the two baronies of Muskerry in Cork.

Myshall in Carlow; Muigh-iseal [Mweeshal], low plain.