The 12 counties of the Province of Leinster

Carlow
Carlow, called in Irish documents Cetherloch (Caherlough), quadruple lake (cether, four);
The river Barrow anciently formed four lakes there.

	Dublin
	Dublin The name is written in the annals Duibh-linn (Duvlin) which in some of the Latin Lives of the saints is translated Nigra therma, black pool.
	It was originally the name of that part of the Liffey on which the city is built and is sufficiently descriptive at the present day. In very early ages an artificial ford of hurdles was constructed across the Liffey where the main road from Tara to Wicklow crossed the river. The city that subsequently sprung up around it was called from this circumstance Athcliath (Ah-clee), F.M., the ford of hurdles which was the ancient name of Dublin. This name is still used by speakers of Irish in every part of Ireland but they join it to Bally – Baile-atha-cliath (which they pronounce Blaaclee), the town of the hurdle ford.

Kildare
According to Animosus, St Brigid built her little cell here under a very high oak tree and hence it was called Cill-dara.
The same writer translates Cella quercûs, the cell or church of the oak.

	Kilkenny
	Cill-Chainnigh, F.M., the church of St Cainneach or Canice who died in the year 598.

Laois
The territory of the old principality of Leix was given by the king of Leinster to Lughaidh Laeighseach (Lewy Leeshagh), Conall Carnach’s grandson, for helping to expel the Munstermen who had seized on Ossory.
Lewy’s descendants, the O’Moores, took from him the tribe name, Laeighis (Leesh), and their territory was called by the same name, now modernised to Leix or Laois.

	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.

Louth
Louth is the smallest county in Leinster, and in Ireland. It has an ancient history reaching back into myth.Detail Required
Dundalk, one of the main towns in Louth, was originally named for the great fortress now called the moat of Castletown, a mile inland, which was the residence of Cuchullin, chief of the Red Branch Knights in the first century. Dun-Dealgan (Dalgan), F.M., the fortress of Delga, a Firbolg chief who built it.

	Meath
	Centrally located on the east coast of Ireland, Meath has been an important area for millennia.
	Tara, Teamhair (Tawer), F.M., a residence on an elevated spot commanding an extensive view. There are many places of this name in Ireland besides the celebrated Tara in Meath.

Offaly
Baronies of, in Kildare. The descendants of Ros-failghe (faly) or Ros of the rings
The eldest son of Cahirmore (king of Ireland from AD 120 to 123) were called Hy Failghe (O’Dugan), i.e. the descendants of Failghe, and a portion of their ancient inheritance still retains this name, in the modernised form Offaly.

	Westmeath
	This county was once part of a greater 'Meath', although many of its placenames retain an Irish royal connection.
	Ardnurcher, in Westmeath: a corruption of Athnurcher, from Ath-anurchair, F.M., the ford of the cast or throw. According to a very ancient legend, a battle was fought here in the first century between the Connaught and Ulster forces. Keth Mac Magach, a Connaught chief, threw a hard round ball at Conor mac Nessa, king of Ulster, and struck him on the head from the effects of which the king died seven years afterwards

Wexford
a Danish name; old form Weisford, which is said to mean west fiord or bay.
Old Irish name, Carman.

	Wicklow
	Wicklow, a Danish name; old forms of the name Wkyynglo, Wygyngelo, Wykinlo. Old Irish name Kilmantan, the church of St Mantan, one of St Patrick’s disciples.
	This saint, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise and other authorities, had his front teeth knocked out by a blow of a stone, from one of the barbarians who opposed St Patrick’s landing in Wicklow; hence he was called Mantan, or the toothless.

From the Appletree Press title: Irish Place Names.
Also from Appletree: Irish Family Names, A Little Book of Irish Family Names and the Book of Irish Names.

[ Back to Top ]

All Material © 1999-2008 Irelandseye.com and contributors