Irish Place Names
Mullingar
County Westmeath Irish: an Muileann gCearr
'the wry mill'
The name is said to derive from muileann, 'mill' and cearr, 'wrong', 'left-handed', meaning a mill whose wheel revolved anti-clockwise. But the second part of the name may actually be a personal name such as Carr.
Cunningburn
County Down
Irish: Sruth na gCoinín
'stream of the rabbits' The English name is a part-translation (sruth, 'stream', 'burn'), part-corruption of the Irish name. (The former English word for 'rabbit' was 'coney')
Baltinglass
County Wicklow
Irish: Bealach Conglais
'road of Cúglas' The personal name Cuglas is said to derive from C. Ghlas, 'greyhound'
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 © 1999-2005 Irelandseye.com and contributors
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