Bizarre Irish place Names and the Stories Behind Them

Ireland is a land of ancient folklore and lyrical language. No wonder that there are more than a few place names that make you stop and wonder what on earth happened there. Many of these names have perfectly innocent origins in Irish (Gaeilge). However, after centuries of anglicisation and translation mishaps, many of them sound more like punchlines – or threats – than locations today. In this blog post we take a trip around the island and explore some of the most bizarre Irish place names as well as the stories behind them.

Muff in County Donegal

If you’ve ever driven into Muff, you’ll know the village sign gets more selfies than the local tourist office. The name of the small village in Donegal does get a lof attention – however, it has nothing to do with the place smelling musty. The word derives from the Irish Magh meaning „plain“ or „low-lying land“. Over time the pronunciation changed into Muff. Today, the villagers play with their town’s name and celebrate events like the Muff Festival or Muff Féile.

Kill in County Kildare

Before you panic when reading this town sign, Kill isn’t a warning. It derives from the Irish Cill, meaning church. Much like the Kil in Kildare: Combined, Cill and Dara mean „church of the oak tree“. As you may have noticed, several Irish place names start with the word Kill, such as Killarney, Killkenny or Killbeggan. But only few are quite as blunt as this one. Kill was once a monastic settlement and, as excavations found out, also a burial site for nine Ui Faeláin kings.

Source: Isaac Burke on Unsplash

Hospital in County Limerick

No, this isn’t Ireland’s medial capital and if you’re looking for a hospital in Limerick, make sure to check your GPS route twice. The town’s name has nothing to do with hospitals, but much more with with the crusading knights Hospitaller. They also founded the Hospital Church in 1215. You can still visit its ruins in the town today.

Muckanaghederdauhaulia in County Galway

Yes, this is a real place. Even though it‘s not a town but rather a townland. Muckanaghederdauhaulia is certainly one of the most bizarre Irish place names and also one of the longest with currently 22 letters. (It was spelt with 23 letters before.) The name derives from the Irish Muiceanach idir Dhá Sháile, which means pig marsh between two salt waters.

Termonfeckin in County Louth

What kind of sounds like a medieval curse word, actually refers to a monk who lived in the town and founded a monastery here. The village’s name is derived from Tearmann Feichín, which means Feichin’s sanctuary. While the monastic settlement has been plundered by Vikings and raiders several times, parts of it, as well as St Féchín’s Church are still standing today.

Source: Anastasiia Liushenko on Unsplash

Exploring Ireland through its bizzare place names

Whether you’re passing through Muff or you try to wrap your tongue around Muckanaghederdauhaulia – bizzare Irish place names are part of the fun of exploring Ireland. And there are so many more! Each of them a reminder of Irish history and language. Have you found more? Keep an eye out for Dingle, Skibbereen, Ballydehob and more, when travelling on Irish roads!

Source header photo: Andre Ouellet on Unsplash