Townslands

There are 69 townlands in the parish of Tubberclair. What is a townland? For most people, this is the first placename on their postal address. 

For example:

Mary Reilly
Rooan,
Glasson,
Athlone,
Co. Westmeath.

In this example, Rooan is the townland, and Glasson is the name of the district post office. There are c.61,100 townlands in Ireland – every part of Ireland is divided into townlands. Originally, townlands were land divisions, areas of land which were used for tillage, or grazing or other purposes, and which were passed on through the generations or redistributed among the different branches of the ruling families of the area in medieval (500-1400) and early-modern times (1400-1700). The people who would have worked the land would have lived in small villages or clusters of houses in each townland. Some of these settlements survive today, and in a way each townland is a small community of its own, with its own local history and traditions, and association with particular families. 

Sometimes larger townlands contain named subdivisions, with people using these names as the first line of their address. For example Ballinagee (a part of Killinure North townland, Ring & Muckanagh Beag (parts of Muckanagh), Tully (a part of Glasson) etc.

Townslands of Tubberclair Parish

Civil Parish of Bunown, townland names:

OS Form	Irish (AÓF)	Meaning
Ballinlough	Baile an Locha	‘the townland of the lake’
Bunown	Bun Abhann	‘foot of the river’ (river mouth)
Crow Island	Oileán na bPréachán	–
Glassan	Glasán	‘small stream’
Glebe	An Ghléib	glebe, church land
Hareisland	Inse Ainín	‘island of Ainín’ < Ainghin, pers. name
Inchmore	Inse Mór	‘island (big)’
Inchmore (Tiernan)	Inse Mór (Tiernan)	–
Killeenmore	An Coillín Mór	‘the little wood (big)
Killinure North	Coill an Iúir Thuaidh	‘the wood of the yew-tree’
Killinure South	Coill an Iúir Theas	–
Lissakillen North	Lios an Choillín Thuaidh	‘enclosure of the little wood’
Lissakillen South	Lios an Choillín Theas	–
Nun’s Island	Oileán na gCailleach Dubh	‘the island of the black nuns’
Portlick	Port Lice	‘bank of the flag’ (ie. flagstone)
Rooan	An Ruán	‘the reddish place’
Skeanaveane	Sceach na bhFiann	‘the whitethorn of the Fianna’
Whinning	An Inneoin	‘the anvil(-shaped place)’

Civil Parish of Kilkenny West, townland names:

OS Form	Irish (AÓF)	Meaning
Annagh	An tEanach	‘the marsh’
Auburn	Achadh na Gréine	‘the field of the sun(-shine)’
Ballaghkeeran Big	Bealach Caorthainn Mór	‘pass of the rowan tree (big)’
Ballaghkeeran Little	Bealach Caorthainn Beag	‘pass of the rowan tree (little)’
Ballynacliffy	Baile na Cloiche	‘the townland of the stone’
Ballynakill	Baile na Cille	‘the townland of the church’
Ballynakill Upper	Baile na Cille Uachtarach	–
Bethlehem	Beithil	Named from the Poor Clares’ convent (1631)
Bleanphuttoge	Bléan Phatóige	‘creek of the small vessel’
Boardsland	Fearann Boird (?)	‘mensal land’ Land held by the chief/taoiseach.
Brittas	An Briotás	‘the palisade’
Caplahard	Ceapach Leathard	‘tillage plot (high on one side)’
Carrickfin	An Charraig Fhinn	‘the white rock’
Cartronkeel	An Cartún Caol	‘the narrow cartron’
Corr	An Chora	‘the weir’
Creevenamanagh	Gníomh na Manach	‘the gneeve of the monks’
Deerpark	An Pháirc Chloiche	‘the field of stone’
Farrannamoreen	Fearann na mBóithrín	‘land (farm) of the boreens’
Fortyacres	An Dá Fhichead Acra	‘The forty acres’
Kilfaughny	Cillín Fachna	‘St Fachtna’s little church’
Kilkenny Abbey	–	–
Kilkenny Lanesborough	–	–
Kilkenny West	Cill Chainnigh	‘St Cainneach’s church’
Lackan	An Leacain	‘the hillside’
Lisdachon	Lios Dá Chon	‘enclosure of the two dogs’
Lisnascreen	Lios na Scríne	‘the enclosure of the shrine’
Lissatunny	Lios an tSonnaigh	‘the enclosure of the stockade’
Lissoy	Lios Eo	‘enclosure of the yews’
Littletown	An Baile Beag	‘the small townland’
Lowpark or Ballyboy	An Pháirc nó An Baile Buí	‘the field/park’ or ‘the yellow townland’
Lurgan	An Lorgain	‘the long low ridge’. Also called Baile Chac!
Magheracuirknagh	Machaire Chuircne	‘the plain of Cuircne’
Pearsonsbrook	Fearann an Mhuilinn	‘the land of the mill’
Portaneena	Port an Fhíona	‘the bank of the wine’
Rath	An Ráth	‘the ringfort’
Temples Island	Oileán Temple	–
Toberclare	Tobar Chláir	‘the well of [the] plain’ (?)
Tobernagauhoge	Tobar na gCathóg	‘the well of the jackdaws’
Tonagh	Tonnach	‘swamp’
Tullaghan	An Tulachán	‘the little hillock’
Tullyhogan	Tulaigh Uí Ógáin	‘Hogan’s  hill’
Tullyhumphrys	–	–
Tullylanesborough	–	–
Waterstown	Baile Uaitéir	‘Walter’s townland’

Civil Parish of Noughaval, townlands which form part of Tubberclair Catholic Parish:

OS Form	Irish (AÓF)	Meaning
Cartron	An Cartún	‘the carton’ (a land division)
Coolalena	Cúil an Líne	‘the corner of the water-meadow’ (< léana)
Creggan	An Creagán	‘the rocky place’
Inchbofin	Inse Bó Finne	‘island of the white cow’
Inchturk	Inse Toirc	‘island of the boar’
Muckanagh	Muiceanach	‘pig-shaped place (hill)’
Ross	An Ros	‘the promontory’