#laigin

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Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny

The Irish for the town of Mooncoin in southern Kilkenny has been proposed to be Móin Choinn. Móin refers to a bogland, with the genitive form móna featuring in the towns of Cornamona. Co. Galway (Corr na Móna) and Ballymoney, Co. Antrim (Baile Mónaidh). 

As for Choinn, O'Kelly proposes in Kilkenny: a history of the county (1969) that the suffix refers to the last name Coyne. Thus, Mooncoin is officially given to be Coyne’s Bogland. 

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A Grave Situation

The Irish sleacht, a predominantly Ulster form of leacht, comes from the Latin loanword lectus, meaning bed. As such it comes as no surprise that sleacht refers to a grave, grave-mound, or monument.

Its anglicisation Slaught, Slatt or Slaght is often seen in placenames, notably Slaghtneill and Slaghtmanus, Co. Derry; Slaght, Co. Wexford and Slaght, Co. Kerry. In Slaght, Co. Antrim, there is no longer any trace or record of a burial monument. 

However hilarious, it should not be confused with sléacht, which means “slaying”. 

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Termonfeckin about in Louth

Nestled in County Louth, the wee farming village of Termonfeckin, or Tearmann Feichín, derives its name from tearmainn, meaning ‘a place of refuge’ or ‘church land offering sanctuary’, and Féchín, a 7th century saint.

Féchín’s name is said to translate to little raven, what with the Old Irish fiach, meaning raven and diminutive suffix -ín. In Félire Óengusso, he was said to have received the name when his mother saw him gnawing on a bone and exclaimed "my little raven!".

There also lies the remains of a feckin' church called St. Fechin's church in Ballysadare, Sligo. Another church on Omey Island, on the edge of Connemara is called Templefeheen, opting in cowardice to drop the 'c' sound altogether.

Finally, it’s of utmost importance to note that the lovely Saint Féchín is venerated in Scotland in the Latinised form Vigeanus. Feckin' Vigeanus.

P.S. No, you can't refer to the lovely people of Termonfeckin' as The Feckers. P.P.S. You can, however, take the name for your confirmation.

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Emo, Co. Laois

I guessed that the name Emo (Irish: Ioma) likely came from the iom- prefix meaning multi- or poly-. Maps showed no “multiple” landscape features such as hills, and looking up homophones like Iomagh unearthed nothing. 

Finally, digging deep into the history of Emo village showed that it has likely come from Iomdnaidh, meaning a bed or couch, and is probably connected with some now-forgotten saint as it alludes to the stone beds on which saints slept.  

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Éire-tymology: Éire

Four Provinces

The anglicised names of Leinster, Munster and Ulster are said to be a combination of their Irish nomenclatures and tír, with the Norse genitive S before the Irish tír. Alternatively, it is believed to have been derived from their respective Irish nomenclatures and the Norse suffix -ster, meaning ‘place’. 

Meath

The word cúige originally meant "one fifth", as in a fifth of Ireland. This included the four provinces that we know today and Meath, the fifth province. Meath was the seat of the High King of Ireland, who took his seat at the Hill of Tara.  

Meath merged into the province of Leinster due primarily to the development and importance of 'The Pale'; an area around Dublin that was the centre of Anglo-Norman commercial activity and tight rule.

It contained today’s counties Meath (still referred to as the Royal Country), Westmeath and some parts of surrounding counties in and around today’s Leinster.  

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Why Uachtarán?

I was occupied with thoughts of uachtar reoite wondered why uachtar appeared to be the basis of uachtarán; initially presuming it was derived a la crème de la crème. Confirming Uachtarán to be indeed derived from uachtar, with the modifying suffix -án to create a masculine noun, I then sought my next answer: why uachtar?

As it turns out, I was close. Uachtar doesn’t just mean cream, but also has alternate meanings of surface, summit, and top. Self explanatory, that one.

To add on, towns Uachtar Ard  in counties Clare, Galway and Kildare mean High Summit or Great Heights.

Tánaiste

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Éire-tymology: Laigin

Traditionally assumed to derive from the láigen, meaning spear.

Ceathar-loch: four lakes or Ceathar-lach: place of cattle Duibh Linn: this ex-county means dark pool Baile Átha Cliath Theas: (south) hurdled ford Dún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin: the fort of Laoghaire was called Kingstown from 1821 to 1920. Ráth is ringfort and dún is fort. Chille-darruigh: church under the oak Chill Chainnigh: church of Cainneach or Canice Fine Gall: Foreign Tribe Laois, formerly Queen’s County: from Uí Laoighis, meaning people of Lugaid Laígne Lubhadh: Lugh’s plain An Longphoirt: viking ship fortress or enclosure An Mhí: the middle Uí Failge, formerly King’s County: descendants of legendary king Failge Berraide Weis Fjord: (Viking name) ford of the mud flats *Loch Garman comes from Garman Garbh Iarmhidh: west of the middle Vikingr Lo: (Viking name) Viking meadow *Cill Mhantáin means church of the toothless one

Read about Leinster dialect here

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Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny

The Irish for the town of Mooncoin in southern Kilkenny has been proposed to be Móin Choinn. Móin refers to a bogland, with the genitive form móna featuring in the towns of Cornamona. Co. Galway (Corr na Móna) and Ballymoney, Co. Antrim (Baile Mónaidh). 

As for Choinn, O'Kelly proposes in Kilkenny: a history of the county (1969) that the suffix refers to the last name Coyne. Thus, Mooncoin is officially given to be Coyne’s Bogland.