Why do so many place names in Ireland start with "KIL"?

AckwelFoley

Kilkenny, Kildare, kilrush, kilbride, Killucan, Killaloe, killarney, kilbarrick...

What is the reason in our language or history for this, or is it known?

masseyno9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_names_in_Irish

Its in there near the start in the etymology list. remember doing this in primary school.

EDIT: don't take the rest of that article as gospel, but from a quick scan of the list it seems more or less accurate.

RedXIV

As far as i can remember, anywhere beginning with KIL meant the town was named after it's Church? So you'll more than likely find very old examples of churches, or ruins of church in any of these places

AckwelFoley

• Ard- ard - 'high'
• Ath- áth - 'ford'
• Bally- baile - 'town' or in several instances, béal átha - 'mouth of the ford'
• Bel- béal - 'mouth'
• Carry/Carrick/Carrig- carraig - 'rock'
• Clon- Cluain - a meadow
• Derry- doire - 'grove'
• Dona- domhnach - 'church'
• Dun- dún - 'fort'
• Glas- glas - 'green'
• Glen- Gleann - a valley
• Inish- inis - island or strand
• Kill- cill - church
• Knock- cnoc - 'hill'
• Rath- rath - 'fort'
• Slieve- sliabh - 'mountain'

Ah, church it is!

This is a pretty good list, i think its good to know these things

jmayo

snyper wrote: »

• Ard- ard - 'high'
• Ath- áth - 'ford'
• Bally- baile - 'town' or in several instances, béal átha - 'mouth of the ford'
• Bel- béal - 'mouth'
• Carry/Carrick/Carrig- carraig - 'rock'
• Clon- Cluain - a meadow
• Derry- doire - 'grove'
• Dona- domhnach - 'church'
• Dun- dún - 'fort'
• Glas- glas - 'green'
• Glen- Gleann - a valley
• Inish- inis - island or strand
• Kill- cill - church
• Knock- cnoc - 'hill'
• Rath- rath - 'fort'
• Slieve- sliabh - 'mountain'

Ah, church it is!

This is a pretty good list, i think its good to know these things

Dear God didn't you do Irish in school or you one of these foreigners that are allowed on here from time to time
Where is there a mod when you need them
It is one of the first things I was thought in primary school along with the fact that all sasannachs are up to no good and the French God bless them tried to set us free when they landed in Killala

backboiler

Also "Coill" translating to "wood" (as in a group of trees, not the material) is sometimes anglicised as Kil-.

Tenger

backboiler wrote: »

Also "Coill" translating to "wood" (as in a group of trees, not the material) is sometimes anglicised as Kil-.

Has anyone noticed how a lot of new housing developments are using Irish terms like this but just combining them to make a nice sounding name. Recently I spotted Rathdun meaning fort fort!

Millucc

Sure it wasn't 'Fort Closed'?


There's no coherent national policy AFAIK. Its up to individual city and county councils. I've seen some absoute humdingers recently.

Some good ones in this...

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/property/2006/0921/1158590845996.html

santry_goonshow

What about Kilwangan, the town where our young protagonist Lyndon Barry was shortly to be overcome by a deep sense of melancholy.

Riamfada

Speaking for townland names, I was recently informed of a "Ratharse" in Laois. Apparently its convieniently located in between two hills.

donaghs

Since this thread keeps going, don't they teach this sort of thing in school anymore? i.e. kill/cill as church.

1huge1

Just shows how my town has such a original name, especially in relation to the rest of ireland
Hospital, co.limerick