Tonlegee Road?

Allyall

I just noticed this, as i was out that direction earlier today,
The sign is obstructed by a post so zooming in doesn't really help.

But what is Tonlegee? Is it an Irish word(s) turned English, and then attempted back to Irish?

Or is it an English word?

The sign reads - "Bóthar Tón Le Gaoith" (Give it a couple of seconds to load)

What does that mean?

Bóthar is Road. I got that.

But then is "Tón" anything? (The closest word i can find is "Arse")

When i look up the Dictionary it is Tón Which points to Tóin..
or
ton diailithe = dialling tone(n)
bheith ag tonnadh = to belch out(vt)(smoke etc)

I used Focal.ie and irishdictionary.ie/dictionary

Or

Níor aimsíodh téarma ar bith · No terms found

and what is Gaoith? Surely not Wind?

I can't find that either, in any dictionary.

So, Would Tonlegee Road = Windy Arse Road?

Or Windy (Belch Out) Road?

Is this an example of bad signage/translating or am i well and truly wayyy off?

Funkfield

I was always told it was "Arse To The Wind Road"

Allyall

Ha ha.. Is it really? Or is that a joke?

That's true?

Well everyday's a School day.
I wasn't sure if you were being serious,

Until i read this

Ballyhymen, Hackballs Cross, Muff, Crap, Crappin, are usually quoted. I like Tonlegee and its various spellings (arse to the wind) but the one that I would love to know its origin is Ballyhack, excrement town or as it is in the records the town of the bad Ordure, ordure being an old term for bodily waste.
Regards.
Tom

From
http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/translation/topic80830-10.html

mr chips

Tandragee in Co. Armagh has a pretty much identical meaning. And Ballyhackamore in Belfast is the Town of the Big Jobbie. (although the official translation is something like "Lobbed Plain" IIRC)

An gal gréine

Allyall wrote: »

and what is Gaoith? Surely not Wind?

I can't find that either, in any dictionary.

So, Would Tonlegee Road = Windy Arse Road?

Or Windy (Belch Out) Road?

Is this an example of bad signage/translating or am i well and truly wayyy off?

Gaoth is in plenty of place names in Ireland and Scotland for windswept areas. The Gael had no hangups about using body parts to describe an area. Tanderagee/Tandragee in Co. Armagh comes from the old Gaelic Tóin re gaoith which is the modern Tóin le gaoith. That "re" is still used in Gàidhlig in Scotland. Our "bóthar thóin le gaoith" in Coolock, Dublin may be named after the Armagh town as nearby Glenfarne Road is named after a town in Leitrim.

Not far from Guinnesses in Dublin there was a Mullinahack or "Muileann a' chaca"!

The reason for using it in a place name is to suggest that "arse to the wind" is the best stance to take in this area because it is an exposed, windswept area.

Alun

For those that don't know, there's a mountain in the Wicklow Mountains called Tonelagee / Tón Le Gaoith. It's on the north side of the Wicklow Gap, and lives up to it's name admirably, believe me. I've always understood it to mean "arse to the wind" as well.

Insect Overlord

Liam Ó Muirthile had a few nice essays about that place in his book "Ar An bPeann".

Allyall

I found the book, ... As Gaeilge?

I became okay at Irish in my teens (I was madly 'in love' with a ceathru rua lady ).
Useless at it now, but keep promising myself i will try more.

That book is way over my head..

I need to teach myself from the ground up.

Insect Overlord

Ar An bPeann? Yeah, that's at a fairly high standard of Irish. It's based on his weekly columns that originally appeared in the Irish Times. Beautiful essays, really enjoyable, but probably not great for beginners!

Allyall

Definitely not for me (yet). But some background to how i (finally) noticed it (Tonlegee)....

A man i knew well, roughly ten years ago, had some great/funny stories about Irish named places (He was fluent Irish/Gaelgoir).

He used to get quite angry about how badly the place names were translated from English or Vice versa and back again. We found it funny because he used to translate them "literally" - or as close as possible, with vehement. Unfortunately he died a few years ago.

He was a massive eye-opener for many things, It'd be a lie to say he didn't have an influence on me.

I have been questioning myself over the last day, as to how I never noticed Tonlegee road before. I am truly stumped. I live close enough to it, that i'd pass it often. I'm putting it down to 'just one of those things'.

Míshásta

I doubt if 'arse' is the most appropriate translation for 'tóin' in placenames except as a joke.

'Arse' even if widely used in ordinary speech is still considered vulgar - there are more polite words in English for that area of the anatomy.

"Tóin" is not a vulgar word in Irish even though it can be used in vulgar expressions.

"Tóin le gaoith" being translated as "arse to the wind" is just like saying "go n-éirí an bóther leat" means "may the road rise to meet you". Both are literal translations but not the most correct.

"Tóin le gaoith" rendered into ordinary English would be "Back to the wind"