The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #10607   Message #3940719
Posted By: Thompson
31-Jul-18 - 07:34 PM
Thread Name: place names part two
Subject: RE: place names part two
Muff, Co Donegal is a nice name; Coolfancy, Co Wexford; Hackballscross, Co Monaghan, etc - the names, of course, derive from Irish and are less exciting than they sound (Muff is from Maigh, a plain; Coolfancy is Cúl na Foinse, the remote place where there is a spring of water; Hackballscross is possibly called after some English incomer, because its name in Irish is Crois an Mhaor, or the Steward's Crossing). Wexford also has a Bastardstown (named after a Frenchman) and Tyrone has Lower Balix (I'll just mention the Ulster Plantation here). And there's Lousybush in Wexford. And… well, we can stop there.