School: Doire Iubhair (roll number 7194)

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1. Local Place Names

   

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   Mostly every farmer has names on his fields. Those names are handed down from father to son and most of them have a good reason for their names, such as "Ál na Mabac". A very long time ago there lived in that place a very old woman. She lived alone and was very poor. Owing to her poverty she was unable to pay rent and rates. She had but one cow which was not left to her very long.
   One day the Sheriff sailed up the river running by her house and brought away her cow. Seeing that she was left with nothing she went down on her knees and cursed. On his was back his boat capsized and he was downed. Since then that place is called Ál na mabac. "Murray's ray" is so called because it was owned by a man named Patsy Murray some years ago. "The furry hill" on account of it being covered with furzes. "Páirc na mbainne" is so called because that field was owned by a man named McDermott who always kept his cows in that field. The cows gave him a lot of milk and he was able to sell an amount of butter. He sold the field because he though he had much better grazing for cows. He was a great loss because after that he had hardly as much milk to colour his tea. Since then it is called Páirc na mbainne. "Ball gaoite". It was said that the fairies used to go out that gap when the wind blew from the east.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. local lore, place-lore (~10,595)

   Language

   English

   Location

   Coos North, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Tom Page

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   46

   Address

   Coos North, Co. Galway