Townlands
Townlands - Bailte Fearainn
Why are they important? Why should they be displayed publically?
Everyone in Ireland lives in a townland but the question is do you know its name and meaning. The townland system has existed in Ireland for well over 1,000 years and is unique through out the world. The townland has had a special significance for Irish people during that time forming a major part of a person’s identity. These names were created at a time when the country was Irish speaking and the names reflect geographical features, family names, types of settlement etc. The townland system still exists in the Republic but in the north of the country the government, through the post office, shamefully undermined this ancient system in the 1970’s, claiming that it was inefficient and not fit for purpose. Thus at a stroke a thousand years of history was ignored and bland “official” addresses such as “999 Staffordstown Road” replaced the poetic and evocative traditional forms.
Click here to see our local townlands
Townlands in the wider Creggan area:
| Townland |
Gaelic |
Meaning |
| Creggan | An Creagán |
The rocky place |
| Cranfield | Creamhchoill |
The wood of wild garlic |
| Creeve |
Craobh |
A large ( sacred?) tree |
| Blackrock |
An Charraig Dhubh | |
| Ballealy |
Baile Ó Ailche | Townland of the descendants of Ailche |
| Gortagharn |
Gort a’ Chairn | The field of the Carn ( pile of stones) |
| Aghaloughan |
Achadh a’ Locháin | Field of the little lake |
| Leitrim |
Liatroim | The grey ridge |
| Mountshalgus |
Móin Sealgais | The hunting bog? |
| Greenan |
An Grianán | The elevated place, place with a view |
| Staffordstown |
Baile Mhic Bheatha | Mc Veigh’s town |
| Ballynacooley |
Baile na Cúile | Townland of the corner or angle |
| Killyfad |
Coillidh Fhada | The long wood |
| Ballynamullan |
Baile na Mullan | Townland of the small hills |
| Ballynaleney |
Baile na Léana | Townland of the wet meadow |
| Ballylurgan |
Baile na Lorgan | Townland of the long ridge |
| Ranaghan |
Raithneachán |
Place of the ferns |
| Portlee |
Port na Loinge |
Harbour of the large boat |
| Moneynick |
Muine Chnoic |
The thicket of the hill |
| Derryhollagh |
Doire Shalach |
The dirty (muddy) oakgrove |
