Wicklow - Cill Mhantáin (Contae Chill Mhantáin) - The English name “Wicklow” means the water-meadow of the Vikings. The Irish name “Cill Mhantáin” means the church of Mantán. The lore surrounding the name states that when St. Patrick and his followers arrived in Wicklow the local people were not happy to see them and threw stones at the monks. One of the monks had his teeth knocked out and was thereafter called Mantán, a derivative of mantachán meaning a toothless person, and this monk was later said to have established a church in Wicklow. However, as no examples of the name Mantachán are attested, this is clearly an example of folk-etymology, or the creation of lore to explain the origins of a placename.
Coolgarrow mountain - An Chúil Gharbh - The word cúil in placenames means “corner” or “nook.” Literally “the rough corner.”
Sallygap - Bearna Bhealach Sailearnáin - Often mistakenly believed to derive from “Saddle Gap” because of the shape of the hills in the area. A 1655 entry in the Civil Survey, however, writes “Barneballaghsilurnan.” The last element appears to contain the word sailearnán referring to a wood of willows or sallies thus the gap of the way/road of the sally wood.
Brockagh mountain - Sliabh na Brocaí - The townland of the rock. It is suggested that it is named from the rocky headland at Jack’s Hole.
Cloghoge - Clochóg - Clochóg means stony patch, or place with stone structure.
Lugalla [recte Luggala] - Log an Lá - Luggala has been explained as deriving from Log a’ Lágha, the hollow of the hill (or ridge)(Joyce, Irish Names of Places Vol. I, 391). However, as there are no attested examples of lagh meaning hill this must remain doubtful. On the other hand, one could suggest that the final element derives from latha > lá “of mud," a genitive singular form of Old Irish loth/lath (see Dictionary of Irish Language).
Brittas Bay - Cuan an Bhriotáis - “Brittas” derives from the Anglo-Norman bretasse, meaning a temporary wooden breastwork. It is a reasonably common element in Irish placenames and there are three examples of the placename Brittas in county Wicklow.
Glenmacnass - Gleann Log an Easa - The glen of the hollow of the waterfall.
Scarr - Scor - Rock pinnacle.
Annamoe - Áth na mBó - The ford of the cows.
Devils Glen [recte Devil’s Glen] - An Gleann Mór - The English name, Devil’s Glen, appears to be a late creation from the 18th century. The earlier name for this may have been Portdarge, deriving from (An) Port Dearg, “(The) red embankment”: “Portdarg… Portdarge… Portdoribeg… seems to have been the name of the Devil’s Glen behind Glenmore House” . The whole glen seems to have been called “Glanmore” which derives from (An) Gleann Mór “(The) big glen.”
Nun's Cross [recte Nunscross] - “Nunn was a family name in Wicklow and Wexford in the 18th century, and this name probably means Nunn’s cross-roads. It is likely that the name gave rise to the local story that a skeleton found here was that of a nun who had been immured in the wall." The surname Nunn seems to have arrived in Ireland with the Cromwellians.
Glenmalure - Gleann Molúra - The glen of Molúra. “Molúra” is probably a personal name.
Rathnew - Ráth Naoi - “Ráth” meaning fort. “Naoi” is probably a personal name.
Glendalough - Gleann Dá Loch - The glen of the two lakes.
Poulinass - Poll an Easa - The pool of the waterfall.
Tomriland - Tom Réileáin - The element réileán, “level space” is found in the place-name Ryland in Wexford, and Tomriland could undoubtedly reflect derivation from Tom Réileáin. The anglicised element “tom” can represent Irish tom, “bush, clump, tuft” or tuaim, “tumulus, mound.”
River Liffey - An Life - An Life is well attested in Irish literature as the Irish name of the river, but the meaning of the name is unclear.
Lough Dan - Loch Deán - The meaning is unclear.
Lough Tay - Loch Té = Luggala Lake. Té, “hot” is found in Old Irish but this is hardly what is referred to in Loch Té! Téa is also found as the name of the mythical eponym of Tara in Irish tradition and it is possibly the second element.
Inchavore river - An Inse Mhór - Inse = island or river meadow. Mór = big.
Kanturk - Ceann Toirc - the wild boar’s peak.
Glenealo river - Abhainn Ghleann Abhlach - Glenealo = The glen abounding in apple trees.
Bonagrew Little - An Bhánóg Rua - Explained by John O’Donovan as Bun na gCrodh, “bottom of the cattle folds,” in the Ordnance Survey (OS) namebooks (1839), but the occurrence of “Red Park” written on the OS 6” map (1839) sways the evidence towards derivation from Bánóg Rua, from which “Red Park” could be translated.
This information was provided by the Place names commission and from 'Place Names of County Wicklow' by Liam Price.
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