In the Republic, both Irish and English names have equal status and are displayed on road and signs, although postmarks are only in Irish. In Northern Ireland, the Irish language has had no official recognition, so Irish language place names are not widely recognised.
The name of Ireland itself comes from the Irish name, ?re, affixed to the Germanic root, '-land'. According to mythology, ?re was an ancient Celtic princess.
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2 Names of Provinces 3 Names of Counties 4 Names of Cities and Towns 5 Names of Streets |
Common words found in Irish place names include:
Ard- ard - 'high'
The four provinces (c?g?/em> - singlar: c?ge) are known as:
The 32 counties (contaetha - singular: contae) of Ireland are known as:
Etymology
Bally- baile - 'town'
Bel- b?l - 'mouth'
Kil- cill - church
Carry- carraig - 'rock'
Dun- d? - 'fort'
Glas- glas - 'green'Names of Provinces
The word c?ge originally meant 'a fifth', as in the fifth part of something, and comes from the fact that Meath, as seat of the High King of Ireland, was once a province in its own right. Meath was later absorbed into Leinster.Names of Counties
Names of Cities and Towns
Names of Streets