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Placenames in Our Locality
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We studied a map of the Finglas area and then we used books and the internet to find out about the streetnames. |
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Introduction
We live in the area of Finglas in North Dublin. The name Finglas (Fionn Ghlas), meaning a clear stream, comes from the small river, which flows through the village (mostly underground now) and joins the Tolka River at Finglas Bridge.
There are many types of place-names in our locality and many of them tell us about its history. There are names in our area that come from the Irish language, there are historical names and there are names that remember families that lived in the area in the past.
We say logainmneacha for place-names in Irish. (Ainm is the Irish for name.) A good website about Irish Placenames can be found at http://www.n-ireland.co.uk/genealogy/placenames/
Finglas first appears in history, in The Annals of the Four Masters, as the site of a Celtic abbey, which has been linked with St. Canice, who died in 598 AD. According to an ancient legend, the ground on which the abbey stood was chosen and sanctified by St. Patrick, who is said to have made prophecy that a great town would arise at the ford of hurdles in the valley beneath.
(Dublin City Council web site: http://www.dublin.ie Link to Finglas: http://www.dublin.ie/index.asp?locID=440&docID=-1 The history of Finglas is available at Ken Finlay's website on the history of Dublin.)
Dublin (Dubh Linn)
Dublin is our county and our capital city and its English name comes from Dubh Linn which means the “Dark Pool”. When the Vikings invaded Dublin in the late 8th Century this pool made a good harbour for their longships. They used this name for their new town and said “Diflyn” in their own language. Dubh Linn is only used as the English name for Dublin today. The Irish name we use is Baile Atha Cliath. By Ciara
Dublin (Baile Atha Cliath)
The Irish name for Dublin is Baile Atha Cliath. Baile Atha Cliath means the town at the Ford of Hurdles. Legend says that many centuries ago the men of Leinster made a rough bridge across a ford on the River Liffey using bundles of twigs tied together and laid on hurdles which were sunk into the river. By Claire
Finglas (Fionn Ghlas)
Finglas is the village and townland to the north of Ballygall. Finglas (Fionnghlas in Irish) gets its name from the small river that used to flow through the village and into the River Tolka (tulca is the Irish for flood). It flows under the dual carriageway now. Fionn means clear and Glas means stream. The history of Finglas stretches back to the days when people settled beside this stream because it gave clean water for drinking and washing. The village remained a rural country village until urban development in the 1950s when many houses were built by the government to ease overcrowding in the city centre. This development has continued and now, while Finglas is a thriving suburb of the city with many industries, sadly, much of old Finglas has disappeared. Mairéad
Ballygall
Our school is in the townland of Ballygall. This means “the town of the strangers”. Baile is the Irish for town and Gall is the Irish for stranger. Some people say that when the Battle of Clontarf was over in 1014 and King Brian Boru was defeated the Vikings settled in the area. Others say that the strangers were the Normans who settled in the area to chop down trees in the forests to get wood for their castles. The wood used in the roof and panelling of Westminster Hall in London came from the oak trees in Finglaswood. Clare Poole
Glasnevin and Beneavin
Glasnevin is the next townland to Ballygall. Glasnevin could mean Nevin’s stream, that’s what people think it’s called. Glas is an Irish word for stream. It could also mean beautiful stream. Glas means stream and an aoibhinn in Irish means very beautiful. Beneavin could mean beautiful hill. Ben means a hill and eavin (aoibhinn) means beautiful so that means a beautiful hill. By Lindsay
Farnham Drive
Farnham Drive gets its name from Farnham House which was demolished in 1959. All that is left is one of the gate lodges which is now a shoe repair shop in Finglas village. Farnham House was built around 1760 by the first Lord John Maxwell, Knight of Cavan. He lived there until he died in 1768. In 1814 Dr. Duncan established a hospital in the house. They used the hospital until 1959. The house was demolished and replaced by a convent for a Spanish order of nuns which was also demolished about ten years ago and now there is an estate of houses on the site called Finn Eber. by Clare and Kate
St. Helena’s Drive, St. Helena’s Road
These roads also get their names from a house. St. Helena’s is a Georgian manor in Finglas South. It was built around the middle of the 18th century. The last family to live in St. Helena’s were the Craigies. They lived there from 1917-1969. In 1969 Dublin Corporation bought the house and the 200 acres around it to build houses for people who were moving out to Finglas. Today the house is used for community groups in the area. by Stacey
Jamestown Road, Williamstown, King William’s Ramparts
Jamestown Road may be named after King James II. In July 1690 the Battle of the Boyne took place. The armies of King James II and William of Orange fought. King James was defeated and fled from King William. King William stayed in Finglas for four days after the battle. He then left Finglas and marched with his army south to Limerick to defeat Sarsfield and the Irish brigade of King James’s army. King William’s Ramparts look like a huge ditch and it is said that King William’s army built this ditch for protection while they were camped in the area. Most likely it is the ruin of castle walls. by Christine
St. Patrick's Well Place
As St. Patrick travelled around Ireland converting people in the fifth century. He stopped in Finglas. One day he was standing on one of the hills in the area and he looked down on the Liffey valley and said, “One day a city will be built on these marshes.” He walked around Finglas and stopped to bathe and drink in a cool spring. It was said that some of his power was there in the spring so they called it St. Patrick’s Well. In the 18th century St. Patricks Well was a famous spa. by Jade
Griffith Road, Griffith Avenue, Griffith Drive, Griffith Close
These streets get their names from Arthur Griffith (March 31st 1871 – August 12th 1922). Arthur Griffith was born in Dublin in March 1871. Arthur Griffith was the founder and first leader of Sinn Féin. Griffith was elected MP (Member of Parliament) for Sinn Féin in the 1918 General Election. Griffith was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921 and he was President of Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) from January to August 1922. Griffith died suddenly in Dublin on the 12th August 1922, and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. by Niamh and Ailish
Mc Kee Road, Mellowes Road
Richard McKee was born in Finglas in 1893. He fought in the Easter rising of 1916. At this time Ireland was trying to achieve home rule (the right to have her own government and laws) from Britain. He was a supporter of Michael Collins. McKee was executed in December 1922 along with another Irish Volunteer Liam Mellowes. by Vanessa and Amy
Plunkett Ave. and Plunkett Road
We are not really sure whether Plunkett Ave. was named after Joseph Plunkett (1879-1916) one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising and a poet or St. Oliver Plunkett (1625 – 1681) who was a bishop from Co. Meath. Joseph Mary Plunkett was born in Dublin in 1879 and he was executed after the 1916 rising. He was twenty and was married in Kilmainham Jail the night before he died. St. Oliver Plunkett was martyred for his faith in 1681. by Orla
Casement Road, Casement Drive, Casement Park, Casement Grove
These streets are all called after Roger Casement (1864-1916). He was born in Sandycove, County Dublin. Casement served for many years as a distinguished British Consul in Mozambique, Angola, the Congo Free State and Brazil. He was rewarded with a knighthood in 1911. Casement helped to form the Irish National Volunteers in 1913. Casement travelled to Berlin looking for help. Germany was unable to help. He was brought by German submarine to Kerry. He was arrested, charged with treason and was hanged by the British in August 1916 for his part in working Irish nationalists in planning the Dublin Easter Rising of 1916. He is buried in Glasnevin cemetery. by Aisling and Danielle
Barry Avenue, Barry Road, Barry Park
These roads are called after Kevin Barry (1902 - 1920). He was a medical student. He was born in Dublin. He joined the IRA and took part in raid for arms on a military lorry in Church Street in which six soldiers were killed. He was captured on the scene, court-martialled, and hanged in Mountjoy Jail on 1 November 1920. A song was made about his life, here is the first verse: In Mountjoy jail one Monday morning High upon the gallows tree , Kevin Barry gave his young life For the cause of liberty. by Kim and Leanne
Collins Drive, Collins Green, Collins Place, Collins Ave., Collins Rd.
Michael Collins was born on the 16th of October 1890. He was leader of the Irish Volunteers group. He was very famous and many streets are named after him. A film was made about him and Liam Neeson played the lead. Michael Collins was a member of the Irish delegation at the negotiations that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. He was assasinated on August 22nd 1922 at Bealnablath in Co. Cork. by Emma and Shauna
Grove Wood I live in Grove Wood and all the streets around me are named after trees like Oakwood, Cedarwood, Sycamore and Pinewood. by Michelle
Dubber Cross
I live near Dubber Cross. Tobar means well in Irish so there may have been a well or holy well there. by Kate
Useful Links:
· For further information on the history of Finglas check out Ken Finlay's website. · Placenames and useful links http://www.loughman.dna.ie/index.html · Irish Placenames http://www.n-ireland.co.uk/genealogy/placenames/ · Streetnames of Dublin http://www.irish-architecture.com · Dublin City Council web site http://www.dublin.ie Link to Finglas http://www.dublin.ie/index.asp?locID=440&docID=-1 · Irish Placenames http://www.n-ireland.co.uk/genealogy/placenames/
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