Townlands of Camross

The townland is the base unit of Irish geography. The name of the townland one grew up in can often evoke far more emotions in an expat than that of parish, county and even country. Locked within the names of these parcels of land is an untold history that can go back for thousands of years. Townland names are among the most tangible and ‘live’ links to the first Gaels of Ireland that remain to this day.

Much of the work on the toponymy of Laois was carried out almost a century ago by Helen Roe, the first County Librarian of Laois. She was born in Mountrath in 1895 where she developed a love of folklore, archaeology and history. She researched history extensively and over the course of half a century she became one of the most respected authorities on early Christian Ireland. In 1932 she conducted a thorough research project on the place names of Laois but the research remained unpublished until the typescript was rediscovered 2006.

Place names from Camross, as well as notable place names from around the Slieve Blooms, have been taken from Roe’s research and are presented here as an introductory step into to the history of Camross.

Aughduff

Achadh Dubh

Black field

Anatrim

Eanach Truim

Marsh of the elder tree

Arderin

Ard Eireann

Height of lreland

The highest peak of the Slieve Bloom Mountains at 527 metres. It is the 399^th tallest peak in Ireland.

Ballaghlyragh

Bealach Ladhradh

Forked pass or road

This townland is now known as Neilstown.

Ballaghmore

Bealach Mór

Great road

Ballinrally

Baile na Ralach

Town of the oak tree

Bacca

Bacach

A lame man

Caher

Chathair

A fort or city

The word Cathair – a stone built fort occurs in very few place names in Ireland and is very unequally distributed. The name does not occur in Ulster, and is only twice found in Leinster,

Camross

Cam Ros

Crooked wood

Cappanarrow

Ceapach an Arbh

Plot of the corn land

Castleconnor

Caisleán Mhic Chonaire

McConors Castle

Clash

Clais

A trench or pool

Clonaslee

Cluain na Slighe

Meadow of the road

Roads in lreland were called variously, Slighe, Bealach, Bothar and Tochar. Those called Slighe, or bealach were usually large and important highways, fit to carry large bodies of traffic, while the bother was smaller. Tochar is applied to causeways or lanes, sometimes constructed of logs lashed together or paved ways across soft land. Indeed, the hill now more commonly known as Moll Joy’s Hill, was known as ‘the tochar’ up until the early 20^th Century.

Cloncully

Cluain Coille

Field of the wood

Given as Cluain Cullaig in early texts. It is also suggested that the name may be Cluain Caillighe, the nun’s field.

Clonin

Cluainin

Little meadow

Clontyglass

Gleann Glasa

Glen of the two streams

Clondeglass, near Lacka, appears on the Down Survey map as Glendaglas, which seems to point to Glenn Ghlais, but it could also mean Glenn dubh Ghlaise, glen of the dark stream. The same difficulty arises with the name now called Glenaglass, which might equally be Cluain dubh ghlaise or Gleann na glaise, (field of the dark stream, or glen of the stream, respectively)

Coolrain

Cúl Rúithín

Back of the little rath

Cuddagh

Codacha

Shares or divisions

Cummer

Comar

A confluence of rivers

The Derries

Na Doirínthe

Oakwoods

Derrycanton

Doire Cantoin

Canton’s oakwood

The name Canton comes from the family name of FitzAnthony in its lrish form of Mac Antoine.

Derrycarrow

Doire Garbh

Rough oakwood

Derrylahan

Doire Leathan

Broad oakwood

Derrynaseera

Doire na Saorach

Oakwood of the freeman

In ancient times the Irish were divided in the social scale according to rank, ranging from the king down to the slave population. There was an important group of persons belonging to the free class (soer), which included certain trades and craftsmen. The non-free (Doer) were not slaves, but rather filled the places of serfs in the medieval feudal system.

Garrafin

Garraí Fionn

Fair garden

Glenbarrow

Gleann Bearbha

Glen of the Barrow or silent river

Glenbower

Gleann Bodhar

Deaf glen

The use of the word bodhar – deaf, in local names is not easy to explain, but someone once suggested that if you speak loudly, as you must to a deaf person, you will get a reply (an echo).

Glencondra

Gleann Connra

Connra’s glen

Glendine

Gleann Doimhin

Deep glen

Glenkeen

Gleann Caoin

Pleasant glen

Glenkitt

Gleann Cair

Glen of the cat

Garranbawn

Gearrán Bán

White horse

Gorteenameale

Goirtin a Maol

Little field of the hornless cows

Gortlusky

Gort Loiscthe

Burnt field

Gortnalough

Gort na gCloch

Field of the stones

Inchanisky

Inse an Uisce

Water island

Keelogue

Caológ

Narrow strip of land or perhaps riverside field

Killanure

Coill an Iubhair

Church of the yew tree

Lacka

Leacach

A hillside or stony slope

Leix/Laois

Laoighis

The name Leix is the Anglicised form of Laoighis which is said to be derived from the name of the Ulster champion Laoiseach, great grandson of Conall Cearnach. To him was granted a fairly large territory which roughly comprised the present county area, secluding that portion now the Barony of Slieve Margy. Originally included in Laoighis was the tract of land between the Nore and the Slieve Bloom Mountains, which covers Kyle, Castletown, Camross and part of Borris-in-Ossory. There is a record of one Berach, King of Laoighis, making a grant to St. Molua for his church at Clonfert Molua, now called Kyle. But, in or about the tenth century, this part of the territory of Laoghis was annexed to Ossory to make up for the loss of Southern Ossory territory, owing to the incursions of the Déise of Waterford.

Genealogists trace the descent of the Laoighis men from the Ulidian (Ulster) hero Conall Cearnach, which means that the Laoighis men claim a separate origin from the people of Leinster in general.

Longford

Long Phort

Big fort

Monasop

Móin na Sop

Bog of the wisps

Monicknew

Móin lc Nuadh

McNoone’s bog

Mountrath

Móin Ratha

Fort in the bog

Offerlane

Tribe lands of the Foircheallain.

The tribe called the Foirchealáin were those who traced their descent from Foircheallach, son of Doborcan, who was eight in descent from one of the founders of the Kingdom of Ossory, Aengus Osrithe.

Ossory

In the Book of Leinster the explanation of this name is given as coming from Aengus Osrithe, (the Deer Found), because he is said to have been found among wild deer. He was the son of Crimthann. His mother was Cannait, daughter of MacDedad and sister of Curoi MacDaire.

There is an alternative explanation, of a libellous nature, probably invented by the Déise, which derives Ossory from Os Eirighe, (the pace or the speed of the deer, said to have been the way the Ossorians ran before the Déise).

Srahanboy

Srathan Buidhe

Yellow stream

Stooagh

Stuadh

Pointed or prominent hill

1. Neilstown	21. Marymount	41. Annagh	61. Glenaglass	81. Roundwood
2. Stooagh	22. Rosnaclonagh Outside	42. Coldmanscurragh	62. Northgrove	82. Glenbower
3. Garranbawn	23. Caher (Retrenched)	43. Coolrain	63. Dernamanagh	83. Clonincurragh
4. Gortlusky	24. Glendine	44. Shanderry	64. Derryduff	84. Danganroe
5. Glenconra	25. Glenamoon	45. Windsor	65. Butterisland	85. Brisha
6. Island	26. Derrycarrow	46. Derryarrow	66. Bordowin	86. Derrycon
7. Carrowreigh	27. Derrinduff	47. Gorteenamela	67. Inchanisky	87. Rosalee
8. Keeloge North	28. Rossnadough	48. Cardtown	68. Whitefield	88. Drim
9. Ballinrally	29. Camross	49. Knocknagad	69. Lacka	89. Shanavour
10. Cloncully	30. Monnagh	50. Garrafin	70. Rossnadown	90. Paddock
11. Toortaun	31. Rosnaclonagh Inside	51. Tinnakill	71. Bughorn	91. Deerpark
12. Glenkitt	32. Caher (Custodia)	52. Glebe	72. Clonin	92. Clash
13. Gortnagloch	33. Cummer	53. Derrynaseera	73. Ballyhorahan	93. Rushin
14. Derrylahan	34. Monelly	54. Coolnagour	74. Crannagh	94. Mountrath
15. Clonghil	35. Mounthall	55. Laurel Hill	75. Camphill	95. Derrycanton
16. The Derries	36. Cappanarrow	56. Baunreigh	76. Monicknew	96. Badgerhill
17. Glenall	37. Johnsborough	57. Castleconor	77. Bockagh	97. Anatrim
18. Shrahanboy	38. Ballina	58. Moher East	78. Mountainfarm	98. Drimhill/Quarryfarm
19. Aughduff	39. Kileen	59. Moher West	79. Drimmo	99. Larch Hill
20. Rosnacreenagh	40. Longford	60. Monasop	80. Killanure	100. Goss Brook
		101. Aghamore

Map of Camross