To be sure, in terms of bizarre place names, Ireland can’t match its British neighbor across the water: It’s hard to compete with, say, Butt Hole Road, Crapstone, Ugley, East Breast, and Penistone.
But nevertheless, as this list shows, Ireland does at least have a few wacky place names that are guaranteed to raise a few chuckles.
1. Muckanaghederdauhaulia, Co. Galway - the longest place name in Ireland. It’s a small village in the Connemara Gaeltacht between Camus and Carraroe, in County Galway. In Irish, this is Muiceanach idir Dhá Sháile – which literally means “pig-shaped hill between two seas”. It is also thought to be the longest name for a port in the world. The second longest place name in Ireland is Newtownmountkennedy in County Wicklow, at 19 letters.
2. Newtwopothouse, Mallow, Co.Cork - this is a small village 6 km outside of the Mallow, the Cork town. It's famous for growing the best grass in Ireland.
3. Muff, Co. Donegal - the source of endless crude jokes, especially since the installation of a diving board in this small seaside town. Apparently, the name derives from a mispronunciation of the Irish 'Magh', meaning plain.
4. Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford - a small seaside town in Co. Wexford, just south of another rather morbidly named town, called Gorey.
5. Nobber, Co .Meath - derives from the Irish word “an obair," which means “the work.”
6. Hospital, Co. Limerick - acquired its name from the Knights Hospitaller, a Christian organization in the time of the Crusades. Ironically, the town doesn’t have any medical facilities.
7. Kilbrittain, Co. Cork - you would think that it might be political correct to change this name now that the conflict in Northern Ireland over, but the locals refuse to budge.
8. Cockhill Road, Stamullen, Co. Meath - there are a number of ‘cocks’ in Irish place names: Shercok, a town in Co. Cavan, and Kilcock in Co. Kildare, which is about 40 km of the Dublin suburb, Ballsbridge.
9. Kill, Co. Kildare - perhaps one of the more violently named place names in Ireland, along with Swords and Stoneybatter, both in Dublin.
Honorable mentions:
Trim, Co. Meath (which rather surprisingly has the highest rates of obesity in the country)
Clones, Co. Monaghan
Tang, Co. Westmeath
Tempo, Co. Fermanagh
Inch, Co. Cork
Camp, Co. Kerry
Ovens, Co. Cork
Most unpronounceable:
A tie between Graiguenamanagh and Kilmacanogue
5 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Keynyata | Feb 23, 2013, 10:01 AM EST
A man at a urinal noticed the guy next to him had NY tatooed on his mickey...and asked what it meant. "Oh,"said the gent-!when he grow it say New York." Tatoo guy then glances down at the asker only to see NY tatooed on his as well."I see you've had the same put on yours?" "Not really,mine reaches to Newtownmountkennedy!"
Keynyata | Feb 23, 2013, 09:54 AM EST
There is a diving club in Muff and I recently joined... and Ovens in Cork once had a crematorium application rejected by the planners.
tdker | Aug 04, 2010, 06:51 PM EDT
Right up there with 3 towns in Amish country in Pennsylvania: Blue Balls, Bird-in-Hand, and Intercourse, Pennsylvania
FastEddy | Feb 08, 2010, 01:45 PM EST
1) Spelling correction please. 2) Cool, man! 3&6) Great place for a dive shop? ... "There once was a nurse in Limerick ..." ...
Dermo2inVA | Feb 08, 2010, 01:39 PM EST
There is nothing strange about the place names. You foolishly state that the towns with Kill in their names should be changed because of "the troubles" . Killbrittain,Killkenny,Kildare, etc. Yes, there are lots of towns with Kill in their name. What you neglected to inform your readers is that "Kill" is the forced anglisization of the Gaelic "Cill" which means Church. So Church of Britain is hardly offensive to any right minded person. Do some research you amadan, is mise le meas, Slan Anois.