Placenames Database of Ireland

2024-08-25

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Na hArda/Ards

townland

countyAn Longfort/Longford

baronyMaigh Dumha/Moydow

civil parishCill Dachomóg/Kilcommock

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More orchards, more apple-trees and native folk etymologies.
Avalbane/Abhaill Bhán “the white apple-tree (i.e. orchard)”
(see logainm.ie #40526)

Date: 22/08/2024

Continuing on the theme discussed last week, not only do we find the fruit úll “apple” mentioned in townland names, but we also have even more specific references to the etymologically-related abha(i)ll, literally meaning “apple-tree” but often representing “orchard”, especially in the north. Thus there is Avalbane/Abhaill Bhán “the white apple-tree (i.e. orchard)”(logainm.ie #40526 and Avalreagh/Abhaill Riabhach “the grey apple-tree (i.e. orchard)” #40527) in County Monaghan, along with Owlbeg/Abhaill Bheag “little apple-tree”(logainm.ie #3186) in County Carlow. In County Wexford, we find both Shanowle/Seanabhaill “old apple-tree” (logainm.ie #53423 and of course Theoil/An Abhaill “the apple-tree” #52402) at the village of Oilgate/Maolán na nGabhar.
In the aforementioned examples abhaill occurs as the primary generic element, as sometimes happens with other tree-names. However, it is found even more often as a genitive plural qualifier, as in Cloonoul/Cluain Abhall “pasture of (the) apple-trees”(logainm.ie #32032) in County Limerick and Corrowle/Corr Abhall “round hill(?), hollow(?) of (the) apple-tree” (logainm.ie #45839) in County Tipperary. The same Corr Abhall is the forerunner to Corrool (logainm.ie #32586) in County Longford, and in County Mayo it occurs again, this time with the article, in Cornanool/Corr na nAbhall “the round hill of the apple-trees” (logainm.ie #35737). In County Laois we have Coolnanowle/Cúil an nAbhall “the recess of the apple-trees” (logainm.ie #28819), and in County Leitrim, Killasanowl/Coill Lios na nAbhall “the wood of (at) the ring-fort of the apple-trees” (logainm.ie #29251). This last name reminds us of Applefort/Cnoc na nÚll “the hill of the apples” in County Clare (see last week’s theme), insofar as it is another probable instance of the repurposing of an abandoned ring-fort as an enclosed orchard. In the same vein we have Lisheenanoul/Lisín na nAbhall “the (little) fort of the apple-trees”(logainm.ie #29251) in County Tipperary.

In County Mayo we have woods full of apples in Derryool/Doire Abhall (x2), Derrowel Beg and More/Doire Abhall Beag and Mór “wood, (oak-)grove of the apple-trees (Little/Big)”, as well as Inishowel/Inis Abhall “island of the apple-trees” (logainm.ie #36352; #36635; #35511; #36395) . In County Wicklow two seperate examples of the Irish placename Achadh Abhall “field of (the) apple-trees” give name to the subdivided townland Aghowle Lower, ~ Upper in the east of the county (logainm.ie #55317;#55318) and another Aghowle Lower, ~ Upper near County Carlow (logainm.ie #55786; #55787). The second example, also the name of an ancient parish (logainm.ie #2665), was frequently mentioned in early Irish sources. Witness the delight of John O’Donovan of the Ordnance Survey when he heard the local Irish pronunciation in 1839 (‘now pronounced by the old men who speak Irish Ach abhall (Agh-oul)’) and realized he had finally located this famous place: ‘I have been on the look out for this Achadh Abhall these eight years, and had despaired of ever being able to find it’ (Ordnance Survey Letters (Wicklow) 121–132). What a wonderful example of the care taken by the toponomists of the Ordnance Survey in their research of the placenames now found on their maps! Indeed, this very much belies the image of their methods portrayed in Brian Friel’s famous play Translations.
In County Cavan we have fields full of apples in the townland name Gartnanoul/Gort na nAbhall, an open compound meaning “the field of the apple-trees” (logainm.ie #5066) (the English spelling reflecting the common pronunciation of Irish gort in that county: see ‘Gartnenowle’ (1652)). However, by far the most common combination of abhaill “apple-tree” with gort “field” in placenames is abhallort, a close compound of abhaill (var. abhall) + gort “field”, meaning “orchard”. In Modern Irish, the spelling has been standardized úllord outside of placenames. In its more common realization An tAbhallort, it features as the Irish precursor to the most English-looking of placenames Aldworth(logainm.ie #11871) in County Cork, along with the two examples of Oulart in Wexford (logainm.ie #52250; #52975). Other examples in County Wexford are Oulartard/An tAbhallort Ard “the high orchard”, Oulartwick/Abhallort Bhoic “Buck’s orchard”, Oulartleigh/An tAbhallort Liath “the grey orchard”, and Ballinoulart/Baile an Abhalloirt “the town(land) of the orchard” (logainm.ie #52717; #52513; #52190; #52926). Baile an Abhalloirt is also the forerunner to anglicized Ballynahoulort in Kerry (logainm.ie #24791) and Ballinowlart in Offaly (logainm.ie #41621). Knockanoulort/Cnoc an Abhalloirt “the hill of the orchard” is another County Kerry townland name referring to apples (logainm.ie #23201).
The English name Orchard in the parish of Nurney in County Carlow is particularly well-attested, but there is no evidence that this represents original Irish An tAbhallort(logainm.ie #3428). On the other hand, a second example in the same county, Orchard near Clonegal, is beyond a shadow of a doubt a half-translation of An tAbhallort Fiáin “the wild orchard” (logainm.ie #3134): we find that name explicitly described in the rental book of the Earl of Kildare as ‘The wilde orcharde alias the Owllorde fyan’ (1518) and later elsewhere as ‘Owlordfyan’ (1604). Similarly, Orchard Lower and Orchard Upper in County Laois are translations of An tAbhallort (logainm.ie #27986), while Neworchard/An tAbhallort Nua in County Kilkenny was recorded locally as ‘ollúirt’ [representing modern Abhallort] by the Irish scholars of the Ordnance Survey in 1840 (logainm.ie #26923). Longorchard in County Tipperary is also a translation of Irish An tAllortort Fada, as is clear from the anglicized reference ‘Oulortfadda’, recorded in the 1650s (logainm.ie #47269). And finally, although research has not been completed on townland names in the part of County Donegal that lies outside of the Gaeltacht, it appears Avaltygort may represent an exceptional variant of the same compound word, perhaps best represented by An tAbhallghort in Irish (logainm.ie #16387).
There are only a few uncertain examples of placenames which might contain a gaelicized version of the Anglo-Norman surname Orchard (see Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland s.v. [Orchard](There are only a few uncertain examples of placenames which might contain a gaelicized version of the Anglo-Norman surname Orchard (see Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland s.v. Orchard). In County Tipperary, Baile an Abhallortaigh “the town(land) of An tAbhallortach” (logainm.ie #48407) — in which An tAbhallortach means “person surnamed Orchard” — might well be a reinterpretation of earlier Baile na hAbhalloirte “the town(land) of the orchard”, containing the feminine variant of the common noun: cf. ‘Nawelort’ (1384). (Compare also the local pronunciation ‘Baile na habhluirt’ recorded in 1841 for the County Kerry placename Ballynahoulort/Baile an Abhalloirt mentioned above.) And despite the superficial appearance of the English forms of implying ‘[surname] + ’s + town’, it is more likely that the historical placename ‘Orchardiston’ (1518), ‘Orchardston…’ (1575) in County Laois also represents the common noun Eng. orchard rather than the surname Eng. Orchard: see ‘Ballenowlert’ (1569), ‘Orchardston, alias Ballinnoulard’ (1575). The evidence is discussed in the note under the townland name Ballybrittas/Baile Briotáis (#28286).
While research has not been completed on all of the townland names of the State — there are still almost 20,000 left to go —the southern bias of these placenames is unavoidably clear. It would seem that County Armagh’s reputation as ‘The Orchard County’ had no little competition during Ireland’s Gaelic period! Fergus Kelly has noted how common the wild apple is as a native tree in Ireland, remarking that is was available as a food-source since man’s first arrival here (Early Irish Farming, p. 259; see Early Irish Farming). Indeed, early Irish native law upheld strict rules concerning the value of apple-trees and fines for the destruction of the various varieties, even according to the status of the owner. Notably, the aball (Mod.Ir. abhaill) was categorized in the Old Irish law text Bretha Comaithchesa among the ‘Airig Fedo’ (Mod.Ir. Aireacha Feá) “nobles of the wood”, which was the most important category of trees (see Early Irish Farming, pp. 260, 380). Perhaps it was the ubiquity — and the nobility — of the apple-tree which prompted a late 16th century Irish scribe to reinterpret the opaque placename Cúil Mhic Conamhal “the corner, nook of the son of Conamhail” (#28633) in County Laois (which modern research would indicate contains a rare Leinster personal name) as ‘Cuilic an Abhall’ and ‘Culic an Abhaill' (1595, 1608).
Little wonder, then, that úll “apple” and abha(i)ll “apple-tree” should feature in so many townland names down to our own times.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

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