Date: 15/07/2024

Given that we are now in the last month of summer, as understood in the traditional Irish calendar, it is probably high time to mention some townland names that contain the word trá “strand, beach” in their underlying Irish name, as many of us will be hoping to spend some time at the seaside over the next while. In townland names where we have the structure na trá “ of the strand, beach” the generic element baile “town(land)” is most common, such as Baile na Trá “the town(land) of (at) the strand” which is the underlying Irish form of the two anglicized names of Ballynatra in County Cork (logainm.ie #8610; #9396). We also have Ballintra East and West/Baile na Trá Thoir/Thiar in County Cork (logainm.ie #12402; #12403), Ballynatray Demesne/Baile na Trá in County Waterford (logainm.ie #50671), and Ballytra/Baile na Trá in County Wexford (logainm.ie #54187. All of the townland names mentioned are situated on the Atlantic coast, except for Ballynatray Demesne in Waterford which is located shore-side near the mouth of the Blackwater River. In any case, should one wish to have a swim in the slightly warmer waters of the Irish sea, we have Ballinatray Lower and Upper/Baile na Trá Íochtarach/Uachtarach near Gorey in County Wexford (logainm.ie #52979; #52752). Due to the vagaries of historical townland subdivision, Ballinatray Upper isn’t actually on the coast, but its sister denomination, Ballinatray Lower, refers to the strand that is now commonly called Courtown Beach. (The village of Courtown is largely in the townland of Ballynatray Lower, while the townland of Courtown is situated slightly to the north).
Furzeditch, just north of well-known destination Brittas Bay in County Wicklow, sounds like a thorny place to lay your beach blanket, but the evidence for that English name demonstrates that the townland was earlier called ‘Ballynetra’ or ‘Ballintra’, forms which reflect derivation from Baile na Trá “town(land)” of the strand” (logainm.ie #55358). (A strand is clearly depicted in Furzeditch East on the Ordnance Survey Discovery Series map.) The English townland name Strandtown in southeast Belfast (County Down) has been translated as Baile na Trá, but it is notable that, like Ballynatray Upper in Wexford, it is no longer contiguous with the coast (logainm.ie #1413299; see also placenamesni.org s.n. Strandtown). Strandfield just outside Wexford Town is also of English origin, and has been translated as Gort na Trá “the field of the strand” (logainm.ie #54519), which is the Irish name from which derives anglicized Gortnatraw North (logainm.ie #15822) in County Donegal. Finally, should you have need for shade from the sun after a hot day on the beach, it certainly would have once been available at Derreenatra/ Doirín na Trá “the (oak-)grove, wood of (at) the strand” east of Skull/An Scoil “the school” in County Cork.

(Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich & Aindí Mac Giolla Chomhghaill)

• Baile na Trá/Ballynatra
• Baile na Trá/Ballynatra
• Baile na Trá Thoir/Ballintra East
• Baile na Trá Thiar/Ballintra West
• Gort na Trá/Gortnatraw North
• Baile na Trá/Ballynatray Demesne
• Baile na Trá Uachtarach/Ballinatray Upper
• Baile na Trá Íochtarach/Ballinatray Lower
• Baile an Tromáin/Ballytramon
• Baile na Trá/Ballytra
• Gort na Trá/Strandfield
• Baile na Trá Thoir/Furzeditch East
• Baile na Trá/Strandtown

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