Goirtín na Samhna/Gurteennasowna “the (little) field of Halloween”
Date: 30/10/2023
With the month of November on us, Mí na Samhna "the month of Halloween" in Irish, it’s interesting to note the placename Gurteennasowna/Goirtín na Samhna "the (little) field of Halloween" in Cork (see logainm.ie: #9912). A note on this placename written by the toponymist John O’Donovan during the course of the Ordnance Survey in 1841 states ‘Some sports carried on here on Saman’s day [Halloween]’. Although O’Donovan was not actually in Cork during the survey, the note clearly reflects a tradition of sports and meetings at Samhain/Halloween. Similarly, in reference to Knocknasawna/Cnoc na Samhna "the hill of Halloween" in Leitrim, which O’Donovan had actually visited, he noted "hill of all-hollowtide -- meeting or sports here at the season".