Coill na Sián/Kilnashane “the wood of the fairy mounds”
Date: 20/11/2023
In contrast to the sióga/fairies of Clonnasheeoge/Cluain na Sióg "the pasture of the fairies"and Páirc na Sióg "the park of the fairies" in Wexford along with Ballynasheeoge/Baile na Sióg "the (town)land of the fairies" in Galway, which are rarely specifically mentioned in townland names, the related element sián (< síodhán) "(little) fairy mound" is actually quite common in townland names such as Kilnashane/Coill na Sián "the wood of the fairy mounds" in Laois (see logainm.ie: #27773). An Sián "the fairy mound" is the precursor to Shean in Waterford and Cork; Shean in Armagh an Fermanagh; Sheean in Kildare, Limerick, Westmeath, Roscommon and Carlow; Sheeaun in Clare and Galway; Sheehaun in Roscommon. It is also behind Sheeanmore/An Sián Mór "the big fairy mound"in Mayo and Sligo, a name which demonstrates that sián "(little) fairy mound" had lost its diminutive function. At the other end of the spectrum we have An Sián Beag "the little fairy mound", the forerunner to anglicised Shanbeg in Laois. On the other hand, Shean Beg/An Sián Beag "the fairy mound, little"and Shean More/An Sián Mór"the fairy mound, big", neighbouring townlandsin Waterford do not appear to refer to the size of different fairy mounds, but to subdivisions of what was originally a single townland called An Sián "the fairy mound". The anglicised name Golashane in Meath is very deceiving as it is actually made up of two separate names, Gabhla and An Sián "the fairy mound". Sián "fairy mound" is also found in many townland names such as Carrickateane/Carraig an tSiáin "the rock of the fairy mound" in Leitrim, in which sián occurs in the genitive case meaning "of the fairy mound". It is truly amazing that we can have so many townland names referring to the sián "fairy mound" and yet the native tradition of the sióga/fairies is now so poorly understood and perhaps even ridiculed in Ireland.