Refreshing. In a pack-in-all-in world, I like a simple, clean website that does just one thing and sticks to it. Irish-Place-Names.com is just such a site. One database, one search page, one purpose.
Irish Place Names is a database “based on the Index to the Townlands, and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland published in 1861 after the Census of Ireland carried out in 1851. This database lists all of the villages, towns and townlands that were enumerated, as well as the Barony, Civil Parish and Poor Law Union that each was located in.”
That’s it…well, almost.
The site does have a section, under ‘Meanings,’ to help the research decipher the meaning for many of the names listed in the database. Since many Irish or Gaelic names were written phonetically by the English, this glossary of Irish names is a nice add-on to the site.
Whether you have Irish ancestry or just want to see how one well-designed site can make a difference, head on over to Irish-Place-Names.com and have a look.
Thank you for posting about our website – http://www.Irish-Place-Names.com/. Other Irish websites provide the same or similar information. But we have aimed to be quicker and more intuitive.
We will be adding to the Meanings page, giving translations for the many towns and villages in Ireland. So check it out in the coming weeks.
Regards
Seoirse