Labba, Labby; Leaba [labba], a bed, a grave.

Labbasheeda in Clare; Leaba-Sioda, Sioda’s or Sheedy’s labba, bed, or grave.

Labbamolaga; St. Molaga’s grave. See Templemolaga.

Lack; leac [lack], a stone, a flag stone.

Lacka; the side of a hill.

Lackabane, Lackabaun; white hill side.

Lackagh; a place full of stones or flags.

Lackamore; great hill side.

Lackan; the same as Lacka: a hill side.

Lackandarragh, Lackendarragh; the hill side of the oaks.

Lackareagh; grey hill side (riabhach).

Lackaroe; red hill side (ruadh).

Lackeen; a little rock or flag.

Lacken; the same as Lacka; a hill side.

Lag, Legg; a hollow; a hollow in a hill.

Lagan; a little hollow; sometimes it means a pillar stone (liagan). The river Lagan probably took its name from a little hollow on some part of its course.

Laghil, Laghile; Leamhchoill [Lavwhill], elm wood.

Laght; Leacht, a sepulchre or monument.

Laghy; a slough, a miry place.

Laharan; Leath-fhearann [Laharan], half land.

Lahard; Leath-ard, half height; a gentle hill.

Lahardan, Lahardane, Lahardaun; a gentle hill.

Lakyle; Leath-choill, half wood.

Lambay island near Dublin; the latter part is Danish: Lamb-ey, i.e. lamb island. Its ancient Irish name was Rechru or Reachra; and the adjacent parish on the mainland was called from it, Port-Reachrann [Portrahern], the port or landing place of Reachra, which in the course of ages, has been softened down to the present name, Portraine.

Laragh, Lauragh; Lathrach, the site of any thing.

Laraghbryan in Kildare; Bryan’s house site.

Largan; Leargan, the side or slope of a hill.

Largy; Leargaidh, same meaning as last.

Lame in Antrim; Latharna (Laharna: Book of R.), the district of Lathair [Laher], son of Hugony the great, monarch of Ireland before the Christian era. Until recently it was the name of a dstrict which extended northwards towards Glenarm; and the town was then called Inver-an-Laharna, the river mouth of (the territory of) Larne, from its situation at the mouth of the Ollarbha or Larne Water.

Latt; the same word as Laght.

Latteragh in Tipperary; Leah-acha [Leatraha], the plural of Leitir, a wet hill-side (see Letter). It is called in O’C.Cal., Letracha-Odhrain [Oran], Odhran’s wet hill-slopes, from the patron, St. Odhran, who died in the year 548.

Laughil; Leamhchoill [Lavwhill] elm wood.

Laune river at Killarney; Leamhain, F.M., elm; the elm-producing river.

Lavagh; Leamhach [Lavagh], a place producing elms.

Lavally; Leath-bhaile, half town or townland.

Lavey in Cavan; the same as Lavagh.

Leagh; Liath [Leea], grey; a grey place.

Leam; Leim, a leap.

Leamlara in Cork; the mare’s leap.

Leamnamoyle in Fermanagh; the leap of the mael or hornless cow.

Lear; the same as Lyre.

Lecale, barony of, in Down; Leth-Chathail [Lecahil], F.M., Cathal’s half. Cathal was a chief who flourished about the year 700, and in a division of territory, this district was assigned to him, and took his name.

Lecarrow; Leth-ceathramhadh [Lecarhoo], half quarter (of land).

Leck; the same as Lack.

Leckan, Leckaun; the same as Lackan.

Leckpatrick; Patrick’s flag-stone.

Leeg, Leek, Leeke; the same as Lack.

Legacurry, Legaghory; Lag-a-choire [curry], the hollow (lag) of the caldron or pit.

Legan, Legaun; the same as Lagan.

Legland; same as Leighlin.

Lehinch; Leith-innse, F.M., half island, i.e. a penin­sula.

Leighlin in Carlow; Leith-ghlionn [Leh-lin], F.M., half glen; from some peculiarity of formation in the little river bed.

Leighmoney; grey muine or shrubbery.

Leinster. In the third century before the Christian era, Labhradh Loingseach [Lavra Linshagh, Lavra the mariner], brought an army of Gauls from France to assist him in recovering the kingdom from his uncle, the usurper, Coffagh Cael Bra. These foreign soldiers used a kind of broad pointed spear, called laighen [layen]; and from this circumstance the province in which they settled, which had previously borne the name of Galian, was afterwards called Laighen, which is its present Irish name. The termination ster, which has been added to the names of three of the provinces, is the Scandinavian or Danish stadr, a place. Laighenster (the place or province of Laighen) would be pronounced Laynster, which is the very name given in a state paper of 1515, and which naturally settled into the present form, Leinster.

Leitrim, the name of more than 40 townlands and villages; Liath-dhruim [Lee-drum], F.M., grey drum or ridge.

Leixlip; a Danish name, meaning salmon leap (lax, a salmon), from the well-known cataract on the Liffey, still called Salmon leap, a little above the village. By Irish-Latin writers it is often called Saltus-salmonis (the leap of the salmon); and from this word saltus, a leap, the baronies of Salt in Kildare have taken their name.

Lemanaghan in King’s County; Liath-Manchain, F.M., St. Manchan’s grey land.

Lena, Leny; a wet meadow.

Lenamore; great wet meadow.

Lerrig in Kerry; a hill side. See Largan.

Letter; Leitir, a wet hill side.

Lettera, Letteragh, Lettery; wet hill-sides. See Latteragh.

Letterkenny; a shortened form of Letter-Cannanan, the O’Cannanans’ hill-slope. The O’Cannanans, or as they now call themselves, Cannons, were anciently chiefs or kings of Tirconnell, till they ultimately sank under the power of the O’Donnells.

Lettermacaward in Donegal; Leitir-Mic-a’-bhaird, the hill slope of Mac Ward, or the bard’s son.

Lettermore; great wet hill-side.

Lettermullan; Leitir-Meallain, F.M., Meallan’s hill-slope.

Levally; the same as Lavally.

Leyny. The descendants of Luigh or Lewy, the son of Cormac Gaileng (see Gallen), were called Luighne [Leyny: O’Dugan], and they gave name to the barony of Leyny in Sligo (ne, descendants).

Lick; the same as Lack and Leek.

Lickbla in Westmeath; shortened from Liag-Bladhma [Leeg-Blawma], F.M., the flag-stone of Bladh [Blaw], a man’s name. See Slieve Bloom.

Lickeen; little flag-stone.

Lickfinn in Tipperary; white flag-stone.

Lickmolassy in Galway; St. Molaise’s [Molasha’s] flag­stone.

Lickoran; the flag of the cold spring (uaran).

Limerick; corrupted from the Irish form Luimnech [Liminagh], F.M., by a change of n to r: the name signifies a bare spot of land, from lom, bare.

Lis, Liss; Lios, a circular earthen fort.

Lisalbanagh; the Albanagh’s or Scotchman’s fort.

Lisanisk, Lisanisky; the fort of the water (uisge).

Lisbane, Lisbaun; white lis or fort.

Lisbellaw; Lios-bel-atha, the lis of the ford-mouth.

Lisboy; yellow fort; probably from furze blossoms.

Liscannor in Clare; Canar’s fort.

Liscarroll in Cork; Cearbhall’s or Carroll’s fort.

Liscartan; the fort at the forge (ceardcha).

Lisdoonvarna in Clare; takes its name from a large fort on the right of the road as you go from Ballyvaughan to Ennistymyon. The proper name of this is Dun-bhearnach [Doonvarna], gapped fort (see Barna), from its shape; and the word Lis was added, somewhat in the same manner as “river” in the expression “the river Liffey:” Lisdoonvarna, i.e. the lis (of) Doon­varna.

Lisdowney in Kilkenny; Downey’s fort.

Lisduff, Lisdoo; Lios-dubh, black fort.

Lisheen; little lis or fort.

Lislea; Lios-liath [lee], grey fort.

Lislevane in Cork; Lios-leamhain, elm fort.

Lismore; great fort. Lismore in Waterford received its name from the lis or entrenchment built by St. Carthach [Caurhagh] round his religious establishment. It was previously called Magh-sciath [Maskee], the plain of the shield. See Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, p. 261.

Lismoyle; Lios-mael, bald or dilapidated fort.

Lismullin; the fort of the mill.

Lisnagat; Lios-na-gcat, the fort of the (wild) cats.

Llsnageeragh; the fort of the sheep (caera).

Lisnalee; the fort of the calves (laegh).

Lisnamuck; the lis or fort of the pigs.

Lisnaskea in Fermanagh; the fort of the sceach or whitethorn tree. It took its name from the celebrated Sceach-ghabhra [Skagowra], under which The Maguire used to be inaugurated.

Lisnisk, Lisnisky; the fort of the water.

Lissan, Lissane; little lis or fort.

Lissaniska, Lissanisky; the fort of the water.

Lissaphuca; the fort of the pooka or spright.

Lissard; high fort.

Listowel; Lios-Tuathail [Lis-Thoohil], Tuathal’s fort.    

Lissonuffy in Roscommon; Lios-O-nDubhthaigh [Lisōnuffy], F.M., the fort of the O’Duffys.

Lixnaw in Kerry; Lic-Snamha [Snawa], F.M., the flag-stone of the swimming (snamh). See Drumsna.

Loughill, Loughil; Leamhchoill [Lavwhill], elm wood.

Londonderry. Its most ancient name, according to all our authorities, was Doire-Chalgaich [Derry-Calgagh], the derry or oak wood of Calgach or Galgacus. In the tenth or eleventh century it began to be called Derry-Columcille, in honour of St. Columkille, who founded his monastery there in 546; and this name continued to the time of James I., whose charter, granted to a company of London merchants, imposed the name of Londonderry.

Longfield; in almost all cases a corruption of Leamh-choill [Lavwhill], elm wood.

Longford; Longphort [Longfort], a fortress. The town of Longford is called in the Annals Longford O’Farrell, from a castle of the O’Farrells, the ancient proprietors.

Loop Head in Clare; a Danish modification of Leap Head; Irish Leim-Chonchuillinn [Leam-Conhullin], F.M., Cuchullin’s leap. For legend see Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, p. 163.

Lorum in Carlow; Leamh-dhruim [Lavrum], elm ridge.

Lough; a lake; an inlet of the sea.

Loughan, Loughane, Loughaun; little lake.

Loughanreagh; grey little lake.

Loughbeg; little lake.

Lough Boderg; the lake of the red cow.

Lough Bofin; the lake of the white cow.

Loughbrickland; corrupted by changing r to l, and adding d, from Loch-Bricrenn, F.M., the lake of Bricriu, a chief of the first century.

Lough Conn in Mayo; Loch-Con, F.M., the lake of the hound.

Lough Corrib; the correct Irish name is Loch Orbsen. F.M., which was corrupted by the attraction of the c sound in Loch to Orbsen, and by the omission of the syllable ‘sen’. Orbsen was another name for Manannan Mac Lir, a celebrated legendary personage.

Loughcrew in Meath; Loch-craeibhe [creeve], the lake of the branchy tree.

Lough Derg on the Shannon; contracted from Loch-Dergdherc [Dergerk], the lake of the red eye, which is explained by a legend.

Lough Derravara in Westmeath; Loch-Dairbhreach [Darravara], F.M., the lake of the oaks. See Darraragh.

Lough Erne; the lake of the Ernai, a tribe of people.

Lough Finn; see Finn river.

Lough Guitane near Killarney; Loch-coiteáin [cut-thoaun], the lake of the little cot or boat.

Lough Melvin; corrupted from Loch-Meilghe [Melyě], the lake of Meilghe, an ancient king of Ireland.

Lough Neagh; written in the Book of Leinster Loch-nEchach [nehagh], the lake of Eochy [Ohy], a Munster chief, who was drowned in it at the time  of its eruption in the first century. The N is a mere grammatical inflection, and the name is often used without it; for instance, we find it spelled Lough Eaugh in Camden, as well as in many of the maps of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Lough Oughter in Cavan; Loch-uachtar, upper lake, i.e. upper as regards Lough Erne.

Loughrea in Galway; Loch-riabhach, grey lake.

Lug; a hollow; the same as Lag and Leg.

Lugduff mountain over Glendalough; black hollow, from a hollow at the base.

Luggelaw; the hollow of the lagh or hill.

Lugmore; great hollow.

Lugnaquillia, the highest mountain in Wicklow; Lug-na-gcoilleach [Lugnagulliagh], the hollow of the cocks, i.e. grouse.

Lumcloon; bare meadow (lom, bare). Lurgan; the shin; a long hill.

Lurganboy; yellow long hill.

Lurraga; the same as Lurgan.

Lusk in Dublin; Lusca, a cave.

Lusmagh in King’s County; the plain of herbs (lus, an herb).

Lynally. In the sixth century there was a forest here called the wood of Ela; and the church founded by St. Colman, about the year 590, was thence called Lann-Ealla (O’C.Cal.), the church of Ela, which has been anglicised to the present name.

Lynn; a form of Lann, a house or church.

Lyre; Ladhar [Lyre], a fork formed by rivers or glens. See Lear.