U

Ulster; ancient Irish form Uladh [ulla], which with ster added (see Leinster), was pronounced Ulla-ster, and contracted to Ulster.

Ummera, Ummery, Umry; Iomaire [Ummera], a ridge.

Ummeracam, Umrycam; Iomaire-cam, crooked ridge.

Ummetafree; the ridge of the heath (fraech).

Unshinagh, Inshinagh; Uinseannach, a place producing ash trees (uinnse and fuinnse).

Uragh; Iubhrach [yuragh], yew land.

Urbal; a tail; from shape or position.

Urbalreagh in Antrim, Donegal, and Tyrone; grey tail.

Urbalshinny in Donegal; the fox’s tail (sionnach), from some peculiarity of shape or perhaps from having been a resort of foxes.

Urcher; Urchur; a cast or throw. See Ardnurcher.

Uregare in Limerick; Iubhar-ghearr [yure-yar], short yew tree.

Urney, Urny; Urnaidhe [Urny], an oratory. See Nurney.

Urlar, Urlaur; a floor, a level place.

 

V

Valentia Island in Kerry; so called by the Spaniards. Ancient and present Irish name, Dairbhre [Darrery], a place producing oaks. See Kildorrery.

Vartry river in Wicklow; a corruption of the old tribe-name Fir-tire [Firteera], the men of the territory (tir).

Ventry in Kerry; got its name from a beautiful white-strand, called in Irish Fionn-traigh [Fintra], white-strand.

 

W

Wateresk; upper channel (eisc). See Kilwatermoy.

Waterford; a Danish name; old form Vadrefiord, the latter part of which is the northern word fiord, a sea inlet. Old Irish name Port-Lairge or Portlargy. See Strangford and Carlingford.

Watergrasshill in Cork; a translation of the Irish name. Cnocán-na-biolraighe [Knockaun-na-billery], the little hill of the water-cresses.

Wexford; a Danish name; old form Weisford, which is said to mean west fiord or bay; old Irish name, Carman.

Wicklow; a Danish name; old forms of the name, Wkyynglo, Wygyngelo, Wykinlo. Old Irish name Kilmantan, the church of St. Mantan, one of St. Patrick’s disciples. This saint, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise and other authorities, had his front teeth knocked out by a blow of a stone, from one of the barbarians who opposed St. Patrick’s landing in Wicklow; hence he was called Mantan, or the toothless.

Windgap, Windygap; a translation of Bearna-na-gaeitha [Barnanageehy], the gap of the wind.

Witter in Down; Uachdar, upper. See Wateresk and Eighter.

Wood of O near Tullamore in King’s County; the Irish name is Eóchaill, yew-wood, the same as Youghal: modern name an attempted translation:-Wood of O, i.e. the wood of the eó or yew.

 

Y

Yellow Batter, and Green Batter, near Drogheda; batter here means a road. See Booterstown and Batterstown.

Yewer near Killeshandra in Cavan; an anglicised form of Iubhar [yure], the yew tree. See Newry.

Youghal in Cork. A yew wood grew anciently on the hill slope now occupied by the town, and even yet some of the old yews remain; hence it was called Fochaill [Oghill], F.M., i.e. yew wood. See Oghill and Aughall.