Spelling variations of the name

Hello Kerri,

The online IreAtlas, which is based on the 1861 edition of a book called the “General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland,” gives the spelling of this place as “Carrigdownane.” The townland is actually split between Carrigdownane Lower and Carrigdownane Upper. See the IreAtlas entry at: https://is.gd/QtFlzZ

The IreAtlas does not have an entry for a townland in County Cork that goes by the spelling of, Carrigdowning.”

You can also see Carrigdownane Lower and Carrigdownane Upper on an Ordnance Survey Map from the 1837 to 1841 time period by going to the GeoHive website link at: http://bit.ly/2JuKcmB

However, the 1837 edition of “Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland” has the spelling of the townland not only as Carrigdownane, but the alternate spelling of “Carrigdownig.” See: https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Carrigdownane-Fermoy-Cork.php

The Ireatlas does not have the alternate spelling of Carrigdownig.

Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

One common reason for variations in the Anglicized spelling of townland names is that the officials writing them down often did not understand Irish, and in some cases had difficulty hearing correctly what was being said when the names were spoken by Irish speakers (the Irish language has a number of sounds which don't exist in English, and are often misheard), or they based the Anglicized form on the Irish spelling, without understanding how to pronounce the Irish letter combinations.  The online atlas of Irish placenames (logainm.ie) does not give an accepted form for the Irish original of Carrigdownane, but it is likley that it was Carraig [an] Domhnaigh, meaning basically "Sunday Rock".  That might refer to what is known as a "mass rock", where mass was said in secret in penal times (but that's speculation on my part).  Depending on the dialect of Irish spoken in the area, Carrigdownig could be close to the Irish pronunciation.

Thanks very much to you both. Yes, I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that Carrigdownane could refer to the mass rock in penal times (could have been in Grove White), so there must be something to that.

Kind regards,

Kerri O'Keeffe

You're welcome Kerri.

Dave