Placenames of Howth

Never Forgotten

elephant.jpg (49467 bytes)Howth people have long memories and many prominent families can trace their origins back to Scandinavian or Norman ancestors. They say that you can always tell a Danish name in Howth if there is a ‘d’ in the last syllable: Harford, Rickard, Thunder, and Waldron. On the other hand the early Norman names had the ‘de’ as a prefix; de Cornwall, de Corr, de Lawrence, de Sutton and, of course, the old Gaelic names had an O or a Mac; O’Moore, O’Brien, McLoughlin. Many of the Norman and Gaelic names lost their prefix due to Anglicisation and only reappeared in recent times. Because most of these families can trace back so far, they can remember when place names were different and local people insist on using old names for places, though they may no longer be the official ones.

The *“Brandy Banks” *recall the days of illicit smuggling near the Nose of Howth and many Howth families call it by its Danish name “The Naze”. Where several of the old footpaths crossed on the East Mountain local families called the area *“Castina” *meaning “footpaths” but the new arrivals insist on pronouncing the name of a nearby estate “Cazanz” as if the word was Spanish. Similarly, “Cowbooter Lane” is called the *“Rocky Road” *or *“Blackberry Lane”, and Lismore is referred to as ‘Paddy Priest’s Wood’. *The plantations of Howth Estates are referred to as the *‘Planks”. *Church Road in Sutton is remembered by its old name *“Saxe Lane” *and Kitestown Road in Howth is called *“Bakers Lane”, *and Boggeen Lane called “The Boreen”.

Recently, Hut Lane was changed to “Upper Cliff Road” but I have no doubt that in true Howth tradition local people will call it *‘Hut Lane” *for many years to come. No true Howthman would call Harbour Road, “The Promenade”, to them it shall always be known as *“The Waterfront”, *and New Road near the Summit is still called “Soldiers’Row’.

Originally, every field and ditch had its own name and if you listen to local folk describing a journey, you could walk from “Slaters to Hawk Hill, past Darkies and Firerock to Old Arnold’s Cottage”, and unless you knew the area pretty well you could be hopelessly lost, although crowds enjoy this walk every weekend.

St. Fintan’s Road is always referred to as the “Dell Road”. Some roads have different names from different ends, i.e. Balkill Road is the upper end of Balglass Road. Dun Crimthann is spelt Dungriffin on one end and Dunfriffan on the other. Occasionally, one is directed past the Golfers Hotel or the Strand Hotel at the Cross, which is now known as the Marine Hotel in Sutton. The old townland of Studwalls has recently re-emerged as a house name in the area whereas names such as Medaxton and Pollardstown appear to have lost all trace, while the “Burrow” in Sutton is now rarely called the “Warren”.

The advent of the tram brought in its wake many new names like Spion Kop Hill and Kruger’s Cutting, names associated with the Boer War which was in progress when the line was being built.

During the great Dublin Exhibition of 1907 a model of a Somalie Village built on stilts to keep snakes away was displayed, and the houses built around that time on the steep hill opposite Bellingham Estate became known as “Somalie Village” because they were so high above the ground. As creditors could not find their debtors in the Old Council Estate above the Village of Howth because the houses and family names were so similar, the area was christened “The Puzzle”.

The Haggard has long since disappeared but has conferred its name on some delightful cottages on its site. When the new estate at Grace O’Malley, called after Grainne Uaile, the pirate queen, was built during the height of the Korean War the locals christened it “Korea”. In later years when Balkill Estate was under construction during the Vietnam War the estate became known to many townspeople as “Vietnam”. So when a Howth man tells you that he travelled from Somalie to Korea by way of Vietnam and Krugers Cutting all in one day, the accomplishment is not as tremendous as you might at first think!

Family members were nicknamed according to their appearance or manner and long established family nicknames survive from generation to generation. You will hear of “Black Corr”, “Darkie Rourke”, “Snowie McLoughlin”, “Cursing O’Connor” etc. and there were lots of “Nicky Harfords”. Your next question would be was it Senior or Junior, just to be sure which generation you were talking about. After all, Howth memories are very long indeed.

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