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Meaning of Irish Placenames Trivia Quiz

Common Prefixes of Irish Places

If you look at a map of Irish places, you will see many starting with the same prefix. Many of these are in English, but come from Irish words which have meanings relating to the place. Match the prefix with its meaning.

A matching quiz by Flukey. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Flukey

Time
3 mins

Type
Match Quiz

Quiz #
414,260

Updated
Feb 16 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
50

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Last 3 plays: Brooklyn1447 (0/10), Chavs (10/10), Guest 72 (0/10).

(a) Drag-and-drop from the right to the left, or (b) click on a right side answer box and then on a left side box to move it.

Questions		Choices
1. Irish: Cnoc / English: Knock		Church
2. Irish: D�n / English: Dun		Rock
3. In Irish: Cill / English: Kil or Kill		Ridge
4. In Irish: Doire / English: Derry		Beach
5. Irish: Cluan / English: Clon		Hill
6. Irish: Carraig / English: Carrick		High
7. Irish: Baile / English: Bally		Fort
8. Irish: �rd / English: Ard		An oak wood
9. Irish: Tr� / English: Tra		Meadow
10. Irish: Drom / English: Drum		A town or place

Select each answer

1. Irish: Cnoc / English: Knock

2. Irish: D�n / English: Dun

3. In Irish: Cill / English: Kil or Kill

4. In Irish: Doire / English: Derry

5. Irish: Cluan / English: Clon

6. Irish: Carraig / English: Carrick

7. Irish: Baile / English: Bally

8. Irish: �rd / English: Ard

9. Irish: Tr� / English: Tra

10. Irish: Drom / English: Drum

Most Recent Scores

Apr 15 2024 : Brooklyn1447: 0/10
Apr 08 2024 : Chavs: 10/10
Apr 06 2024 : Guest 72: 0/10
Apr 01 2024 : psnz: 10/10
Mar 29 2024 : GoodwinPD: 10/10
Mar 24 2024 : jazh2: 8/10
Mar 17 2024 : drwinsac: 10/10
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Feb 28 2024 : Guest 188: 1/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Irish: Cnoc / English: Knock

Answer: Hill

Ireland has many hills. A lot of places are built on these. Knock in county Mayo is a famous example, where Our Lady is said to have appeared to some locals on the 21st of August 1879. Other examples include Knocklyon, Knocknagoshel and Knocktopher.

2. Irish: D�n / English: Dun

Answer: Fort

Examples include D�n Laoghaire - the Fort of Leary. Many fortresses are found around the coast of Ireland and some inland.

3. In Irish: Cill / English: Kil or Kill

Answer: Church

Examples include Names beginning with "Kil" or "Kill" are very common in Ireland, as many towns were built around churches. Kill, Kilcock, Kildare, Kilkenny, Killarney are some of the examples

4. In Irish: Doire / English: Derry

Answer: An oak wood

At one time Ireland had a very large amount of forests and these contributed to the names of places. The city and county of Derry are the best examples. The county of Derry is sometimes known as the Oak Leaf County and their Gaelic football and hurling teams use the oak leaf as a symbol on their jerseys.

5. Irish: Cluan / English: Clon

Answer: Meadow

Nature contributes to the naming of many Irish places. Meadows and fields gave their names to many places. Examples include Clonard, Clonfert, Clonaslee and many others.

6. Irish: Carraig / English: Carrick

Answer: Rock

Some of Ireland is very rugged and rocky, resulting in a lot of places being built near such places. Carrick-on-Shannon and Carrick-on-Suir, noting the rivers they are built on, are two good examples.

7. Irish: Baile / English: Bally

Answer: A town or place

One of the most common prefixes in Irish names is "Bally" coming from "town" or "place". Each of these can be though of as the town/place of someone or the town/place of something. Ballymun, Ballyclare, Ballyjamesduff, Ballygar and Ballyleix are amongst the large amount of examples.

8. Irish: �rd / English: Ard

Answer: High

Ireland is hilly in places, meaning that some places are built on hills or high places. The prefix "Ard" has become part of the names of these places. Ardboe, Ardrahan, Ardee and Ardfert are examples.

9. Irish: Tr� / English: Tra

Answer: Beach

As Ireland is an island, it has many beaches. Lots of towns are built on or near the coast. Tramore and Tralee are examples of such places.

10. Irish: Drom / English: Drum

Answer: Ridge

A common geographical feature in Ireland are ridges. Many places are built near ridges and the names of places reflect that. Drumcondra, Drumshanbo and Drumlish are examples.

Source: Author Flukey

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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