Irish-Language

Dinnseanchas agus seanhfocal - An Irish place-name and a proverb

Pic by Kenneth Allen 
Pic by Kenneth Allen  Pic by Kenneth Allen 

DINNSEANCHAS

Draperstown – Baile na Croise – townland of the cross

Draperstown originally referred to the town of Moneymore, a village founded by the Drapers’ Company of London in the seventeenth century. The present Draperstown was not founded until 1798 and was also known as The Cross of Ballynascreen, Ballynascreen being the name of the parish. The CoI church sits north of the crossroads and is dedicated to Saint Columba. The medieval parish church at Moneyconey (Móin an Chongna ‘bog of the antler’) was also dedicated to Saint Columba, Colum Cille in Irish. In early records, the local church is named Scrín Choluim Cille ‘the shrine of St Columba’; it is from this name that Ballynascreen (Baile na Scríne ‘townland of the shrine’) derives. 

 Place-Name Project, Queen’s University (@placenamesni)

SEANFHOCAL

Is minic a bhí duine ina dhroch-chomhairleoir dó féin agus ina chomhairleoir maith do dhuine eile.Often has someone given themselves bad advice and others good advice.Hands up anyone amongst you dear readers who hasn’t made an awful decision at least once in your life?There isn’t a human being alive who hasn’t made a horlicks of something or another. Buying a car that always breaks down, having that “one for the road”, marrying the wrong man, supporting Manchester United, etc. However, we are all experts when it comes to telling others what career paths to follow or where to go on holiday, or the right way to make boxty, maybe because we have the experience to know all about life’s pros and cons because of the mistakes we’ve made.