DINNSEANCHAS
Galliagh - Baile na gCailleach - townland of the nuns
Galliagh in Derry city is located in the townland of Ballynagalliagh (and is a shortened form of that name).
It derives from the Irish Baile na gCailleach ‘townland of the nuns’.
No trace of the nunnery remains but it formed part of the broader ecclesiastical landscape of the city as the townland is located in the parish of Templemore (Irish Teampall Mór ‘great church’).
Templemore was the city’s first cathedral; built in 1164, it was said to be in ruins by 1600. St Columb’s, the new Anglican cathedral completed in 1633, preserves a small square stone tablet from Templemore in its porch. The site of Templemore was close to that of Long Tower church, also dedicated to Saint Columba.
An Tionscadal Logainmneacha/The Place-Name Project, QUB (Twitter: @placenamesni)
SEANFHOCAL
Ní fhaigheann lámh iata ach dorn dúnta.A closed hand gets only a clenched fist.The idea behind this proverb is that hostility only begets hostility.It’s said you should never have an argument when you’re angry as the anger tends to get in the way of finding an equitable solution.Starting a “let’s get this problem sorted” conversation with a pair of clenched fists is going to head due south in no time at all. The idea behind the handshake is to show someone you don’t have a dagger in it, so open hands are a sign that you can be trusted and have no malign intentions.Having said that, with Covid-19 seriously curtailing the hand shake, people are taking to fist bumpin’ or bro fistin’ like they’re Straight Outta Compton!
