Irish-Language

Dinnseanchas agus Seanfhocail - a place-name and a proverb

DINNSEANCHAS

Banbridge - Droichead na Banna - the bridge over the river Bann’Ancient river names are often linked to women with mythological associations in early Ireland. Bóann, the goddess of water, fertility, inspiration and knowledge, is connected to the Boyne (An Bhóinn ‘the cow-white one’) which traditionally divided Ulster from Leinster. County Louth, and particularly the northern part, was considered to be in Ulster down until the beginning of the seventeenth century. The River Bann derives from the Irish An Bhanna ‘the goddess’ and the River Bandon in Cork is thought to be of similar origin. The first bridge in Banbridge was built in 1712. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was known to native Irish speakers in Omeath and Monaghan as Droichead na Banna ‘bridge of/over the river Bann’. For more information, go to The Place-Name Project, Queen’s University (@placenamesni)

SEANFHOCAL

Ní hualach do dhuine an léannLearning is no burden.Verily, some people carry their learning very lightly indeed. Most of the most intelligent people I know make no effort to show off, not just the knowledge they have but the wisdom they have garnered through a lifetime of reading and studying.On the other hand, you have Boris Johnson scatter-gunning Latin phrases and quotes from the classics to give the plebs the impression that he is highly intelligent. There is also a lack of respect for what is called “book learning” but it is one of the Bluffer’s great regrets that he didn’t read more when he was growing up. He’s trying to make up for it, though.