blas.← Celtic Place-Name Explainer
Irish · Gaeilge
Baile Átha Cliath
/ˈbˠalʲə ˈaːhə ˈclʲiə/
Anglicised as Dublin
Place-name meaning, origin and pronunciation
“town of the hurdled ford” — a settlement at a ford crossed by a causeway of hurdles.
Broken down
Baile
baile
↓
town, settlement
Common townland prefix across Ireland (anglicised “Bally-”).
Átha
áth (gen.)
↓
of the ford
A shallow river crossing; here on the Liffey.
Cliath
cliath
↓
of hurdles
Woven wooden hurdles laid to make the ford passable.
Nearby & related:
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