Step Two: Placename Evidence

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Placenames Database Cornaveigh

One of the key features of any map are the placenames written on it.

The Placenames Database of Ireland, developed by Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge (DCU) and The Placenames Branch of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is a truly marvellous website that has information on every official placename in Ireland – featuring townlands, parishes, streets, mountains, rivers and more. You can browse the website in Irish or English.

You can search for a placename or else pan and zoom on the map and use a function to identify all placenames around a chosen point. The page for each placename gives an Irish translation and in some cases an audio file with the correct pronunciation. There are even records which show every historical reference to the placename. You can use the website’s extensive glossary to help understand the meaning of placenames.