The Townlands of Kilkee

There are twenty two townlands in the Catholic parish of Kilkee, formerly known as Kilfearagh. These unique placenames are used on a daily basis.

Townlands are the smallest administrative land divisions in use in Ireland. They have identified local areas for hundreds of years. The first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps was completed c. 1842. This provided the anglicised forms of c. 62,000 townlands in use today. There are 2,323 townlands in Co Clare. Spellings and possible meanings vary.

The following is a bilingual list of the parish townlands, in alphabetical order, with local definitions of the placenames:

Baunmore/Banmore – An Bán Mór – the great field

Corbally – Corrbhaile – uneven ground

Doonaghboy/Ballyonan – This townland is unusual in having two names or maybe two distinct parts of one name.
Doonaghboy/Doonabuy – Dúnach Buí– the yellow fort
Ballyonan – Baile Uí Onáin – Honan’s home or town referring to a Bishop Honan of Scattery

Dough –Dumhach – sandhill, dune

Emlagh – Eimleach/Imlioch – a place bordering on a lough, a marsh

Farrihy – Fairche/Fairge – the sea

Foohagh – An Fhuathach/Fothach – a wilderness

Garraun – An Garrán – gorse covered land

Kildeema/Kildimo – Cill Díomadh – church of Deema

Kilfearagh/Kilferagh – Cill Fhiarach/Fiachra – church of Fiarach/Fiachra

Kilkee Lower– Cill Chaoi Íochtar – Church of Kee

Kilkee Upper – Cill Chaoi Uachtar – Church of Kee

Kilnagalliagh – Cill na gCailleach, church of the nuns, associated with St Senan

Knockroe – An Cnoc Rua – the red hill

Leaheen – Leathín – the little half