Talk:Rossnowlagh

Meaning and Translation of Ros Neamhlach

Soinbhe: The inaccurate translation heavenly cove dates to Father Simon OFM's booklet about the Rossnowlagh Friary that dates back to the 1960s. For example, Ross is the Irish word for headland, not cove.

Correct. Ros is Irish for headland so the correct translation of Ros Neamhlach as bearla is Heavenly Headland. The text has therefore been changed to reflect this. Many in the locality and in Donegal incorrectly translate it as heavenly cove. Note also that neamhlach is not a direct translation of heavenly.

Soinbhe: Joyce's more scholarly Irish Place Names translates Rossnowlagh as Headland of the Apple Trees, a name evident in the many old orchards still in evidence close to farmyards in Rossnowlagh where the mildness of the winters long ago, as today, allowed apples to grow well.

Neamhlach clearly does not mean apple trees or indeed orchards, so in this instance, Joyce's publication would seem to be incorrect. However, the older name for Rossnowlagh, such as used in 1853 by TCD, is Rossinaulagh, and Ros Neamhlach is claimed elsewhere to be a lingual corruption of 'Ros an Abhla'. Abhla does not have a well-known meaning. Nevertheless, overall Heavenly Headland is the most widely accepted academic translation of Ros Neamhlach.

194.46.161.80 (talk) 12:04, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Parish

Hi Brenont. The area colloquially known as Rossnowlagh covers 2 parishs, Drumholm and Kilbarron, so stating it is in Drumholm parish is incorrect. Additionally, there is no need to mention anything about a religious-defined boundary such as a parish, as this is not done for other areas such as Ballyshannon, Bundoran, nor is it done for the vast majority of towns in Ireland from Kiltimagh to Wexford.

194.46.167.23 (talk) 10:32, 2 May 2008 (UTC)