Local Dialect
Castlehaven and Myross was considered a Gaeltacht in 1926 and while there are no longer monoglot speakers in our area, it might still be considered a Breac-Ghaeltacht as many words from Irish are still in everyday use around the parish. Examples include
A Chroí: My dear (term of endearment)
A Chuid: My dear (term of endearment)
A Ghile: My bright one (term of endearment)
A Leanna: My child (term of endearment - from leanbh)
A Thiarcais: My goodness (also described as a "minced oath")
A Thiarna Saor Sinn: Lord Save Us
Aghaidh Fidil: A mask (might be worn by wren boys etc)
Ainnis: Miserable, mean, wretched
Ainniseoir: A moaner
Aiteann: Furze
Aiteann Geadhealach: Type of furze that grows in tufts
Amadán: A fool - He was a right amadán
Aniar Aduaidh - Unexpected, to be caught unaware (he came aniar aduaidh on me)
Ar Cosa in Airde - At a gallop (he went off in cosa in airde)
Bacach: Lame person, poor person, beggar
Bainne Caoin: Spurge (type of wildflower) - also know locally as Bainne Buí
Bairneach: Limpet
Banbh: A young pig, bonham
Bastún: Bit thick, lout
Bata: Stick
Beál Bocht: Poor mouth, always complaining of poverty
Bean an Tí: The woman of the house
Bean Sí: Banshee
Beart: Bunch - A beart of sticks
Biorbach: Lively (He had two biorbach eyes)
Bocán (also Bacán): Leg of a spade
Bodach: Clown - He was an ignorant bodach
Bodóg: A worthless cow (person),
Bodhaire Uí Laoire: Selective deafness
Bóithrín: Lane
Botún (also Butún): An unlucky deed / Misfortune
Breall: Fool / Blunderer
Bróg: Shoes
Brosna: Armful of wood - He had a brosna of sticks
Brus: Dust, something broken - He made brus out of it / There was bread brus around the table
Buachalán Buidhe: Yellow ragweed, ragwort
Buarán: Dried cow-dung - Used for cooking on a bastible in the old days
Bundún - Exertion (You put out your bundún - you over-exerted yourself)
Cabhlach: Ruined house
Cabóg: Lout, greenhorn, clown - He was a right cabóg
Caid: Football
Cailleach: An old women, witch, hag
Caillichín: Stick, cane
Cáiréiseach: Fine, elegan (he is very cairéiseach about himself)
Caiseal: Lios / Stone fort
Caisearbhán - Dandelion (very good for chickens)
Camán: Hurley
Caipín: Cap
Caoineadh: Lamenting, mourning
Caorán - Small sod of turf - a caorán of turf
Capaill Bhána: Crested Waves (White Horses) - sign of windy weather
Ciaróg: Beetle (also said locally to describe a cute person but cannot find mention in dictionaries)
Ciotóg: Left-handed person
Cipín: A little stick, twig
Ciseán: A wicker basket - a ciseán of brogues
Clab: Mouth - Shut your clab
Clabtha: Clout / Blow - He got a clout
Clais:: Furrow between two potato beds, hollow, valley
Cliamhain Isteach: A man who married into his wife's farm
Cnáimhseáil: To complain, grumble - He is always cnáimhseáiling
Cnoc: Hill
Cnuasach: Act of gathering food, sea-shells etc / Making the best of what you have
Cogar mogar: Whispering, rumours, underhand work - There was cogar mogar between them
Coileán: Pup - He is a young coileán
Coir-mhíol - Midge
Copóg - Dock-leaf (used for treating nettle stings)
Creachán: Small potato
Creathán: Small potato (used for feeding hens)
Créatúr: A person to be pitied
Créatúr bocht: You poor thing
Croidhelacán - What is left after good part of seed potato cut,
Cuas: A coastal cove (also cuaisín)
Cuibheasach: Fairly well - Táim go cuibheasach
Cúilín: Back garden
Cuisle: Term of endearment
Cumar: Wooded area on a slope, ravine
Cúrsach: Given to travelling or wandering - used locally to describe somebody who attends lots of funerals
Dhera: Yerra (expressing disbelief)
Dia Linn: God Bless us (used after somebody sneezes)
Doirnín: Handle for a scythe
Dreolín: Wren
Dríodar - Left-over liquid in the bottom of a barrel or bucket
Dúchas - Heredity/heritage
Dúidín: Old (smoking) pipe
Dul amú: Going astray / mad
Dúlamán (Dubh-lomán): Edible seaweed
Earc Luachra: Newt, lizard
Éirí in airde - uppity (he was full of éirí in airde)
Fear Cordaí: Trickster
Féasóg: Small beard
Fionnán: White withered wild grass used for bedding for animals
Flaithiúlach: Generous
Flúirseach: Plenty, generous
Fuadar - Rush/hurry (there was a fierce fuadar under him)
Fuarchúis: Coolness /Apathy - Exclamation used when something alarming happens
Fuist: Whisht! Hush!
Fústar: Hurry, rush, fussiness - He was in an awful fústar
Fútráil: Messing about, dithering, fidgetting - He was fútráíling
Gabháil: Fist-full, hand-full - A gabháil of hay
Gabhairín Reodhtha: Jack Snipe (type of bird)
Gabhlóg: Fork - The gabhlóg in a tree
Gailsach: Ear-wig
Gaimbín: Moneylender, Used to describe a fool though. Shortened to "gaim"
Gaisce: Brave feats
Gaiscíoch: Boastful person, hero
Garsún: Young boy
Gearrcach: Nestling, unfledged bird, infant
Giobal - Old rag for cleaning
Gioblach - Raggedy, tattered clothing
Glafaire - Nosiy babbler, can't keep a secret. Also glafarnaig (plural)
Gligín: A shallow type, rattle-brained individual - He's only a gligín
Glugar: A dud hatching egg (dead)
Gob: Mouth - Shut your gob
Grá: Love - I had no grá for it
Grafán: Tool for grubbing or cutting furze
Grástúil: Graceful
Gúna: Dress
Im Bhriathar (Sounds like Abírse): Upon my word
In Ainm an Diabhail: In the name of the devil
Lá Idir Dhá Shíon: A Pet Day which is a day between two bad days
Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí: The Days of the Brindled Cow (Period of last days of March and first three days of April when weather is very unpredictable and may kill off the old cow that has survived the winter)
Lámh Láidir: A strong hand
Leaca: Side of a hill, slope
Leacán: Soft, slatey rock / Small flagstone, slab
Leadhb: Untidy person
Leadránach: Monotonous, boring - He is very leadránach
Léasadh: Act of beating - He got a good léasing - Might also derive from lascadh (whipping / beating)
Leath Tiachóg (Latchico): A Fool (Leath is half and Tiachóg is a bag or satchel)
Liobarnach - Messy/Untidy
Lios: Fort (some still exist in the parish)
Luachair: Rushes
Lúbán: In a twist / know. Used locally to decribe somebody who has drank too much
Madra Gaoithe: A light over the horizon portending a storm
Madra Uisce: Otter
Maith go leor: Good enough / tipsy - He was maith go leor (full of drink)
Maol: Bald / Hornless - A maol cow
Mar dhea: Pretending
Meas: Opinion, estimation (she had great meas on his cooking)
Meascán Mearaí: Disorietated (can't get out)
Méirscre - Sore, cracked skin on the hand from cold or dryness
Meitheal: A number of neighbours gathering to halp with farmwork
Mí-ádh: Bad luck - What mí-ádh was on you
Mile Murdal (Murdar) - Horror of horrors
Mo Léir: Alas / Woe is me
Muc: Pig
Muise: Well, indeed - also pronounced as Whisha
Mullachán (Mullacker): Strongly-built boy - Often used as rough / unskilled in relation to football or hurling (he's a mullacker)
Óinseach: A female fool, giddy woman
Olagón: To lament, wail
Padhsán: Delicate person
Páircín: Small field, paddock - The páircín at the back of the house
Pilibín: Plover, lapwing
Piseog: A superstition
Plámás: To flatter somebody
Pleidhce: Messer / Caffler
Pleidhcíocht: Having fun / craic
Pocán: Young male goat
Póg: Kiss
Póirse: Laneway
Poitín: Illegal spirit - made in stills
Póirseáil: Rummaging (he was póirseáiling for something)
Praiseach: Mess
Praiseach Bhuí - Charlock - Yellow weed found on old weak ground - it thrives when the ground is disturbed
Préachán: Crow - He had a voce like a preachán
Rabha (Rabh): Sunken reef, dangerous sea-rock
Raiméis: Nonsense - He was raiméising after too much whiskey
Raithneach: Fern
Rath: Lios, fort
Reidhse: Plenty
Roilleach: Oyster-Catcher (type of bird)
Salach: Dirty
Saothar - Out-of-breath (there was a saothar on him after running)
Sasanach: An Englishman
Scairbhín na gCuach: Rough Weather of the Cukoo (period from 15th April to 15th May when weather is unsettled - Scairbhín na gCuach garbh é 'gus fuar
Sceach: Thorny bush
Sceallán / Sciollán: Seed (small) potato
Scoraidheacht: Visiting neighbouring houses for chats, cards and tea
Seagadh: Black diver / Shag / Cormorant
Seanchaí: Storyteller
Searbhas: Bitterness - He was very searbhased over it
Síbín: Shebeen - unlicenced location that sells alcohol
Sidhe Gaoithe: A sudden gust of wind, circular wind - He went like a sidhe gaoithe up the road, also linked to the fairies
Síle na bPortach: Heron or "Sheila of the Bog"
Sionnachuighim (Shenanigans): To play the fox - He was up to some shenanigans
Slab: Soft-fleshed person - he was an awful slob
Slachtmhar: Neat, tidy - He had a slachtmhar garden or farmyard (pronounced locally as slachtar)
Slighbhín: Slieveen. Chancer/Trickster
Sliothar: Hurling ball
Slog: A gulp of liquid - She took a slug of tea
Smacht: Discipline, control
Smidirín: A small fragment - He made smidiríní of the window
Snámhaire - Not trustworthy (He was a proper snámhaire)
Snas: Polish, finish - There was some snas on it!
Sop - Small bundle - He had a sop of hay
Spailpín: Labourer, worthless fellow - Going around like a spailpín
Speánach: Broken small bits of timber for the fire, (he made spéanach of it) / Stump left after a hill of furze was burnt
Spraoi - Having fun/Going on the batter (drinking) (Going on the spraoi)
Stór: Term of endearment
Straoille - Untidy
Súgán: Rope made of straw,
Súlach: Liquid manure
Súmaire: Scrounger
Tadhg an Dá Thaobh - Someone who agrees with both sides, two-faced
Tae: Tea
Taoibhín: Leather patch for shoes,
Taoscán: Share of anything, something that is fairly full - A taoscán of whiskey
Táthaire: A miserable, lazy fellow
Táthfhéithleann: Honeysuckle (as tough as táthfhéithleanns)
Teaspach: Exhuberance - Don't be so taspy
Toithínneach: Dolphins / Porpoises
Tráithnín: A blade of grass - It wasn't worth a tráithnín - Could also refer to a thin/small person
Tré na chéile (Tré na cheile): Mixed up
Tuilleadh: Overflow, flood - When milk was sold loose you would get a tuile for the cat
Uisce Faoi Thalamh: Murky goings-on / Intrigue / Underhand business
The following words were given to us but have not yet been confirmed:
Borcú: A doctored animal
Bualach: Cow dung (Maybe Bualtach)
Caffling: Messing, load in the stomach
Cailp: Unconscious (He fell in a cailp on the ground),
Dúrachtais: Sweet treats
Failithín: Handle with flat piece of timber at the bottom used for closing drills after setting spuds / deformed legs
Gowl: Fool
Gamalóg: Eejit
Graisadáin: Dock leaf
Mascallacht: Halloween festival
Mathológ: Person with wild long hair (maybe mothallach)
Oblach: Junk food
Pangur: Basket for furze
Píceán: Periwinkle
Píceán Chapall: Whelk
Píceán Mór: Whelk
Poerce Laoghaire: Fungus in the feet of cattle
Sailitheach: Sally bush
Scráb: To scrab apples
Scut: Blackguard (Sciot?)
Scif: Flat basket made of twigs to carry mangolds and swedes,
Sciolach: Broken into pieces (He fell off his bike and made scoalach of it)
Siochohán: Person who is always sick
Síogán: For storing grain, furze on the ground to keep out rats
Stalcadh: Stomach upset, load in the stomach
Tuplais: Upset the apple cart
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