Library Forum

I am hoping there may be a lister who knows a little about these two terms, which are used in the Downs Survey maps to label a part of the Parish of Killinaboy. The location on the survey map appears to coincide with what seems to line up with the townlands of Commons Nth and Commons Sth in the Griffiths maps. Can anyone shed any light on the meaning of the two terms?

regards, Kerry

Hi Kerry

The Irish word for "common" is "coitian" (noun). Nowadays the word "common" is usually used as as an adjective and that's "coitianta".

The older Irish spelling (Dineen's dictionary) is "coitcheann". "Ceann" means "head", so I think "coitcheann" must mean "all heads equally", or something like that. The "h" in the middle of an Irish word signifies the softening, or even silencing, of the previous consonant, so, even at the time of Petty, the word would have been pronounced "cotteen".

That's my shot at it.

Sheila

Thanks Shelia, you are indeed spot on with your interpretation. Michael MacMahon (local historian and author) has just replied to an email I sent him. He has confirmed that the Commons Nth and Sth formed an earlier part of the Killinaboy Termon land.

Thank you to both replies.

Kerry