02/10/2026
This week's article in The Sligo Champion with an alternative view on the name for Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird/The Devil's Chimney.
Lost in Translation - the Placenames of Sligo
One of the great follies of English rule in Ireland was the effort made to erase our native placenames. The anglicization of the names of townlands and villages led to, in many cases, the phonetical translation of places that had drawn their names in Irish from an oak tree or a headland and giving them unintelligible names. Over the centuries it has led to confusion, not least for visitors, who have to grapple with placenames being signposted in both English and Irish, sometimes with a variety of spellings (e.g. Enniscrone/Inishcrone).
Here in Sligo, in recent times there has been an ongoing discussion about Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird, a beautiful walk in the Glencar Valley that leads to Ireland's tallest waterfall, and whether this should be known purely by its Irish name, or by the more recently titled Devil's Chimney, or simply by Sruth, as it's called by some local people. This is a conversation that we will avoid here while the debate continues, but it does bring into focus the broader etymology of Sligo and where the names of some of our walking trails originated.
So, by way of example, let's head west to Easky, or Iascaigh in Irish, which draws on the area's fishing traditions. This west Sligo village is located in the Barony of Tireragh - TÃr Fhiachrach, the land of Fiachra, named in honour of one of the great O'Dowd clansmen who ruled here in the late 16th century. There's a lovely coastal walk here, through the village and past the castle to the surf area. Further along the road is Aughris - or Ceann Eachrois, the headland of the horse-promontory. As you take in the coastal walk here, you'll pass a sign where an old promontory fort was located, looking out to sea towards Inishmurray (Inis MuirÃgh - island of 7th century Bishop Muiredach.) This is a beautiful 5km looped walk that is as historical as it is scenic.
In the south east of the county is Carrowkeel - an Cheathrú Chaol or the narrow quarter, where the oldest passage tombs in the country can be found. Looking across towards Keshcorran - Céis Chorainn, the marvellous Carrowkeel.com website tells us how it was named:
"In Irish mythology, the name directly connects to Corann, the legendary harper of Diancecht (the god of healing) from the mythical pre-Celtic race known as the Tuatha Dé Danann. According to the Dindshenchas (a collection of lore tracking the origins of Irish place names), a massive, enchanted sow named Cael Ceis was rampaging through the country. A hunting party pursued her, but they could not capture her until Corann played his magical, golden-toned harp. The soothing music lulled the beast to sleep, allowing the warriors to slay her. Legend states that the sow's massive body petrified and became the hill itself (Céis Chorainn roughly translating to "The Sow of Corann" or "Corann's Crag")."
Beneath the mountain are the Caves of Keash - Uaimheanna na Céise, a series of 17 caves that legend tells us were the birthplace of Cormac Mac Airt, high king of Ireland.
In the north of the county, we have An Mullach Mór (Mullaghmore, a large mound or ridge), nearby is Reachla (Raughley, rocky isle) and An tSrithideach (Streedagh, place abounding in gushes of milk).
Discovering where places derived their names is a bit of a rabbit hole, but for those that are interested, logainm.ie is a great resource as is Woodmartin's history of Sligo, which has been reprinted and traces the history of the county since the early 17th century. And apologies to the experts for any errors or inaccuracies on placenames here. If you want to highlight the origins of the name of your local walk or area - feel free to get in touch at [email protected] or on social media.
Note: In reference to the current discussions on Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird referenced above, we would like to thank the anonymous reader who sent us an OS Map from 1912 which shows the English name of the place as Sruhanayanard - whether anyone would be happy with this as a compromise in the current debate, is, as they say - sin scéal eile.
