Buaile translates as milking place and is found as part of a townland name in every county except Longford.

It is generally written in English as boola, booley, bolie or boley. It has also been corrupted in translation and may appear as bally or ballin. It features predominantly in the southern half of the country, south of a line from Tuam, Co Galway, to Dublin.

It is rarely found in the northern part of Ireland, except mostly through parts of east Mayo.

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The highest concentrations of buaile are to be found in west Clare, mid-Kilkenny and east Galway.

In terms of county aggregates, Galway leads the way with 32, followed by Cork with 30 and Clare with 25.

The low hills of west Clare may be described as the buaile heartland. In the district, 19 buaile townland names are found, indicating that, prior to the 18th century, these hills drew in farmers from the surrounding lowlands for the grazing of cattle for the summer months and were gradually settled over time.

These placenames give a glimpse into a forgotten medieval landscape: Knocknaboley, (Cnoc na Buaile – the hill of the milking place); Boolynaweel (Buaile na Maol – milking place of the maols or hornless cows); and Boolyneaska (Buaile Naosca – milking place of the snipes), this would have described marshy land only fit for snipes.

Some placenames may indicate the milking place site: Ballynahowen, Co Westmeath (Buaile na hAbhann – milking place of the river); Boleynasruhaun, Co Galway (Buaile na Srutháin – milking place of the stream); and Boolanlisheen, Co Limerick (Buaile an Lisín – milking place of the small fort).

The name sean (old) is commonly found in buaile placenames in the west of Ireland, examples include Shanboley, Co Galway (Sean Buaile – the old milking place); and Ardshanavooly, Co Kerry (Árd Sean Buaile – the high old milking place).

In the counties that were the focus of early Norman settlement, one also finds the use of the word old, but in the English language, Oldboley, Co Wexford and Old Boleys, Co Wicklow.

As with other placenames of human endeavour, some buaile placenames contain a family or personal name: Boolakennedy, Co Tipperary (Buaile Uí Chinnéide – Ó Cinnéide’s milking place); Boolypatrick, Co Cork (Buaile Pádraig – Patrick’s milking place); and Boltaconnell, Co Antrim (Buailte na gConall – milking places of the Connells).

Elsewhere, one finds some fascinating combinations: Ballinlea, Co Wicklow (Buaile an Lao –milking place of the calves); Boolananave, Co Kerry (perhaps Buaile na Naomh – milking place of the saints); and Ballynabrackey, Co Meath (Buaile na Bréamhaí – milking place of the wolf-plain).

Next time

Next time we will take a look at Corr (round hill). Examples include Corradrish, Co Mayo (Corr an Driseach – round hill of the brambles) and Corkeenach, Co Roscommon (Corr Caonach – round hill of the moss). CL