HeyRuaIrish county names: the questions people ask
What are the 32 counties of Ireland in Irish?
Nine in Ulster, twelve in Leinster, six in Munster and five in Connacht. Tap any name to see it on the map.
Cúige Uladh Ulster
Cúige Laighean Leinster
Cúige Mumhan Munster
Cúige Chonnacht Connacht
How do you say “I am from Cork” in Irish?
Is as Corcaigh mé. Originally from Cork: Is as Corcaigh ó dhúchas mé. The same shape works for every county: Is as Gaillimh mé, Is as Baile Átha Cliath mé. With “an” in the name it eclipses: Is as an gClár mé, Is as an gCabhán mé.
How do you say “I live in Dublin” in Irish?
Tá cónaí orm i mBaile Átha Cliath. After i the first letter is eclipsed: i gCorcaigh, i nGaillimh, i bPort Láirge. Before a vowel it is in: in Aontroim. With “an”: sa Chlár, sa Mhí, san Iarmhí.
How do you say “County Cork” in Irish?
Contae Chorcaí. In a sentence: Tá mé i mo chónaí i gContae Chorcaí, I live in County Cork. The county name changes after Contae because it is “the county of Cork”; it changes the same way after muintir: muintir Chorcaí, the people of Cork.
Why is it Contae Chorcaí and not Contae Corcaigh?
Because Contae Chorcaí means “the county of Cork”, and Irish shows “of” by changing the name (the genitive). Usually that is an h after the first letter: Contae Chiarraí, Contae Chill Dara. Some names change their ending too: Chorcaí, Shligigh, Luimnigh. Names with “an” keep it or turn it into na: Contae an Chláir, Contae na Gaillimhe, Contae na Mí.
What are the four provinces of Ireland in Irish?
Cúige Uladh (Ulster), Cúige Laighean (Leinster), Cúige Mumhan (Munster) and Cúige Chonnacht (Connacht). Cúige means a fifth: there were once five, the fifth being Mide.
How do you say “the people of Galway” in Irish?
muintir na Gaillimhe. muintir takes the same form as Contae: muintir Chorcaí, muintir Chiarraí, muintir an Chláir, muintir Bhaile Átha Cliath.
All 32 counties in Irish, in one table
Ulster (Cúige Uladh)
| County | Irish | County … | in … | from … | the people of … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | Aontroim | Contae Aontroma | in Aontroim | as Aontroim | muintir Aontroma |
| Armagh | Ard Mhacha | Contae Ard Mhacha | in Ard Mhacha | as Ard Mhacha | muintir Ard Mhacha |
| Cavan | An Cabhán | Contae an Chabháin | sa Chabhán | as an gCabhán | muintir an Chabháin |
| Derry | Doire | Contae Dhoire | i nDoire | as Doire | muintir Dhoire |
| Donegal | Dún na nGall | Contae Dhún na nGall | i nDún na nGall | as Dún na nGall | muintir Dhún na nGall |
| Down | An Dún | Contae an Dúin | sa Dún | as an Dún | muintir an Dúin |
| Fermanagh | Fear Manach | Contae Fhear Manach | i bhFear Manach | as Fear Manach | muintir Fhear Manach |
| Monaghan | Muineachán | Contae Mhuineacháin | i Muineachán | as Muineachán | muintir Mhuineacháin |
| Tyrone | Tír Eoghain | Contae Thír Eoghain | i dTír Eoghain | as Tír Eoghain | muintir Thír Eoghain |
Leinster (Cúige Laighean)
| County | Irish | County … | in … | from … | the people of … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | Ceatharlach | Contae Cheatharlach | i gCeatharlach | as Ceatharlach | muintir Cheatharlach |
| Dublin | Baile Átha Cliath | Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath | i mBaile Átha Cliath | as Baile Átha Cliath | muintir Bhaile Átha Cliath |
| Kildare | Cill Dara | Contae Chill Dara | i gCill Dara | as Cill Dara | muintir Chill Dara |
| Kilkenny | Cill Chainnigh | Contae Chill Chainnigh | i gCill Chainnigh | as Cill Chainnigh | muintir Chill Chainnigh |
| Laois | Laois | Contae Laoise | i Laois | as Laois | muintir Laoise |
| Longford | An Longfort | Contae an Longfoirt | sa Longfort | as an Longfort | muintir an Longfoirt |
| Louth | Lú | Contae Lú | i Lú | as Lú | muintir Lú |
| Meath | An Mhí | Contae na Mí | sa Mhí | as an Mí | muintir na Mí |
| Offaly | Uíbh Fhailí | Contae Uíbh Fhailí | in Uíbh Fhailí | as Uíbh Fhailí | muintir Uíbh Fhailí |
| Westmeath | An Iarmhí | Contae na hIarmhí | san Iarmhí | as an Iarmhí | muintir na hIarmhí |
| Wexford | Loch Garman | Contae Loch Garman | i Loch Garman | as Loch Garman | muintir Loch Garman |
| Wicklow | Cill Mhantáin | Contae Chill Mhantáin | i gCill Mhantáin | as Cill Mhantáin | muintir Chill Mhantáin |
Munster (Cúige Mumhan)
| County | Irish | County … | in … | from … | the people of … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clare | An Clár | Contae an Chláir | sa Chlár | as an gClár | muintir an Chláir |
| Cork | Corcaigh | Contae Chorcaí | i gCorcaigh | as Corcaigh | muintir Chorcaí |
| Kerry | Ciarraí | Contae Chiarraí | i gCiarraí | as Ciarraí | muintir Chiarraí |
| Limerick | Luimneach | Contae Luimnigh | i Luimneach | as Luimneach | muintir Luimnigh |
| Tipperary | Tiobraid Árann | Contae Thiobraid Árann | i dTiobraid Árann | as Tiobraid Árann | muintir Thiobraid Árann |
| Waterford | Port Láirge | Contae Phort Láirge | i bPort Láirge | as Port Láirge | muintir Phort Láirge |
Connacht (Cúige Chonnacht)
| County | Irish | County … | in … | from … | the people of … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galway | Gaillimh | Contae na Gaillimhe | i nGaillimh | as Gaillimh | muintir na Gaillimhe |
| Leitrim | Liatroim | Contae Liatroma | i Liatroim | as Liatroim | muintir Liatroma |
| Mayo | Maigh Eo | Contae Mhaigh Eo | i Maigh Eo | as Maigh Eo | muintir Mhaigh Eo |
| Roscommon | Ros Comáin | Contae Ros Comáin | i Ros Comáin | as Ros Comáin | muintir Ros Comáin |
| Sligo | Sligeach | Contae Shligigh | i Sligeach | as Sligeach | muintir Shligigh |