Garrán an Cheoil/Garranachole “the grove of the music”
Date: 16/10/2023
With the world famous Wexford Festival Opera beginning in the final week of October, it pleasing to note that music also plays its part in Ireland's toponymy. In Cork we have anglicised Garranachole, which is from Garrán an Cheoil "the grove of the music" (see logainm.ie: #35072) while in Mayo we have Musicfield, which is translation from original Gort an Cheoil "the field of the music". The hill called Knockaceol in Limerick derives its name from Cnoc an Cheoil "the hill of the music", and in Cork we find the odd translation Mountmusic from Cnoc Amhráin "(the) hill of (the) song". Somewhat coincidently, on the island of Cruit/An Chruit "the harp" in Donegal we find Tobernanoran which is from Tobar na nAmhrán "the well of the songs". However, for two weeks at least at the end of October we can also understand Wexford to be Tobar na nAmhrán "the well of the songs".