BELLAGHY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TUESDAY 14th, JANUARY 2014
Dr. GREG TONER: LOCAL-PLACE NAMES
This was a particularly interesting talk on the origin of place-names, with special
references to local-place names. Dr. Toner of Queenʼs University, Belfast, gave an indepth
analysis of local place-names.
He published a book as part of the Place-Names of Northern Ireland Project, 1996-Volume
V, County Derry 1: The Moyola Valley.
Generally, places are named according to their position within the landscape/local
topography; after family names; in Gaelic and with Anglicised versions.
Dr. Toner started with the Baroney of Loughinsholin; parishes within that Baroney and then
towns, villages, townlands, fields, etc.
There was an input from the audience in regard to very local place-names.