X-Nico

unusual facts about Norse-Gaelic



2013 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

British newspaper The Guardian in its editorial section, hailed the 'ancient Irish' game of hurling as a beacon of sporting courage and commitment, Hopefully the Gaelic Athletic Association will do all sports fans everywhere a massive favour and produce DVD copies of this memorable game, where Clare emerged victorious.

Aaby, Aarhus

Its name derives from the Old Norse for "village on a river" (Old Norse á, river, and býr, village) and is identical in meaning with Aby in Lincolnshire in England.

Balderton

The name Balderton has obscure roots but may have been derived from Balder or Baldur – the Norse god of innocence, beauty, joy, purity, and peace and Odin's second son eventually killed by his blind brother in an accident involving Loki the god of mischief and fire.

Battle of the Isle of Man

The Battle of the Isle of Man was a battle fought in 1158 between the Norse Gofraidh mac Amhlaibh (Godred II), King of Mann and the Isles and Celtic Somhairle MacGillebride (Somerled), King of Cinn Tìre (Kintyre), Argyll and Lorne, on the Isle of Man.

Billy Whelan

The campaign to have the bridge renamed was initiated and organised by members of the Cabra, GAA club, Naomh Fionbarra (gaelic spelling) (St. Finbarr's) and sanctioned by Dublin City Council in early 2006.

Black Boneens

The term Boneen is Newfoundland Gaelic dialect for a young pig (derived from Dineen > Erse Gaelic).

Clan McCorquodale

The surname McCorquodale is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Thorcadail (or MacCorcadail), meaning "son of Torcadal".

Clan Moffat

The surname Moffat/Moffatt is a habitational name of Gaelic origin, derived from Moffat in Dumfriesshire.

CLG Oisín

Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis played Gaelic football at underage level with OisíOisínn CLG.

CnaG

Comunn na Gàidhlig ("The Gaelic language Society") - an organisation which seeks to promote Scottish Gaelic language and culture

Corranierna

On the 1609 Ulster Plantation map it is named ‘Claghan’ (Gaelic ‘Clochán’ meaning a small beehive-shaped stone house), but by the Down Survey of 1655 it was merged into Mullaghduff townland where the combined townland was called ‘Mullaghduffe alias Cloghane alias Cornerin’.

Corry

Eoghan Corry (b. 1961) Irish columnist, travel writer, author of sports history, and founding story-editor of the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland.

Croke

Croke Park, Gaelic Athletic Association Stadium in Dublin, Ireland

Cynthia Neville

Neville's primary research interests are the social, political and cultural history of medieval Scotland, 1000-1500, specifically legal history, Gaelic-Norman interactions and Gaelic lordship.

Derick Thomson

He is the author of numerous books including An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry, The Companion to Gaelic Poetry, European Poetry in Gaelic, and collections of Gaelic poetry, including his collected poems Creachadh na Clàrsaich (Plundering of the Harp/clarsach) which shared the Scottish Book of the Year Award in 1983.

Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna

Ronald Black, An Tuil: Anthology of 20th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse, Polygon Press, 1999.

Duncan Macrae

Donnchadh MacRath aka Duncan MacRae of Inverinate (died between 1693 and 1704), Gaelic poet and compiler

Falkenbach

Most, if not all of the lyrics in Old Norse are actually taken from heathen literature: for example, the chorus lines in the song "Donar’s Oak" are actually verses four and five of Grímnismál, a poem of the Elder Edda.

Fogwatt

Also Fywatt (Old form Fi-wid) from Norse, Scandinavian word meaning 'A wood in which there might have been a church or a cell'

Hilltown, County Down

Clonduff GAC (Chluain Daimh CLG) is the local Gaelic Club in the area.

Jason Todd Ipson

A Norse Mythology enthusiast, he named his two children Odin and Thor after Norse gods as well as his film production company Asgaard Entertainment.

Jesse Sheidlower

Sheidlower received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Chicago and did graduate work at Cambridge University in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic.

John Lanigan

In 1808 he assisted Edward O'Reilly, William Halliday, and Father Paul O'Brien in founding the Gaelic Society of Dublin, the initial effort to save the Irish language.

Jonas Harrow

However, the Hood soon returned, with new powers granted by the Norse Norn Stones, and blows Harrow's head off with a single magically-charged bullet.

Loreto College, Coleraine

Barry McGoldrick and Sean Leo McGoldrick (brothers) - Current Derry Gaelic footballers

McAtee

The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac an tSaoi, meaning "son of the scholar" or "son of the wise man".

Na h-Òganaich

Margaret has continued to sing professionally with accordionist Billy Anderson, while Donnie in the 1980s became a popular TV performer and presenter with the children's Gaelic TV programme Dotaman on BBC Scotland.

Norsca

It is analogous in position within the "Old World" to Scandinavia and its human occupants, the "Norse", are a fantasy version of the Norse peoples (including the vikings).

Norse-American Centennial

Colonel Heg, a Norwegian immigrant, served as brigade commander 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War.

North Ludlow Beamish

After quitting Hanover Beamish devoted much attention to Norse antiquities, and in 1841 published a summary of the researches of Professor Carl Christian Rafn, relative to the discovery of America by the Northmen in the tenth century.

North Middlesex, Ontario

Ailsa Craig was named by the Craig family after a namesake island in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and the word is derived from the Gaelic, Aillse Creag, or Creag Ealasaid, meaning "Elizabeth's rock".

O'Rorke

Barry O'Rorke (born 1989), Irish Gaelic football and hurling player

Óengus II

The inclusion of Pictish kings from Caustantín to Eogán in the Duan led to the supposition that Dál Riata was ruled by Pictish kings, or rather that Dál Riata kings ruled Pictland, leading to supposition that the origins of the Kingdom of Alba lay in a Gaelic conquest of Pictland.

Rachel Nash

More recently she has been starring as Ingrid, reincarnated with the Norse goddess Snotra in The Almighty Johnsons.

Ricky Nixon

The plan was criticised by many Gaelic football officials and players, including Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly.

Scabby

Amlaíb Cenncairech, a Norse ruler whose name is often translated into "scabby head".

Shettleston railway station

In 2010, Shettleston station received bilingual name boards, in English and Gaelic, the Gaelic reading "Baile Nighean Sheadna".

Shuna

Eilean Shona (Gaelic: Eilean Seona), a tidal island in Loch Moidart

Tahar Rahim

Rahim has demonstrated multilingual skills and an ear for accents, having played in Corsican and Arabic in addition to French in A Prophet, and in Scottish Gaelic for his role as the Seal Prince in Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle.

TeleG

The Communications Act 2003 created the Gaelic Media Service which decides on the future development of Gaelic Broadcasting services.

The Swan, County Laois

Gaelic players in the village play for St Josephs along with players from Luggacurren, Wolfhill and Ballyadams.

Thomas, Earl of Mar

He died childless in 1377, bringing his line and the ancient Gaelic earldom of Mar through the male line to an end.

Ulpan

Certain language courses in Wales and Scotland have even retained the name ulpan (spelled "Wlpan" in Welsh and Ùlpan in Scottish Gaelic).

University Teachers for Human Rights

For the figure in Norse mythology, see Urðr

Valhall

Valhall is an anglicized form of Old Norse Valhöll, an afterlife "hall of the slain" in Norse mythology, which is more commonly anglicized as Valhalla.

Viggo

a variant of the Icelandic name Vöggur, coming from old Norse 'vöggr', "one who lies in a cradle".

Volstagg

He is not taken from Norse (or any other) mythology but is an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name.

Wild Geese GAA

In Los Angeles there is a Gaelic football club who also go by the same name and at Lakenheath U.S. air force base there is a hurling club also called Wild Geese.

William Lawrie

William Lawrie - Gaelic, Uilleam Labhruidh/Laobhrach (1881–1916) was born into a slate quarrying family in Ballachulish, Argyll and was the son of Hugh Lawrie, (Eòghann Thomais Uilleam) who gave him his first lessons on the Highland bagpipes.


see also

Domhnall mac Raghnaill

It is not clear who Gofraidh or Amhlaibh Fionn are, but they may refer to some of the Norse-Gaelic rulers of Mann and Dublin, possibly Amhlaibh Conung and Gofraidh Crobhán.