Therefore, Bally- + gally "A Gaelic word meaning 'strangers' or 'foreigners'. Irish placenames can trace their ancestry from three main language families. SINCE 1828. Information and translations of Bally in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on ⦠It is not quite right to translate it 'town of', as there were few, if any, towns in Ireland at the time these names were formed. It was largely unknown before Dominic Behan recorded it in the early 1960s. The term baile, anglicised as "bally", is the most dominant element used in Irish townland names. Today the term "bally" denotes an urban settlement, but its precise meaning in ancient Ireland is unclear, as towns had no place in Gaelic social organisation. Bean an tí (BAN-a-TEE) â The woman of the house. It can also mean 'home' in some cases.Bally comes from the Irish word "Baile" meaning town or place. LOG IN; REGISTER; settings. SAVED WORDS dictionary. Carickfergus is one of the most popular of Irish songs but the meaning is sometimes unclear. How Irish place-names have evolved and deformed The main reason for this is the way place-names were transposed out of the Irish language into English. What does Bally mean? It's easy to tell what this one means: the town of the castle. view recents. Gaelic, English and Viking. "Bally is an extremely common prefix to town names in Ireland, and is derived from the Gaelic phrase 'Baile na', meaning 'place of'. The Irish name for the site of present-day Dublin was 'Baile Átha Cliath', which, if anglicised, would be spelt something like 'Ballycleeagh'. Meanings of placenames A number of common placename elements can be interpreted easily and usually accurately and are a starting point to understanding the meanings of townlands, landscape features and so on. It is not quite right to translate it 'town of', as there were few, if any, towns in Ireland at the time these names were formed. Bally definition is - âused as an intensive. This may be because of the unusual way in which the song was discovered and brought to a wider audience. This happened in the first three decades of the nineteenth century, after the Act of Union (1800) had brought the administration of Ireland under the control of London. Driving through Ireland you will see the word âBallyâ before a lot of the place-names. The modern Irish term for a townland is baile fearainn (plural: bailte fearainn). Roadsign in Irish and English Meaning of âBallyâ You'll see place names with this word everywhere! Note that 'Dublin' is actually a Viking word." Definition of Bally in the Definitions.net dictionary. For example, you might see a sign for Ballycastle/Baile an Chaisil. Schoolchildren who lodge with families in Irish-speaking parts of Ireland quickly learn the centrality of this person in their life. Bally town names in Ireland (Image Source: Reddit â r/ireland by u/Spatial_Overlay) In Irish Gaelic it means 'a town, village'. Bally is an extremely common prefix to town names in Ireland, and is derived from the Gaelic phrase 'Baile na', meaning 'place of'. This Irish word is probably the most commonly occurring term in Irish placenames and is usually anglicized as Bally. Hello, âBallyâ comes from Baile na which means âplace ofâ. That is why it features in so many Irish placenames. Many place-names are made up of descriptions of the town in Irish. Meaning of Bally. Login or Register. For example, Donegal [Fortess of the foreigners]. Carrickfergus Carrickfergus videos Lyrics and Chords. âused as an intensive⦠See the full definition. thesaurus. GAMES BROWSE THESAURUS WORD OF THE DAY WORDS AT PLAY.