Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [641]
currach – rowing boat made of a framework of laths covered with tarred canvas; also known as ‘cúrach’
Dáil – lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland; see also Oireachtas and Seanad
DART – Dublin Area Rapid Transport train line
delft – glazed blue-and-white earthenware from Holland; in Ireland the word refers to any kind of dishware
demesne – landed property close to a house or castle
diamond – town square
dolmen – tomb chamber or portal tomb made of vertical stones topped by a huge capstone; from around 2000 BC
drumlin – rounded hill formed by retreating glaciers
Dúchas – government department in charge of parks, monuments and gardens in the Republic; formerly known as the Office of Public Works
dún – fort, usually constructed of stone
DUP – Democratic Unionist Party; founded principally by Ian Paisley in 1971 in hard-line opposition to Unionist policies held by the UUP
Éire – Irish name for the Republic of Ireland
esker – raised ridge formed by glaciers
Fáilte Ireland – literally ‘Welcome Board’; Irish Tourist Board
Fianna – mythical band of warriors who feature in many tales of ancient Ireland
Fianna Fáil – literally ‘Warriors of Ireland’; a major political party in the Republic, originating from the Sinn Féin faction opposed to the 1921 treaty with Britain
Fine Gael – literally ‘Tribe of the Gael’; a major political party in the Republic, originating from the Sinn Féin faction that favoured the 1921 treaty with Britain; formed the first government of independent Ireland
fir – men (singular ‘fear’); sign on men’s toilets; see also leithreas and mná
fleadh – festival
GAA – Gaelic Athletic Association; promotes Gaelic football and hurling, among other Irish games
Gaeltacht – Irish-speaking
gallery grave – tunnel-shaped burial chamber
gallóglí – mercenary soldiers of the 14th to 15th century; anglicised to ‘gallowglasses’
garda – Irish Republic police; plural ‘gardaí’
ghillie – fishing or hunting guide; also known as ‘ghilly’
gob – mouth; from Irish word ‘gob’, meaning bird’s beak or bill
gort – literally ‘field’; Irish place name
Hibernia – literally ‘Land of Winter’; Roman name for Ireland (the Romans had confused Ireland with Iceland)
hill fort – a hilltop fortified with ramparts and ditches, usually dating from the Iron Age
HINI – Hostelling International of Northern Ireland
hurling – Irish sport similar to hockey
Hunger, the – colloquial name for the Great Famine of 1845–51
Iarnród Éireann – Republic of Ireland Railways
INLA – Irish National Liberation Association; formed in 1975 as an IRA splinter group unhappy with the ceasefire; it has maintained its own ceasefire since 1998
IRA – Irish Republican Army; the largest Republican paramilitary organisation, founded 80 years ago with the aim to fight for a united Ireland; in 1969 the IRA split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA; the Official IRA is no longer active and the PIRA has become the IRA
IRB – Irish Republican Brotherhood; a secret society founded in 1858 and revived in the early 20th century; believed in independence, through violence if necessary, and was a precursor to the IRA; also known as the Fenians
Iron Age – metal-using period that lasted from the end of the Bronze Age, around 300 BC (the arrival of the Celts), to the arrival of Christianity, around the 5th century AD
jackeen – derogatory nickname used to describe anyone from Dublin or Dublin GAA players or supporters; originally used to describe Dubliners who waved Union Jacks during Queen Victoria’s visit in 1901
jarvey – driver of a jaunting car
jaunting car – Killarney’s traditional horse-drawn transport; see also jarvey
knackered – slang for tired or worn out
Leinster – one of the four ancient provinces of Ireland, made up of Counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, West Meath, Wexford and Wicklow; see also Connaught, Munster and Ulster
leithreas – toilets; see also mná and fir
leprechaun