Colm O'Regan: Goddesses, Celtic kings, and magical musicians to name your kids after
Ogham Stones in the Stone Corridor, University College Cork. Ogma was a Tuatha De Dannan god and general polymath who invented Ogham script.
Picture: Tomas Tyner, UCC
With the surge in interest in Irish, there’s never been a better time to name your new child an unusual Irish name.
The world is more ready too, having become used to our pronunciation. Saoirse Ronan walked so that CaoimhÃn Kelleher might run. British football commentators have come to terms with the ‘Kw’ of ‘Cao’, the ‘v’ of ‘mh’ and the ‘een’ of ‘Ãn’. As a result, Aoifes, Niamhs, Aoibheanns (and its 34 variants) have been emancipated.
Irish mythology has always been a great source but hitherto, people might have been shy about appearing pretentious. Well feck the begudgers. Go for it.
Here are some options:
was Queen Maeve’s husband. You really hope you’ll meet someone as dramatic as him.
is for you if you feel your child is a bit of a war- goddess, (although they all are at that age)
played harp for a year to attract a daughter of a god but woke a dragon instead. Schoolboy error.
There’s only a certain type will name their child after the head god of the Tuatha De Danann. You’d want to be confident they’ll have the points for actuary.
It’s time for to make a comeback. Mother of Lugh, daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye. This is a child who understands the importance of dynasty but also change. Takes her father’s seat in the Dáil but no problem voting the other way in a coalition...
was Maeve’s daughter. Her name means white phantom. Let HER do the ghosting for a change.
— if you can pronounce the first you can say the last. If you’ve any inkling your child might become a magical blacksmith, GG is your name.
There’s no H in the original Irish so the pickings are slim between various Hags from Beara and Hawks from Achill. There aren’t many ‘I’s either.
is a lovely name. Yes she was a jealous enchantress who turned her love rival into a crane but she knew what she wanted and went for it.
We are definitely due a few Machas in the CSO list of baby names. was one of the triple goddesses and in one story races a chariot while pregnant because of a foolish boast made by her useless husband.
Macha also cursed the men of Ulster to experience child-birth pains. A long-standing aspiration of most mothers.
has a great story. King of the Tuatha De Dannan. Lost his arm in a battle with the Fir Bolg and had a silver one made for him. And virtually no waiting list.
We’ve had plenty of Oscars and OisÃns but what about an . The Tuatha De Dannan god and general polymath who invented Ogham script.
Speaking of Ogham, there wasn’t a letter P in old Irish so there aren’t many epic Ps. There is — one of the invaders but that was probably invented by monks and is a version of Bartholemew.
Not many Rs either unless you want to go mad and announce the birth of .
is a mythical queen descended from the Egyptian Pharoahs and might be your ancestor if you’re convinced you tan well.
We are due a boom in after whom the Tailteann Games is named. Especially relevant if you’re from a county unlikely to win a football All Ireland.
And back to U — (there’s no V, W, X, Y or Z, which is why the ancient Irish did not have reliable cars or
algebra.) is a good shout. It’s a hill and the father of the sons of Uisneach.
Whatever you pick, with Irish on the rise, there’s never been a better time to saddle, sorry adorn, your child with lots of mysterious consonants and even more history.
