108 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



faithche (faha). In the battle of Moyrath we find that a visitor 

 reached Ailech, and was met by the king with a great concourse 

 of the men of Erin upon the faithche. Strange to say, in this 

 instance, history has repeated itself in a literal manner, for our 

 people's playground, known as Ormeau Park, is on a faithche 

 (faha) — Baile-na-faithche. 



Malone means the plain of the lambs, and the Clowney 

 Bridge on the Falls was simply the way to the meadows, the 

 bog meadows. Cluain means a meadow. The Falls Road still 

 preserves the old name, fals, meaning hedges or enclosures. In 

 the Inquisitiones Ultoniae, taken at Belfast in eighteenth year 

 of James I., it is called Toughfall, the district of the hedges or 

 enclosures. Its neighbour, the Shankill, has a more ecclesi- 

 astical name, Shan, old or grey, and cill, a church, which 

 formerly stood in the old burial ground, and was the original 

 parish church of Belfast, and from it the parish takes its name. 



There is a hill above Carrickfergus called Bryantang, meaning 

 the fairy fort at the tongue, and to this day at the meeting of 

 two waters there is a fine fort ; but whether the deni shee still 

 dance ring-a- roses round its charmed circle, I am not able to 

 state. Beyond Bryantang there is a hill called Slieve-a-true, or 

 the hill of the three persons. There is a fine earn on this 

 mountain, which may be the grave of this " dauntless three." 

 There is a pool in our lough called Garmoyle, gearr meaning 

 small, and Moyle being the name of the water between Ireland 

 and Scotland, the sea stream of Moyle about which Moore 

 sings — ''Silent, O Moyle, be the roar of thy waters." 



Edenderry was formerly a hill of oaks, and the adjoining 

 townland of Ballygomartin was the place of the blacksmiths, 

 who doubtless took advantage of the oaks to fire their smithies. 

 The next townland, Ballydownfine, in which is the City 

 Cemetery, means the place of the white fort, and in it still 

 remains the very large one known as Callender's Fort. Close 

 by is Drumacloghan, or the ridge of the stone castle. The 

 model farm is situated in Ballygammon, meaning the village of 

 the calves. Finaghy, or Ballyfinaghy, as it was called, means 

 the white exercising field. 



