Thread: History of cows in Ireland! In most of Ulster townlands were known as "ballyboes" from baile bó "cow land/"land of a cow"! Since yearly rent of a cow ( @placenamesni)? Co Cavan similar units called "polls", & in Co Fermanagh & Monaghan known as "tates" or "taths"! ©mine

Cows so important, worshipped by Irish when pagan! In Dindsenchas, cow goddess, Bóinn/Boann forbidden to approach Well of Segais by husband. But she circled it 3 times causing waters to rise up & become River Boyne! Lost an arm, leg, eye, & then her life! Tara's Open Studio & ?

Ardboe from Ard Bó, "height of the cow(s)" is a small village & civil parish in Co Tyrone, N Ireland. The name comes from a legend that the monastery of Ardboe was built from the milk of a magic cow which emerged from nearby Lough Neagh! ©mine

It's not just cows that are important in Irish history, but obviously calves too! "Irish name for Belfast Lough, Loch Lao (Loch Lóeg) 'lough of the calf'. The name may allude to a time when ancient peoples worshipped bovine deities" (via @placenamesni)! ©mine

Clontarf, Dublin is from Cluain Tarbh, "Meadow of Bulls/the bull"! If you like your music heavy, you might know it's also the name of Irish Celtic metal band Mael Mórdha's debut studio album (2005)! ©mine (so glad he's not a Friesian or Jersey-the scariest?!) #FarmSafetyWeek

Táin Bó Cúailnge/The Cattle Raid of Cooley begins! 2 pig keepers became 2 worms which were swallowed by 2 cows & reborn as 2 bulls! Donn Cuailnge (Brown Bull of Cooley in Louth who Cú Chulainn defended) & Finnbhennach ("White-horned")! My thread!D Kinney https://twitter.com/lorraineelizab6/status/1047764876544933889?s=20

Inishbofin/Inis Bó Finne, Co Galway means 'Island of the White Cow'! Floating until fishermen landed on it in fog! By bringing fire onto island they dispelled magic fixing it in place! They saw an old woman driving a white cow, which turned into a rock when the woman struck it!

There is an area west of Slieve Gullion, Co Armagh, known as “The Glen of the Heifer”! Once a famous cow in this glen who gave milk in abundance to everybody who came but one day someone tried to milk her into a sieve! Angered her so much she left mark on the Kilnasaggart stone!

Clonygowan, Co Offaly if from the Irish, Cluain na nGamhan, "meadow/pasture of the calves"! ©mine

(For those of you who don't know these 3 cuties are all Belgian Blue/Friesian crosses even though one looks more like a Friesian! They are all suckling from one amazing cow!)

Glas Gaibhnenn in Irish folklore, is a "prized fabulous cow of bounty that yields profuse quantities of milk"! Various owners: Gaivnin? (deduced from etymology), Cian mac Cáinte/Mac Kineely (Lugh's father) & Mac Cinnfhaelaidh! ©mine (This super cow suckling her own & 2 others!)

The magic cow Glas Gaibhnenn's name spelt differently of course throughout Ireland & in variant retellings of her story! eg Glas Ghaibhleann, Glas Gaivlen, Gloss Gavlen, Glas Gaibhneach, Glas Gamhain, Glas Gamhnach, Glas Goibniu, Glassdhablecana! ©mine (super foster mum 2+1!)

One of Glas Gaibhnenn's various names is Glas Goibniu as she was once owned by Goibniu the metalsmith of the Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish gods/goddesses)! He is associated with hospitality so all that lots milk from her magic udder would have been very useful! ©Sigo Paolini, dumteedum

One day the magic cow Glas Gaibhnenn was stolen by Balor (giant monster King of the Fomorians)! Scottish illustrator Stephen Reid drew Balor as a red-haired boy in disguise when he was stealing him, in TW Rolleston (1910) Myths and Legends!

One version of the story is when Balor (giant monster King of the Fomorians) stole the magic cow Glas Gaibhnenn, she & her calf looked back & were turned to stone, making the Rockabill Islands, Co Dublin, Ireland! (Other version: Boann's dog) ©John Eagle #FolkloreThursday

In other versions of the story of the magic cow, Glas Gaibhnenn, the smith owner is Gavida/Gavigan! She is taken by Balor & only returned after Gavigan makes trees grow on Tory Island, Co Donegal! Not many trees so don't know how that finished! ©Ireland Reaching Out, myfarmnt

There is a connection between the rescue of Glas Gaibhnenn the magic cow of the gods, & the birth of Lugh! Either Gavigan (or Cian/Mac Kineely) meets Balor's daughter en route & they have Lugh who goes on to kill his granda Balor! Relief for Tuath Dé Danann! © @jimfitzpatrick, RTÉ

Glas Gaibhnenn, the Irish gods' magic cow described as "the green (cow)"; "Grey (cow) of the Smith"; "Goibniu's Grey or Brindled (Cow)"; "white heifer" glossed "the grey-flanked-cow". "white with green spots"! Description best suits Irish Moiled (L) or Droimeann (R) © @droimeann!

Did Glas Gaibhnenn have calf? J Curtin notes Glas Gainach is corruption of 'gaunach', a cow with a yearling calf, which hasn't calved in the current year (farrow cow). Glas Gavlen in Donegal uses term for cow that hasn't calved in 5 yrs! But stories she has a calf! ©Independentie

Lady Gregory's version! There were 3 brothers: Goibniu the smith, Samthainn & Cian together with the wonderful cow Glas Gaibhnenn! But one day when Cian comes to Goibniu's forge to have his sword wrought (leaving Samthain in charge of the cow) Balor comes to steal her © @droimeann

Balor of the Strong Blows (or Evil Eye) steals away the cow back to his island (Tory island?)! Cian seeks help from a druidess (& member of Tuatha De Danann), "Birog of the Mountain". She tells him that the cow can never be recovered while Balor is alive! © @PJLynchArt @droimeann

With a windy blast the druidess sends Cian to Balor's tower allowing Cian opportunity for a tryst with Balor's daughter (imprisoned)! In Lady Gregory's telling, focus switches to fate of Lugh born between them, so the fate of the cow is untold! ©Lugh @jimfitzpatrick @thatsfarming

J O'Donovan (d 1861) collected local lore that included mention of the magic cow Glas Gaibhnenn! Found remains of a dolmen in Shallee, Co Clare called Leaba-na-glaise, "Bed of the Cerulean Cow" (Glas the green cow)! Property Cian/Mac Kineely or Lon Mac Liomhtha. Bohatch dolmen

O'Donovan collected story that the gods' magic cow, Glas Gaibhneach, was owned by Lon the smith. He also learned that Lon had stolen her from Spain! (maybe a Menorquina (L) or Pasiega (R) dairy breed?-intriguing!-or sacrilege if you think her "Irish"!) PS-Lon had 3 arms & 1 leg!

Lon (or Gavida?) kept Glas Gaibhneach (who we now know was a Spanish magic cow) on Slievenaglasha Mt on edge of The Burren, Co Clare! Not far from the forge, for no other place in Ireland was fertile enough! She & the rest of his herd kept at the wedge tomb! ©Megalithic Portal

J O'Donovan interviewed a Co Clare seanchaí. "This cow would fill with her milk any vessel,.. at one milking". 2 women wagering on whether a vessel could be found to outsize her capacity, & when a sieve was produced, the cow's milk caused 7 overflooding streams to pour forth!

But the Corofin, Co Clare seanchaí/tailor John Reagh O'Cahane told O'Donovan that the woman who milked Glas Gaibhnenn the magic cow into a sieve was a wicked hag! That telling of the story ends that the cow either died of grief or deserted the locality for ever!Ennis, Co Clare

It was said about Glas Gaibhnenn, the magic cow, that "the hoofs of this cow were reversed", & the backward tracks always fooled the potential cattle-thieves in pursuit! Good way to protect such a precious creature! ©mine

According to Rev P Power in Foaty townland, Fota Island, Co Cork, was a pond, Loch na Bó "Lake of the Cow", which was "supposed to derive its name from a legendary cow-the Bó Bhán or the Glas Gaibhneach"! Bó Bhán (white cow) belonged to goddess Boann (white cow)! @jimfitzpatrick

In Ballyoran townland, near Fermoy, Co Cork, is a "Gownach Well"; the well of Gamhnach, a yearling heifer which may be a reference to the legendary Glas Gaibhnenn! Plus part of River Ilen called "Gownach". In Rev Patrick Power's Place Names and Antiquities of S. E. Cork (1917).

Gan bhó, gan stró!
No cows, no cares!

Irish saying. ©mine #Ireland @FolkloreThurs #FolkloreThursday https://www.flickr.com/photos/161074847@N06/48717906652/in/dateposted-public/

Derrylileagh, Co Armagh townland is Doire Loilíoch in Irish, which means “oak wood of the milch cows”! (via @placenamesni). 'Milch' is an old English word for a milk-producing cow! ©mine

Belfast's River Lagan’s original name has to do with a calf; Laogh! Also Ptolemy's 2nd C Geography described a river called Λογια (Logia). Connects with Old Irish loeg "calf"! Including this info, the original name was feminine; 'female calf' or 'heifer' ( @placenamesni)! ©mine

Laoghaire/Lóegaire may mean "calf-herd"! Name of several High Kings of Ireland. Lóegaire mac Néill was son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. His reign coincided with St Patrick & he became one of the 1st converts though adversary in some accounts! Name preserved in Dún Laoghaire!

Drumbo, Co Down is Droim Bó in Irish; "ridge of the cow"! In the life of St Patrick, in Book of Armagh, Drumbo was translated into 'Collum Bovis', a name by which the ancient monastery was known. Has a beautiful truncated round tower. Co Down known for its drumlins. ©Ross, mine

Portnaboe, near Giant's Causeway, Co Antrim, from Port na Bó, "bay/port/bank of the cows" ( @placenamesni)! Living up to its name now! NT asked a farmer to provide her Dexters to graze it! They like the course grass, light so can climb the slopes & cute! https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway/features/a-giant-move-grazing-returned-to-world-famous-causeway-to-boost-struggling-wildlife

Ballyboley/Baile na Buaile (left) near Larne, Co Antrim means "townland of the summer milking place"! Buaile has given the Hiberno-English term ‘booleying’ which refers to the practice of moving cattle to mountain pastures in summer ( @placenamesni)! ©mine http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=16726

Ireland long ago was made up of different named people groups! The Dartraighe (older spelling Dartraige) were the "People of the Calf"! Anglicised as Dartree/Dartry/Dartrey, it was a tuath/territory in the west of Co Monaghan! ©dad & brother's Angus/Montbéliarde/Fr-Holstein Xs!