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An Teamhair 'the eminent hill or fort; dark hill (?)'

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In Cormac's Glossary (10th-century), and in LL (12th century) the opinion is expressed that the Irish word 'temair (Mod. Ir. teamhair) means any high place, eminence, hill from which a view can be had. and that it is borrowed from a Greek word temoro'. The Greek origin is rejected by the modern scholar Vendryes (LÉIA s.v. temair), although the noun teamhair was clearly understood by Irish scribes and glossators in the medieval period to mean a conspicuous or eminent height, a view subsequently shared by O'Donovan, Hennessy (1889:v), Joyce (i 294-6), in addition to the editors of DIL (s.v. temair). However, Wagner (1979, 26), in his discussion of the identification of the Earth-goddess with sacred hills and the dual function of life and death, took Teamair to mean 'the dark one', stating: 'It is almost certain that the root tem- (cf. Old Irish temel 'darkness') from which we can derive Temair, is also contained in the name of the river Themes [modern Thames, London] cf. Sanskrit tamasa- 'dark-coloured'. Thus Temair would appear to derive from a root tem- 'dark', possibly a reference to the inner hill, although Harris (Harris Hist. 131) describes Tara in the Ards as 'an inconsiderable place'. However, it seems that the term teamhair came to be understood as 'eminent height' in ordinary spoken Irish from as early as the Old Irish period, although it has since disappeared from the everyday vocabulary of modern Irish. There is no significant height in the townland of Tara. However, there is a conspicuous ring fort named Tara Fort and this may be the feature from which the townland is named.

References

(info. from Hughes A. J. (1992): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 2 p. 131)

Old Forms

Temair na hArdda - LL, i l.372, 1160c
Thewer, grangia de - Charts St. Mary's Abbey, ii 307,
Tener, Capella de - Eccles. Tax., 44, 1306
Teure, the tenement of - Great Rolls Pipe, xxxvi 32,
Teuyr, the tenement of - Great Rolls Pipe, xxxvi 32,
cath Temra Arda Ulaid [death of Eochu Gunnat, King - L. Gabála (Macalister), i 30, 1400c
Temuir Arda .i. Ard Ulad - Mesca Ulad, l.129, 1450c
Ballentonragh + Ballnbentlyng - Sav. Ulst., ,
Ballentonragh + Ballynbentlyng - Sav. Ulst., ,
Ballyntawragh - Fiants Eliz., §1659,
Ballytawraghe - Fiants Eliz., §1659,
Tarragh als Bull - Mercator's Ulst., , 1595
Ballenetawragh al. Balletouragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Ballinetamragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Tawragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Teragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Tussellhauragh - Ham. Copy Inq. [1623], xlii, 1623
Ballyntawragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Ballytawragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
(?)Torreyonyle al. Toradonill - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Ballenetauragh - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Ballenotawrogh - Sav. Ulst., ,
Ballenetauragh - Sav. Ulst., ,
Balletaura - Inq. Ult. (Down), §1 Jac. I,
Taragh - Census 1659, 79, 1659c
Turragh - BSD, 114, 1661
Tara - Wm. Map (OSNB), , 1810
Tarra - High Const. Applot. (OSNB), ,
Tarrah - Bnd. Sur. (OSNB), OSNB no., 1830c
Teamhair "a pleasant hill" - J O'D (OSNB), , 1834c
Tarah - Mr Nugent (OSNB), , 1834c