Ballynabragget

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Baile na Brád 'townland of the gorge'

Discussion

The initial baile of Ballynabragget is clear, but there is debate about the second element. The earliest instance of the place-name is in AD 1612 where the three contiguous townlands Ballinlagh (Ballylough in the parish of Seapatrick), Ballymoygannane (Moygannon) and Ballynebrade were granted by Sir Arthur Magennis to Brian Carragh Magennis. A different name Ballykedromade appears with the other two in the calendared version of the Schedule of Iveagh early in 1609 (CPR Jas I 394-5), but the report of a court case between Brian Magennis and Whitchurch in 1632 gives eight names of lands, called four townlands, allotted to Brian Magennis, beginning Ballinlogh, Ballinbrahada, Ballenmoy (Thrift MSS T.356). Ballenibrade, given in the same group among Sir Art's townlands, makes four forms with final -bra(i)de before 1639. However, later forms, from c. 1650 on, spell the second element -bragget, which is now pronounced with [g] or even [k], while the name is sometimes abbreviated to The Bragget only in current local usage. Bragóid, the name for a type of beer, was borrowed into early Irish and appears in Cormac's Glossary: brocoit .i. sainlind 'bragget, that is, a special ale' (DIL s.v. brocóit). This word was enthusiastically accepted by Joyce (Baile na Bragóide, 18) and GÉ (Baile na Brogóide, 19). On the evidence of the earlier spellings without internal -g- bragóid cannot be correct. The form chosen above is genitive of bráid fem. 'neck', earlier brágha, gen. brághad. Dean Mooney suggested Baile na Brághad 'townland of the neck or gorge' and brágha can also mean 'sheltered land breasting a cliff or rock' (Dinneen). The original name must refer to a topographical feature, which is now difficult to identify.

References

(info. from Muhr, K. (1996): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 6 p. 87)

Historical/Postulated Forms

Baile na Brád - PNI, 87,
Ballynebrade - CPR Jas I, 235b, 1612
Ballynebrade - Patent (Mooney), 331 [II 25], 1612
Ballynebraide - Inq. Ult. (Down), $13 Car. I, 1629
Ballinbrahada x5 - Magennis Paps (O'Sullivan), 63 n193, 1632
Ballenibrade - Inq. Ult. (Down), $85 Car. I, 1639
Ballibraggett - Atkinson's Donaghcloney, 22, 1650c
Ballibraggett - Hib. Reg., Lr. Iveagh, 1657c
Ballybrogatt - Census 1659, 79, 1659c
Ballibraggett - BSD, 76, 1661
B'bragett - Hib. Del., Down, 1672c
Tullylough al. Ballybraggett - Deeds & Wills (Mooney), 331, 1714
>al. Ballybragett al. Ballynebragett - Deeds & Wills (Mooney), 331, 1719
Ballinlogh al. Ballybrogitt al.> - Deeds & Wills (Mooney), 331, 1719
Ballynebraget - Ir. Wills Index, 52, 1791
Ballibraggett - Par. Map (Mooney), 332, 17thc
Ballybragget - OSNB: gen. sources, E2, 17thc
Ballynabragett - Wm. Map (OSNB), E2, 1810
Ballynabragget so pronounced - OSM, xii 59a, 1834
Baile na Bragoide "town of the ale or beer" - J O'D (OSNB), E2, 1834c
Baile-na-bragoide "the town of the bragget, ale/b - Joyce, iii 109, 1913
"td of gorge (or sheltered land facing cliff)" - Mooney 1950c, 331, 1950c
Baile na Brághad - Mooney 1950c, 331, 1950c
Baile na Brogóide - GÉ, 22, 1989
Baile na Brád "townland of the neck/gorge/valley" - Dict. Ulst. PN, 16, 1999