Glasdrumman

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Ir. An Ghlasdromainn ‘the green hill’

Discussion

The place-name here anglicised Glassdrumman recurs as a townland name across the north of Ireland, and in this case Glassdrumman just north of Saintfield village is to be distinguished from Glassdrumman at the north of Magheradrool, adjacent to the southern tip of Saintfield parish. An Ghlasdromainn ‘the green hill’ is an old compound in which (unusually for Irish) the adjective precedes the noun, and one example is quoted in Irish. John O’Donovan takes the O’Neill battle in 1493, ag an nGlasdromainn, as being Glasdrummond townland in Aghaloo, Tyrone (AFM iv 1202-3, n.g.) while the same event was mentioned by Hughes study of Tynan parish, p.106, of the townland of Glasdrummond in Tynan, Co. Armagh. Glasdrumman in Saintfield contains a hill of 272 feet. The word dromainn ‘ridge, hillock’ is derived from the word droim meaning ‘hill-back’ or ‘ridge’. The history of the Saintfield place-name is unremarkable from the mid 17th century, but some earlier spellings 1605-45 reveal one unusual feature: it may have begun as An Glasdroim, using the basic word droim.

References

Historical/Postulated Forms

Balliglosedrom - CPR Jas I, 73a, 1605
Ballinaglassdromin - Inq. Ult. (Down), $2 Jac. I, 1605
Ballyglastrum - CPR Jas I, 236a, 1612
Balligbastrum al. Glasdrumon - Ham. Patent [1620], xxi, 1620
Balleglasdromon - Ham. Copy Inq. [1623], xxxii, 1623
Ballyglastrum al. Balleglasdromen - Ham. Copy Inq. [1623], xlii, 1623
Ballegastrum or Balleglassdromon or - Ham. Patent [1630], xiii, 1630
or Balleglassdornen - Ham. Patent [1630], xiii, 1630
al. Balleglasdromen - Inq. Ult. (Down), $104 Car. I, 1645
Balleglastrum al. Ballyglasdromen - Inq. Ult. (Down), $104 Car. I, 1645
Glasdroman - Census 1659, 90, 1659c
Glassdroman - BSD, 125, 1661
Glessdrumand - Ham. Jointure, 125, 1681
Glasdrumon - Ham. Rent-roll, 130, 1692c
Glasdrumon - Ham. Partition Jointure Lands, 148, 1696
Glassdruming - Map of Down (OSNB), E15, 1755
Glassdrumond - Wm. Map (OSNB), E15, 1810
Glas Drumain[n] "green ridge" - Luke Killen (OSNB), E15, 1834c
Glasdrumman - J O'D (OSNB), E15, 1834c
An Ghlasdromainn "the green ridge/hillock" - HMC replies, HMCdec02, 2002