Dunlady

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Ir. Dún Léide ‘Léide’s fort’

The name of the townland of Dunlady is recorded as Ballydownledy in 1605 and as Balle-Dunlady in 1623. The prefix Bally/Balle in these English sources are unlikely to be indicative of the element baile ‘townland’ in the original Irish form of the place-name and the most satisfactory interpretation is Dún Léide ‘Léide’s fort’.. Léide is a rare Irish personal name, borne by the father of the legendary prehistoric king of Ulster, Fergus son of Léite (Modern Irish Léide) , who met his death fighting a water-monster in Dundrum Bay (McKillop 1998, 190). The Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record records a ‘platform rath’ in the townland.

References

Historical/Postulated Forms

Dunleth - Inq. Earldom Ulster, iii 64, 1333
Ballydownelede - Inq. Ult. (Down), $2 Jac. I, 1605
Ballydownledy - CPR Jas I, 73a, 1605
Ballydowneladye - CPR Jas I, 236a, 1612
Ballidunlady - Ham. Patent [1620], xxi, 1620
Balledamlady - Ham. Copy Inq. [1623], xxxiv, 1623
Balle-Dunlady - Ham. Copy Inq. [1623], xlii, 1623
Donlade - Raven Map Clandeboye, 30, 1625c
Donlade - Raven Map Clandeboye, 30, 31, 1625c
(?)Balliemalady or Balledimlady - Ham. Patent [1630], xiii, 1630
Balledunlady - Inq. Ult. (Down), $104 Car. I, 1645
Dunlady - Census 1659, 87, 1659c
Dunlady - BSD, 128, 1661
Ballydunladie - Sub. Roll Down, 284, 1663
Dunlady - Map of Down (OSNB), No. 48, 1745
Dunlady - Wm. Map (OSNB), No. 48, 1810
Donlady - Downshire Direct., 321, 1823
Dunlady - Bnd. Sur. (OSNB), No. 48, 1830c
Dun Laidighe - J O'D (OSNB), No. 38, 1834c
possibly Dún Leide "fort of the tag or mark" or Dú - HMC replies, HMCjun03, 2003