Droim (ridge), is found as a townland name in every county and is anglicised as drom or drum.

In the landscape, it generally describes a long low hill. The Droim heartland is the drumlin country with counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Monaghan accounting for 900, or over 40% of the total number of Droim townland names in Ireland.

Some of the better-known placenames are the Dublin district of Drumcondra (Droim Conrach – ridge of the path), and the burial place of the poet William Butler Yeats at Drumcliff in Co Sligo (Droim Claibh – ridge of the basket).

There is repetitiveness in the use of some Droim placenames, with Dromore (Droim Mór – big ridge) being recorded 47 times and Drummard (Droim Árd – high ridge) having 18 occurrences.

The dominant colour of the ridge may be described: Drombane, Co Tyrone (Droim Bán – white ridge); Drumboy, Co Donegal (Droim Buí – yellow ridge); and Drumlea, Co Tyrone (Droim Liath – grey ridge).

Human settlement features may also be recorded: Drumragh, Co Tyrone (Droim Rátha – ridge of the ringfort); Drummullin, Co Roscommon (Droim Mhuillinn – ridge of the mill); and Drumdrihid, Co Clare (Droim an Droichid – ridge of the bridge).

A number of placenames were named after personages of importance: Drumanespic, Co Cavan (Droim an Easpaig – ridge of the bishop); and Drumree, Co Meath (Droim an Rí – ridge of the king).

Other placenames recall domesticated animals once found there: Drombofinny, Co Cork (Droim Bó Finne – ridge of the white cow); Drumlee, Co Down (Droim Laegh – ridge of the calf); and Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim (Droim Shan Bhó – ridge of the old cow).

Droim placenames also described land quality: Drumcree, Co Westmeath (Droim Cria – ridge of the clay); Drumaney, Co Tyrone (Droim Eanaigh – ridge of the marsh); and Dromraney, Co Westmeath (Droim Raithne – ridge of the ferns).

Some ridges were marginal lands and covered in trees and bushes: Dromcolliher, Co Limerick (Droim Collachair – ridge of the hazel wood); Drumcullen, Co Offaly (Droim Cuillinn – ridge of the holly); and Drumralla, Co Fermanagh (Droim Rálach – ridge of oak).

Watery landscapes are also recorded: Drumsru, Co Kildare (Droim Sruth – ridge of the streams); Dromiskin, Co Leitrim (Droim Ineasclainn – ridge of the torrent); and Dromineer, Co Tipperary (Droim Inbhir – ridge of the estuary).

Ghostly figures may also be encountered: Dromahair, Co Leitrim (Droim dhá Eithiar – ridge of the two demons); Drumarraght, Co Fermanagh (Droim Arracht – ridge of the apparition); and Drumnanaliv, Co Monaghan (Droim na nDealbh – ridge of the phantoms).

Next time

Next time I will look at the placename element Inis, as in Inishkeen (Inis Caoin – beautiful water meadow), found in counties Louth and Monaghan and the widely dispersed Ballynahinch (Baile na hInse – home-place of the water meadow or island). CL