I recently bought a watch fob. It is sterling silver and was made in Dublin by John Miller. The front has a dog, shamrock, harp and something that looks like a cut down banjo. The back has words that I can’t interpret. I am assuming it is in Gaelic. I am not even sure how to write this so I have posted pictures on my web site.

I hope I am not breaking rules here with these links and if so that someone will tell me how to put these pictures up to be seem.

Can anyone tell me the significance of the items on the front and the meaning of the info on the back? Thanks.

front http://www.umfleet.net/fob1.jpg
back http://www.umfleet.net/fob2.jpg

The writing on the back is Craobh Chiarraí 1948. The dot over a letter represents the equivalent of the letter h. Craobh means 'final' or 'branch', Ciarraí is the Irish for Kerry which is a county in the South West of Ireland. Put together, the words mean, 'Kerry final' or 'Kerry branch'. (English works backwards to Irish).

I cannot make out the middle bit of writing.

Tráigh Lí (Trá Lí is the modern spelling) is Tralee which is a town in Co. Kerry.

Re the picture, I am wondering if the item in the middle is a round tower and if it is a hound lying at the bottom of it?

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"Craobh Chiarraí" = Championship of Kerry, Tralee prresumably being the venue. The middle bit looks like M F to me, Saoirse, whatever that stands for. Someone's initials?

I think it's a round tower alright, and the hound might be an Irish wolfhound - though it doesn't really look like one. Figaro, I suppose the shamrock, harp, round tower and Irish wolfhound are symbolic of Ireland.

I agree it looks like MF and you could well be correct about it being someone's initials. I didn't think of it being something simple like that.

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I'm wondering if it's actually intended to be a watch fob, or if it's a medal? I used to have several similar antique pieces, and I was told by some antiquities expert in Dublin many years ago (whose name I can't remember...I only remember writing to them and enclosing photos of the pieces) that they were medals given as awards for dancing. Perhaps this is something like that?

Redwolf

Could the initials MF be Meán Fómhair - September ?

That's what I thought too.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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That sounds like a reasonable possibility too.

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This is a conundrum guys. I don't think the "MF" means Méan Fómhair for a number of reasons. I think the "MF" would be before the year. The "MF" is ornamented on each side by basic dots like the book of Durrow, an old celtic habit. Therefore these letters are of some significance, possibly a name's initials.

Craobh Chíarraí does mean as is pointed out, the kerry championship or the kerry final and it could mean as also said be the kerry branch. Was the medal awarded in Tralee or awarded perhaps to a Tralee person? In 1948 Dingle won the Kerry championship beating Shannon Rangers. If it was awarded in Tralee, the match would have taken place in Austin Stack park. Of course, I'm comin at this with a football mentality...it may be something else entirely.....go néirí libh ar an gcuardach

Could MF stand for Munster Final?