Hi, I'm a newly-wed little bird and me and my hubby are in the process of renovating an old house/cottage in the Galway area to start our new life together. I would love to give the house a beautiful and unique name in Irish. My own gaeilge is uafasach (I probably even spelt that wrong ) so could really do with some help please.

The house is set in a beautiful meadow, surrounded by trees, with a river/stream at the end of the garden. There is a castle nearby but I would prefer to stay away from anything with caislean in it as there are so many estates and houses in the town using that. The house has a very generic name in English at the moment....... Oak Grove but I don't want to keep that one.

I love the sound of the word - Ceiliúradh - A Celebration, or maybe that was just irish pride after watching that concert last night in London. Something that sounds easy on the ear and not too difficult for the postman to remember either !!!

any suggestions would be gratefully received. go raibh maith agat

Hi, littlebird. Welcome to the forum.

Perhaps:

An Chluanóg "the little meadow, bower, grassy nook"

Await further input ...

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Would 'An Nead' be an appropriate name for a house? 'The Nest'. Sounds quite fitting for what sounds like a gorgeous location. Perhaps I am being influenced by your user name!!

There is a housing estate near us called Cleevaun. I presume it is a butchered version of 'An Cliabhán' - 'The Cradle'/'The Cot'. That is another option - 'An Cliabhán' I mean obviously!

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An Nead - I think that's a good suggestion, especially considering your reference to yourself as Saoirse said.

I know you said you don't want Oak Grove, but really it sounds better and more natural in Irish - An Doire. Easy to remember and say 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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Fáilte romhat a chara.
Just to add to what Bríd has suggested, there's also the diminutive - neaidín -
which made me think of this rhyme -

Chuas 'on mhóintín,
Thugas liom mo rámhainnín,
Bhaineas fóidín,
Bhí neaidín sa bhfóidín,
Bhí uibhín sa neaidín,
Bhí éinín san uibhín,
Is fad mo mhéire d'eirbeaillín air.

Hi All

Thanks so much for the advice, I like the sounds of the suggested names, well except the 'An Nead' one, I'm so sorry the idea of it is just fantastic and 'The nest' is a perfect description of our home but my problem is my sis-in-law is called Sinead, and we call her Nead !! And I don't really want to name the house after her ! That would be too confusing, she lives in the same area too.

"Nead" is not pronounced the same way as the final syllable of "Sinéad" (that accent mark makes a huge difference!). I'm assuming you pronounce her nickname as "nayd." "Nead" is pronounced "N(y)ad."

Redwolf

Another option is to add the name of a particular bird. Is there one with which you especially identify?

For example, you could go with "Nead na Spideoige" (Robin's Nest) or "Nead an Dreoilín" (Wren's Nest)

You could even go with a version of your netnick: Nead Éinín: "Little Bird's Nest" (this is a fairly well-known phrase from the song "An bhFaca Tú mo Séamaisín?")

Redwolf

There is also Neidín, which is the diminutive of nead (it means wee nest) and also has the second meaning of a comfortable little spot.

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

That would be the Munster verson of neaidín, I suppose?