Spelling - Kilternan or Kiltiernan!

History - Spelling

How do you spell ‘KILTERNAN’? by Ian Elliott

Introduction
Early Maps of County Dublin
Modern Maps of County Dublin
Extracts from Ordnance Survey
Some Signs in the Vicinity
Entries in the Phone Book
References in Literature
On the Internet

How do you spell ‘KILTERNAN’?

Over the years, the village at the intersection of the Glenamuck Road and the Enniskerry Road has been know as ‘Golden Ball’,’ Kilternan’ or ‘Kiltiernan’. With the imminent expansion of the village to a small town, it is essential that it has a unique and unambiguous name.

The Ordnance Survey of Ireland has given the following ruling:

1. That the name of the village is spelt ‘KILTERNAN’.

2. That the two relevant townlands are spelt ‘KILTIERNAN’, i.e. Kiltiernan and Kiltiernan Domain

This ruling has been confirmed by the Placenames Commission.

Evidence to support this ruling is given below. For clarity, K1 denotes the spelling ‘KILTERNAN’ and K2 denotes ‘KILTIERNAN’. The evidence has been gathered from maps, the Ordnance Survey Field Name Books, local signs, local organisations, telephone numbers, historical literature and the Internet.

EARLY MAPS OF COUNTY DUBLIN

1685	Petty, William: Hiberniae Delineatio: atlas of Ireland.	Kilturnan
1728	Moll, Herman: The Counties of Dublin and Louth ….	Killternan
1750	Gabriel Stokes: A New and Accurate Map of the Environs of Dublin…	Killternan
1760	John Roque: An actual survey of the county of Dublin …	Kill Ternan
1762	John Roque: Map of the County of Dublin divided in baronys.	Kill Ternan
1770	Boulter Grierson: A Map of the County of Dublin done from actual Surveys.	Kilternan
1798	Bernard Scalé: Dublin County from Hibernian Atlas, London, 1776.	Kilternan
1816	John Taylor: Taylor's map of the Environs of Dublin ……	Kiltiernan
1837	S.P.U.K.: The Environs of Dublin. Society for the diffusion of Useful Knowledge, London.	Kilternan Dom. (the townland is K1!)
1837	Samuel Lewis: Topographical Atlas of Ireland	Only Golden Ball is shown.
1861	Heffernan, D.E.: Heffernan’s illustrated plan of Wicklow and County ……	Kilternan

SOME MODERN MAPS OF COUNTY DUBLIN

1972

OSI 1:2500 Dublin Sheet 26-5, (Rev. of 1968), 1972

This map shows the K1 spelling for Kilternan Abbey, Lodge and Villa; the K2 spelling is used for Kiltiernan Bridge. The townlands are both K2.

1979

OSI 1:10,560 (6 inch to 1 mile), Dublin Sheet 26 (Rev. of 1937), 1979

This map shows the K1 spelling for Kilternan Abbey, Grange, Lodge, Villa, Post Office, School and Water Works; the K2 spelling is used for Kiltiernan Bridge. The townlands are both K2.

2005

OSI Dublin City and District Street Guide, 6th edition, September 2005

The village is clearly marked as KILTERNAN (K1).

Extracts from the Ordnance Survey Field Name Books in the National Archives

Document OS/88 Dublin 34 (dated 1836) compiled by John O’Donovan (1806-1861), the noted historian and antiquarian.

Page 39:

Received Name	Orthography	Authority
Kiltiernan	Kiltiernan	? Map
Kilternan	Kilternan	Henry Kearney, Rector
	Kilternan	School Register
	Kilternan	? Smith, PP
	Kilternan	Edward T. Alma
	Kilternan	Richardson Anderson Esq.

Page 40:

Received Name	Orthography	Authority
Kilternan Inq. temp IacII	Kiltiernan	Church Register
	Kiltiernan & Ballibetagh	Down Survey?
	,, ,,	,, ,, Map
Kiltiernan	Kilternan Parish	Down Survey
	Kiltiernan	Inq. temp Cor I
	Kiltyernan	,, ,,
	Killtyernan	,, ,,

Page 41:

Received Name	Orthography	Authority
Kiltiernan Domain	Kiltiernan Domain	? Survey & Sketch Map
Kilternan	Kiltiernan	Henry Kearney
	Kiltiernan Domain	? School Register
	Kilternan Domain	E.T. Alma, Esq.
	Kilternan Domain	Richardson Anderson Esq.
	Kiltiernan	Church Register

Some signs in the vicinity of Kilternan

1-3 NRA traffic signs at Exit 15 of the M50: all K1

4-9 County Council road signs: all K1 with the exception of No. 9 at Carrickmines Green. Sometime before 14 January 2007 the Council changed five of the signs from K1 to K2.

10-11 Kilternan Villa and Kilternan Lodge near Bishop’s Lane: both K1

12-15 Gateposts of Kilternan Abbey (a misnomer as there was never an abbey in Kilternan), formerly Kilternan House: K1

16-17 Kilternan Country Market at the Golden Ball: K1

18-19 Kilternan Nurseries and Kilternan Picture Framing at the old post office: K1

20-21 Kilternan Parish School and Kilternan Church: K1

22 Name on Moss Cottages: K1

23 Plaque on bridge only a few yards from No. 22: K2

Local Organisations and facilities

Kilternan Adult Educational Centre

Kilternan Book Club

Kilternan Care Centre

Kilternan Country Market

Kilternan Golf Course

Kilternan Irish Countrywomen’s Association

Kilternan National School

Kilternan Nurseries

Kilternan Parish Church

Kilternan Parish Tennis Club

Kilternan Picture Framing

Kilternan Residents’ Association

Kilternan Ski Slope

Kilternan Sport Hotel

Result: 14 organisations, all K1.

Entries in the 01 Phone Book, 2006

Kilternan Church of Ireland National School

Kilternan Golf and Country Club

Kilternan National School No. 1, Our Lady of the Wayside

Kilternan Nurseries

Kilternan Parish

Kilternan Service Station

Kilternan Stores

Kilternan Vocational School

Result: 8 entries, all K1.

References in Literature

KILTERNAN (K1) is used in:

1. The Royal Irish Academy’s Atlas of Ireland (1979)

2. Samuel Lewis: Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)

3. John D’Alton: The History of the County Dublin (1838)

4. The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland (1846)

5. J.B. Leslie: O’Morchoe’s History of Kilternan and Kilgobbin (1934)

6. Rob Goodbody: On the Borders of the Pale (1993)

7. Peter Pearson: Between the Mountains and the Sea (1998)

KILTIERNAN (K2) is used in:

1. F.E. Ball: History of the County Dublin (1902)

2. Weston St J. Joyce: The Neighbourhood of Dublin (1912)

A Google search on the Internet

The search parameter ‘Kilternan’ (K1) gave 39,900 hits

The search parameter ‘Kiltiernan’ (K2) gave 15,700 hits

Ratio K1 / K2 = 2.54

For accurate computer searches it is essential that Kilternan has a unique and unambiguous identity. This implies that use of the alternative spelling should be discouraged.