Ardglass, County Down

Background

Village is 9.5km SE of Downpatrick

bar: Lecale Lower

Ard ‘height’ in this case appears to be feminine rather than masculine as is normally the case.

The name Ardglass refers both to this townland and to the parish in which the townland is situated. The place-name is first recorded in c.1211 (Arglass, Pipe Roll John 58) and the name of the church is recorded as Ecclesia de Ardglassce in c.1306 (Eccles. Tax. 34) and as Capella Beatae Mariae de Ardglas ‘the chapel of Blessed Mary of Ardglass’ in 1449 (Reg. Mey (EA) 35). The place-name is also recorded in the Irish language in 1433 (co hAird Glais, AFM iv 892) and in 1453 (i nArd Glaisse, AFM iv 986). The ‘green height’ referred to seems to be the hill known as The Ward which overlooks the harbour in the town. The present Church of Ireland church marks the site of the church referred to in c.1306 and in 1449 (see above). However, Reeves (EA 35) informs us that the original parish church of St Nicholas was about half a mile north-east of the town, in the townland of Ardtole where the ruins of a church still stand.

References

McKay, P. (2007): A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names, p. 6, PMcK, 2009

Additional Information

T., 1851 Census

Historical name form

Old Form	Ref. Date	Reference
Áth Glaise	1180	Miscell. Ann.
Ardglassce, Ecclesia de	1306c	Eccles. Tax. 34
Ardeglas	1427	Cal. Canc. Hib. (EA) 36 (i 242)
co hAird-glais	1433	AU iii 126
go haird glais	1433	AFM iv 892
o Aird-glais	1433	AU iii 126
Ardglas, capella beate Maria de	1449	Reg. Mey 133, 170
Ardglas, de Chastell'' et Manoire	1450c	Stat. Rolls Ire. Hen. VI 194
i nard glaisi	1453	AFM iv 986
i nard glaisse	1453	AFM iv 986
Ard Ghlais	1989	GÉ 7
Ard Ghlas ""green height""	1999	Dict. Ulst. PN 6
aird ghlas ""green promontory"" or ard glas ""green	2001	HMC replies HMCsched
Arglass	1211c	Pipe Roll John 58
Arglas	1216c	CDI $755
the vills of Arglas, Artbehel, and Ros''	1260	CDI $678
Ardtwele al Ardglas	1442	Reg. Prene (EA) 36
Ardglas	1449	Reg. Mey 186, 212
Ardglas al Ardtwele	1449	Reg. Mey 170
Ardglasse	1449	Reg. Mey 189
Ardglass	1518	Kildare Rent. 61
Ardglasse in le Cale, manor of	1537	PBNHPS (1933-34) 65
Ardglasse, manor of	1540	Rentals & Surveys Down 77
(?)Newehouse	1549	Ex. Inq. (Dn) 3 Ed. VI 15
Arglas	1567	Goghe's Map
Arglas	1570c	Nowel's Ire. (1)
Ardglas	1580	Maps (DF) Map NLI
Ardglas	1580c	SE Ulster Map
Arglas	1595	Mercator's Ulst.
Arglas	1599	Boazio's Map (BM)
Arglas	1610	Speed's Ulster
Arglas hauen	1610	Speed's Ulster
Arglis	1610c	Norden's Map
Ardglass alias Arglasse	1620	CPR Jas I 460b
Ardglass alias Arglasse	1621	CPR Jas I 511a
Arglas (+ castle)	1654	Blaeu Map (DF)
in ye fields of Ardglasse, 3a	1667	ASE 112 a 31
in Ardglasse and Conny-Island, 10a	1669	ASE 191 a 19
Ardglas H.(aven) ? = Phennick Point	1714	Maps (DF) Moll map

Barony

Lecale Lower

Parish

Ardglass

Parish in 1851

Ardglass

Townland

Ardglass

Place name ID

12847

Place name type

T:V