Rusky, County Derry
Origin
Ir. Rúscaigh ‘marshy land’
Background
Rúsc in place-names is a variant of riasc ‘a marsh’ (see Risk above), and the suffix –ach (-aigh in the dative) gives the sense of ‘marshy land.’ The townland of Rusky is bordered on the south by the Agivey River and Munn comments on the marshy nature of the townland due to its proximity to the river. [1]In all there are approximately fifty Irish townlands with the same derivation from Rúscach or Rúscaigh signifying ‘marshy land’ and they are variously Anglicised as Rooskagh, Roosca, Rousky, Rouskey and Roosky.[2]Another word, rúsc, exists, meaning ‘bark (of a tree or shrub)’[3] and this may have given risen to the suggestion given previously.
References
PMcKAdditional Information
Historical name form
| Old Form | Ref. Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rousky | 1613 | Charter of Londonderry 387 |
| Ruskey | 1613 | Lond. Comp. Valuation 305 |
| Ruske | 1654 | Civ. Surv. iii 150 |
| Rowskie | 1657 | Bishop. Der. i 256 |
| Rusky | 1659c | Census 1659 143 |
| Ruskie | 1663 | HMR (Ò Doibhlin 2) 63 |
| Rusky | 1814 | Sampson (Munn) 14 |
| ~Ras Sce ""thorn shrub or shrubbery"" or Rusgach ""sh | 1832 | OSNB Inf. 93 B137 |
| ~Rusgaidh ""marshy"" | 1832 | J O'D (OSNB) 93 B137 |
| ~rusgach and rusgaidh...originally fenny or marshy | 1869 | Joyce i 464 |
| ~Ruscach ""The marshy place"" | 1925 | Joyce (Munn) 14, 1. 464 |
- Barony
- Coleraine
- Parish
- Aghadowey
- Parish in 1851
- Aghadowey
- Townland
- None
- Place name ID
- 1937
- Place name type
- T