Origin of Name

Swords

According to the legend of the Milesian invasion, there was a settlement in Swords at the time of Alexander the Great (356 –323 B.C). In Irish, Swords is known as Sórd Cholmcille, the Swords of St Colmcille. The name means “pure or clear ”, and it relates to the well which was near the spot where the church of St Colmcille was founded. The original word is pronounced “Soord” in Irish. The “w” came into the word after the English settlement, and they wrote Sewerd because the verb shew has the sound of show. How did Sórd become Swords? Patrick O’Neill, the renowned historian and teacher provided the following explanation. The old town was west of the Ward River and the later town, Main Street and North Street was built to the east when the new roads came. There were then two Sewerds. [Source: Patrick O’Neill, An Macalla, 6, 11 March 1962.]

Fingal

The town of Swords is in Fingal. The name derives from the Gaelic, Fine Gall, (pronounced “finna gall”) and originally meant the tribe of foreigners. This was the name given to a force of Danish invaders who settled in the area along the coast in the 9th century, but in time, the name, Fingall, came to mean the strip of land which these people occupied, and as the invaders conquered more and more land, the district was extended, and Fingall came to mean the territory of foreigners or of strangers. Fingall continued to be a distinct district until 1210 A.D. when King John assigned it to the County of Dublin. About the close of the 16th century, the name, Fingall, ceased to be used officially, but it remained in use among the people because it was seen as being indicative of their origins as a distinctive community, and the people of the area continued to be known as Fingallians. [Source: Patrick Archer, Fair Fingall, An Taisce Fingall, 1975].