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funny irish names

Bastardstown, Muff, Crazy Corner... welcome to Ireland

Explore seven of Ireland’s most amusing place names. (Warning! May contain juvenile tendencies!)
5.00pm, 2 Jun 2012
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YOU MAY REMEMBER a little while back it was reported that the people of the Austrian village of Fucking decided to take a vote on whether or not to change the name of the village.

The mayor of the town of Tarsdorf (which includes the village of Fucking) dismissed the suggestion, despite a regular influx of tourists and sign thieves to the locality.

It got us thinking… what are the placename gems dotted around Ireland?

Bastardstown, Muff, Crazy Corner... welcome to Ireland
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  • Bastardstown, Co. Wexford

    Bastardstown in Co. Wexford has, by all accounts, a dearth of signs to pose beside or steal. It's a small area near the coast and its name supposedly indicates that it was a successful Norman settlement, along with nearby Horetown and Heavenstown. Image: Google Maps

  • Muff, Co. Donegal

    If you're going to travel to Donegal to get your name taken beside the Muff roadsign, then you may has well go the whole hog and visit the Muff Diving Club while you're at it. The Donegal town has already made it onto lists of funny place names in esteemed publications like The Guardian, FHM and Funny or Die, and it certainly deserves a place in our list too. Image: Addypope via Flickr/Creative Commons

  • Crazy Corner, Co. Westmeath

    Crazy Corner in Westmeath is situated to the north east of Mullingar. Not too far away is the area known as Pass-If-You-Can.

  • Spunkane, Co. Kerry

    Spunkane (Snigger. Hey, you were warned that it might be juvenile!) in Co. Kerry was actually the place where the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in the 1880s. Nearby Waterville also hosts a Charlie Chaplin festival because the film star loved visiting the area so much. (The very first transatlantic cable was laid in 1965 between Valentia Island near Waterville and Newfoundland) Image: Johnathan Nightingale via Flickr/Creative Commons

  • Effin, Co. Limerick

    Effin in Co. Limerick was in the news earlier this year after Facebook had a problem with allowing locals to include it as their parish. Limerick also boasts places called Nicker and Hospital.

  • Blue Ball, Co. Offaly

    Again, apologies for the sniggers.

  • Nobber, Co. Meath

    Meath village Nobber is one of the favourites on Ireland's list of amusing placenames. It's also the birthplace of the blind harpist Turlough O'Carolan. So there. Image: Dave Sandford via Flickr/Creative Commmons
  • Bastardstown in Co. Wexford has, by all accounts, a dearth of signs to pose beside or steal. It's a small area near the coast and its name supposedly indicates that it was a successful Norman settlement, along with nearby Horetown and Heavenstown. Image: Google Maps
  • If you're going to travel to Donegal to get your name taken beside the Muff roadsign, then you may has well go the whole hog and visit the Muff Diving Club while you're at it. The Donegal town has already made it onto lists of funny place names in esteemed publications like The Guardian, FHM and Funny or Die, and it certainly deserves a place in our list too. Image: Addypope via Flickr/Creative Commons
  • Crazy Corner in Westmeath is situated to the north east of Mullingar. Not too far away is the area known as Pass-If-You-Can.
  • Spunkane (Snigger. Hey, you were warned that it might be juvenile!) in Co. Kerry was actually the place where the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in the 1880s. Nearby Waterville also hosts a Charlie Chaplin festival because the film star loved visiting the area so much. (The very first transatlantic cable was laid in 1965 between Valentia Island near Waterville and Newfoundland) Image: Johnathan Nightingale via Flickr/Creative Commons
  • Effin in Co. Limerick was in the news earlier this year after Facebook had a problem with allowing locals to include it as their parish. Limerick also boasts places called Nicker and Hospital.
  • Again, apologies for the sniggers.
  • Meath village Nobber is one of the favourites on Ireland's list of amusing placenames. It's also the birthplace of the blind harpist Turlough O'Carolan. So there. Image: Dave Sandford via Flickr/Creative Commmons

Some more of Ireland’s more unfortunate place names include Stranagalwilly in Co Tyrone, Gaggin in Cork and Kilmacow and Kilmacat in Limerick.

Looking further afield there’s Intercourse in Pennsylvania in the US, Dildo in Canada, Frog Suck in Wyoming and Middelfart in Denmark.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to book our trip to Journal Square Plaza in New Jersey.

Austrian village to vote on changing its F***ing name>

Facebook allows Effin locals to declare hometown – but no expats>

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