The parish gets its name from the townland on which stood the ancient church and priory. Both the church and priory are supposed to have grown out of the early monastic foundation of SS. Cuan and Brogan. The latter however was not at Mothel but at Ballynevin a mile, or so distant. The observant reader will notice the number of names implying ecclesiastical association and indicating dependency on an important religious house, e.g. Bishopstown, Ballynab, Cloch na Coimirce, Old Grange &;c. For a description of the church and priory remains the reader is referred to Waterford Archaeological Journal, Vol. II., pp. 9 &c.

TOWNLANDS

• BALLYDURN, Baile Ui Dhioráin - "O'Durran's Homestead." Area 1,149 acres.
  S.DD. (a) Crosaire na nDanes - "The Danes Cross-Roads." The "cross-roads" owe their name to the more or less modern fashion of attributing all the antiquarian remains to the Danes. The remains here attributed are confined to a basin-like and apparently artificial depression of bullan type in a large, partly buried boulder by the roadside. The basin is some 20" in diameter by about 9" deep.
  (b) Gleann Fuinnse - "Ash Tree Glen"; on boundary with Glenaphuca.

• BALLYNACURRA, Baile na Coradh - "Homestead of the (Cattle) Stall." Area, 536 acres.
  "Ballinacurry" (A.S.E.).
  S.DD. (a) Inse an Rinnce - "River-holm of the Dance."
  (b) Tobar a' Mhargaidh - Well of the Market"; on what was formerly a commonage.
  (c) An Leacht - "The Monument"; a stone pile on the Feddins' boundary, marking the scene of a murder.
  (d) "The Barrack Field."

• BRIDGETOWN, Baile an Droichid - "Homestead of the Bridge." The "bridge" commemorated in the placename is hardly the bridge of Clonea, which is not even on Bridgetown, but connects Clonea with Ballyneil. Fleming not aware of the antiquity of both names, suspected Ballyneil to be the later name of the sub-division of Bridgetown. ("Gaelic Journal," Vol. II., p. 300.) Both names have, however, the respectable antiquity of at least three hundred years behind them for they occur in their present form, in the Down Survey Maps &c. Area, 410 acres.

• COOLNAHORNA, Cúl na hEórnan - "Barley Ridge-Back." Area, 724 acres.
  "Coolnehorney," (D.S.R.).
  S.DD. (a) Cruach - "Stack"; a conical hill to the south of Crotty's Lake.
  (b) Carraig an Fhiolair - "The Eagle's Rock."
  (c) Cill Bhaile Uí Breacáin - "Church of O'Bracken's Homestead"; this is the site of an early church, on O'Mahoney's farm.
  (d) An Uidhir; name of a small river which later joins the Clodaigh.

• COOLNALINGADY, Cúil na Loinnide - Meaning unknown. Other forms have been suggested; Cúil na Linne Fhada - "The Ridge-Back of the Long Pool"; from its proximity to Crotty's Lake, and Currach na Laingaide - "Bog of the Spancel."
  Currach Leaindí "Landy's Bog." The townland is more commonly known as Curraghlandy, perhaps from an old sub-denomination. Area, 367 acres.
  S.DD. (a) Leaca Riabhach - "Grey Glen-Slope."
  (b) Tobar na Bainríoghna - "The Queen's Well"; sarcastically, from some lady-proprietor who was noted for her "airs."
  (c) Carraig Reamhar - "Thick Stumpy Rock."
  (d) An Bealach - "The Roadway (or Pass)"; a "gap" leading to Commons.
  (e) Claidhe na bhFiann and Soc & a Choltair - "Earthen-Fence of the Fianns" and "Sock and Its Colter" respectively; these are the two remarkable and nearly parallel trenches which run up the steep mountain side and are visible for miles. At a distance the curious features look like boundary fences - one considerably longer than the other. It was Fionn MacCumbail who ploughed them: he had completed the first and had got more than half-way up the second-furrow when the ploughshare (colter) broke.
  (f) An Lúib - "The Hoop"; name of a field.
  (g) Coinnleach Árd - "High Stubble-Field"; a patch of now wild mountain, at a considerable elevation.
  (h) Tuinn a' Ghearráin Léith - "Swamp of the Old Grey Horse."
  (I) Bán na Nóiníní - "Daisy Field."
  (j) Currach na Leadbh - "Marsh of the Rags."
  (k) An Dubhglais - "The Dark -Coloured Stream." The present name is applied to the stream forming the boundary with Ross.
  (l) Tobar na nAibhle - "The Sparkling-Well."
  (m) Beárna an Ruadháin - "Gap of the Moory Tract."
  (n) Bealach na nGeaitíní - "Way of the Little Gates."
  (o) Barr a' Bhealaigh - "Top of the Highway."
  
  The features designated by the following five names occur along the mountain summit - south to north:-
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cnoc Maol - as seen from the side of Coumshingaun with a small lake at the front of the Coum.
  
  
  
  
  
  (p) Cnoc Maol - "Bare Hill."
  (q) Clocha Díog - "Stony Bank."
  (r) Carraig a tSonnaidh - "Rock of the Stockade."
  (s) Stolla Chrotaigh - "Crotty's Cliff" named from the famous outlaw. See under Ross.
  
  Crotty's Rock at the back of Crotty's Lake

• FEDDANS, Feadáin - "Streams." There is a small ruined castle of the Powers on this townland, also a mote. From the Down Survey reference to "Fiddownes als Ballyhasteene" it would seem that Ballyhest is an ancient sub-division of Feddans. Area, 722 acres.
  S.DD. (a) Áth a' tSeana-Mhuilinn - "Ford of the Old Mill."
  (b) An Leacht - "The Monumental Cairn"; by the public-road side."

• KILCANAVEE, Cill Cheannabhuidhe - "Canaway's Church"; John Fleming gives somewhere another (somewhat far-fetched) derivation, scil:- Cill Chinn Mhaige. Site of the early church on Keating's farm and the outlines of the circular rampart, enclosing two acres or thereabouts, are distinctly traceable. Some interresting dresses stones from a primitive doorway are built into a fence by the roadside. Area, 825 acres.
  S.DD.(a) Gleann Fuinnse - "Ash-tree Glen."
  (b) Cruachán (Paorach) - "Little (Mountain) Pile", little in comparison with the Comeragh heights behind it to the west, but itself in reality is a considerable hill, 1,285 feet high.
  
  Croughan - as seen from Coumshingaun.

  (c) Carraig a' Bhrannra - "Rock of the Cattle Pen"; on the summit of last.
  (d) Tobar Uaitéir - "Walter's Well."