How do I pronounce Irish place names such as Dun Laoghaire, Cobh and Portlaoise?
Say them the local way and nobody minds a near miss: Dun Laoghaire is dun LEER ee, Cobh is Cove, and Portlaoise is port LEESH uh. Two habits unlock most Irish names. The pairs bh and mh sound like a v, which is why Cobh rhymes with cove, and long vowel pairs such as aoi run together rather than being sounded letter by letter. The Placenames Database of Ireland at logainm.ie gives the Irish form of most towns and villages, often with a recording. Check the three names on your route before you set off and taxi drivers will place you at once.
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Sources
- Placenames Database of Ireland: official place name forms and recorded pronunciations, logainm.ie
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