Cork Ireland

The oldest source of information that we possess regarding the ancient geography of Ireland is contained in the work of the second-century Alexandrian, Ptolemy. The following are the geographical names which he gives for the region now called the province of Munster : on the West Coast, the River Dour, probably one of the inlets of the sea (such as the Kenmare river) at the south-west of Ireland. South of this is the Hiernos Potamos-another of these estuaries. This south-west corner of the island was, according to Ptolemy, inhabited by a tribe called the Vellabroi, of whom we hear again in the fifth century historian Orosius, but apparently nowhere certainly in Irish traditional history. At the angle was the Notion Akron, which perhaps it is hopeless to identify with certainty among the headlands of that complicated coast-line. Turning to the south coast, we meet the Dabrona river, with a town Ivernis upon it, inhabited by people called Ivemoi. The position identifies these with the River Lee (Sabhrannl in Irish), Cork, and the people there dwelling. The only other place-name is the River Birgos, whose name and position identify it with the Barrow (or rather the estuary of the Barrow and Suir). The sea west of Ireland Ptolemy calls the Okeanos Dutikos; that to the south, the Okeanos Vergionos.

Posted on April 15th, 2008 under Ancient Geography. Tags: alexandrian, Ancient Geography, Cork, dabrona river, Geography, hiernos potamos, ivernis, orosius, ptolemy, river dour, vellabroi. Comments: None