Brian’s Ford

I have finally got my computer back up and running again, at least what I hope is in a safe and secure environment.

Following an enquiry passed to me from a member of staff of the Mourne Heritage Trust I have just a short blog on the origin of the name of the village of Bryansford which is our neighbouring village about one mile away and is probably the most picturesque village in the Mournes. The enquiry arose from a visitor to the area from Dublin who had the first name Bryan and wondered if there was a connection.

Well there is, Bryansford literally means “Brian’s Ford”, the ford over the little stream in the middle of the lands own by the son of a local chieftan called Brian McHugh Magennis and this son was also called Brian. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bryansford&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.080837,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=54.228251,-5.93766&spn=0.008241,0.019226&t=h&z=16&g=Bryansford

The stream runs just outside the village shop in Bryansford, literally under the Phone Box, now in a culvert bridge and virtually unnoticed by the traffic that passes it each day. I will attempt to scan a reference on the origin of the name from my book “The Place Names of Northern Ireland” in a future Blog, but first got to master the technology.