This article first appeared in The Glynns volume 8 (1980). It is re – presented here with additional photographs and hyperlinks.
The parish of Layd is entirely situated in the barony of Lower Glenarm and is bounded on the north by the parish of Culfeightrin and the Granges of Innispollan and Layd; on the south by the parish of Ardclinis, on the east by the sea and on the west by the parish of Dunaghy.It contains ninety-four townlands.
Summit of Trostan 500m (1817 ft)
Trostan (1817 feet), the highest mountain in Co. Antrim is entirely situated within the parish. Although by no means the most extensive parish in the county, it contains the second largest number of townlands, being only exceeded in this respect by the parish of Ballymoney, which contains ninety-seven. Many of the townlands in Layd are extremely small; this may mean that their area bears a close relationship with the old land system known as Rundale.
| Townland | Gaelic | Meaning |
| Aghaheigh | Achadh h-aithe | the field of the kiln(probably a corn kiln) |
| Agola | Achadh gabhail | the field of the river fork |
| Altmore Lower | Alt mor | great height or cliff |
| Altmore Upper | Alt mor | great height or cliff |
| Ballyagan | Baile aigean * Joyce suggests Baile Ui -hAgain |
the townland of the deep pit * O’Hagan’s townland |
| Ballybrack | Baile breac | the speckled townland |
| Ballyfad | Baile fada | the long townland |
| Ballymacdoe | Baile meadog | the townland of the daggers |
| Ballynahavill | Baile na-h-abail | the townland of the apples |
| Ballynalougher | Baile na luachra | the townland of the rushes |
| Ballyvooley | Baile bhuaile | the townland of the booley or summer pasture. |
(Under the rundale system of farming the land was held in common and when the crops were planted in the in-field (which was unfenced) it was necessary to move all the farm animals to the upland pasture. The animals remained all during the summer in this area which was known as the `booley’.)
| Townland | Gaelic | Meaning |
| Baraghilly | Bearna h-aille | the gap of the cliff or perhaps Barach’s woods. |
| Barad | Barr ard | high summit |
| Bellisk (or Waterford) | Beal uisge | the mouth of the water or river |
| Callishnagh | Coill Uisneach | the wood of Uishneach ** |
** (connected, no doubt, with the legend of Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach. cf. Carrick Uisneach — the rock of the sons of Uishneach, near Ballycastle and Dun MhicUisheachain, near Loch Etive in Scotland.)
| Townland | Gaelic | Meaning |
| Carnahagh | Carn na h-aithe | the cairn of the kiln |
| Carnanee | Carn an fhiadh | the cairn of the deer |
| Carnasheeran | Carn na suidhe dhruim | the cairn of the fairy ridge |
| Cashlan | Caislean | the castle |
| Clenagh | Cloigneach | skull shaped hills |
| Cloughglass | Cloch glas | grey stone |
| Cloughs | Clocach | stony place |
| Cloghy East | Clocach | stone place |
| Cloghy West | Clocach | stone place |
| Cloney | Cluainidhe | meadows |
| Corlane | Cor leathan | broad hill |
| Coskib | Cos ciob | the fort of the mountain grass |
| Culbidagh | Cuil biadhtach | the corner of the victuallers ** |
**(Under the ancient Irish system certain families had special duties to perform and possibly the most important duty was the provision of food for the clan. This was carried our by the Betaghs and hence we have a division of land known as a Ballybetagh. The modern name for the MacBetaghs are Mc-Veigh’s, MacVittys and Beatties.)
| Townland | Gaelic | Meaning |
| Cushendall | Cos abhainn dalla ** | the foot of the river Dall
|
(The word ‘dall’ could mean blind suggesting that the river flowed underground in some places: It might also come from `dalla’ a word in Old Irish for a river. The Blackwater in Co. Armagh is sometimes referred to as `the dalla’.)
| Townland | Gaelic | Meaning |
| Doory | Duireach | the wet place |
| Dromore | Druim mor | the big hill-ridge |
| Drumcudree | Druim coidrighe | the friendly hill |
| Drumnasmear | Druim na smear | the hill-ridge of the blackberries |
| Dunourgan | Dun orcain
Dun a Haragain |
the fort of the pig or Harrigan’s fort |
| Ellanabouah | Oilcan na bacaighe | island of the cripples |
| Eshery | Eascra | sandy ridge |
| Fallinerlea | Fal an fhir leith
|
the hedge or boundary of the Grey man (cf. The Grey Man’s Path) |
| Falmacrilly | Fal Mic Crillighe
|
McCrilly’s hedges or boundary (cf. The Falls in Belfast the district of the hedges) |
| Falnaglass | Fal na nglas | the hedge of the stream |
| Faughil | Fo choill | the under wood |
| Foriff | Foirbh | pasture land |
| Glassmullen | Glas mullan | green hillock |
| Glebe | church lands | |
| Glenaan | Gleann nathain | the glen of the saying or proverb. No one seems to know what the saying was. |
| Glenville or Leamore | Gleann an bhile | the glen of the tree of veneration (Druidic ceremonies took place near certain large trees) |
| Gortaclee | Gort an cre | the tilled field of the hurdles |
| Gortaghragan | Gort a raghan | the tilled field of the little rock |
| Gortateean | Gort a tsian | the tilled field of the foxgloves |
| Gortlane | Gort leathan | the broad tilled field |
| Gortnagross or Murroo | Gort na grois | the tilled field of the cross |
| Gruig | Gruag | place of long hairy grass |
| lssbawn | Eas ban | white waterfall |
| Killoughag | Coill lathach | miry wood |
| Kilmore | Cill Mor | large church |
| Kilnadore | Cill na dobhar | the church of the water **
(See article on Mills in the Middle Glens by M. McSparran Glynns vol.4 p23) |
| Knocknacully | Cnoc na gculliagh | the hill of the cocks |
| Knockans North | Cnocain | little hills |
| Knockans south | as above | as above |
| Knockeny | cnocanach | the hilly place |
| Knocknacarry | cnoc na caraidh | the hill of the weir |
| Lagflugh | Lag fluigh | wet hollow |
| Laney | Leanaidh | the marshy place |
| Layd | Leithidh | the broad place (cf. Knocklayde – the broad hill) |
| Legg | Lag | the hollow |
| Lubitavish | Lub a tsamhais | the corner or band of delight |
| Magherareeroy | Machaire an Ri ruad | the plain of the red king |
| Middle Gortnagross | Gort na grois | the tilled field of the cross |
| Middle Park | middle field | |
| Moneyvart | Muine bhearrtha | the moor of the mowing ** |
** (A local legend relates that St. Kieran, at a time when his community of Layd was hard pressed by famine, went to ask the prayers of the Abbot of Ardclinis. He related to him their distress and told him that another month must pass before their corn could be ripe. “Look”, said the holy abbot, “the grain in your fields is already ripe.” St. Kieran looked across the bay and his heart was gladdened at the sight of the yellow corn. He hastened back and he and his monks, with thanksgiving, reaped the miraculously ripened corn. Hence the name Moneyvart — moorland of the reaping.)
| Mount Edwards | Difficult to know if this is related to the Edward/Eamon of Ballyeamon | |
| Mullinaskeagh | Mullan na sciachoige | The hillock of whitehorn |
| Ouna or Eagle Hill | Uaimhneach | a lonely place |
| Park more | Parc mor | the big field |
| Aganlane | ethian leathan | broad bottom |
| Rananagh | raithineach | ferny place |
| Red Bay | gets its name from the red cliffs | |
| Retreat or Clough glass | Cloch glass | greystone |
| Savagh | Samhadh | sorrell |
| Shaninish | sean inise | old river home |
| Sleans | sleamhan | place of elm trees |
| Sraid | a street, a single street village | |
| Tavnaghan | Tamhnachan | little green field |
| Tavnagharry | Tamnach h-airighe | green field of the watching |
| Tavnaghadrissagh | Tamnach driseog | field of the briars |
| Tavnaghonney | Tamhnach Chonnaidh | field of the firewood |
| Tavnaghowen | Tamhnach h-abhainn | the field of the river |
| Timpan | Tiompan | round hillock |
| Tirkelly | Tir coilleadh | the land of the woods |
| Toberwine | Tobar faithnidh | Well of the warts (Possible referring to a cure for warts) |
| Tromra | Tromaire | elder grove |
| Tully | Tulach | hillock |
| Unshinagh | Uinseanach | place of ash trees |
| Warren | a rabbit warren |