Irish Translation Forum

I recently found the grave of my great great grandfather in Amherst, Massachusetts. His marker says: "A native of Clarican, Co. Kerry". I can find neither a town nor a parish named Clarican, but I thought it might be the anglicization of an Irish name. The closest I can find is Cloghane in Co. Kerry. Does anyone know if this translation/transliteration makes sense? Any other ideas about Clarican?

I took a glance at the placenames commission website (logainm.ie), but I didn't spot anything obvious. (There are thousands of placenames in Kerry). I doubt that Clarican is Cloughan, they're not close enough.

I'll PM our placenames expert, Enfield. In the meantime, do you know where any of his relatives were born? That might help us narrow down what part of Kerry he was from.

Theres a Clouracaun in County Cork near Kinsale, it would sound similar to clarican

Thanks for your reply, mhwombat. I was afraid that my translation/transliteration was a stretch. I'm at the very beginning of trying to track down my ancestors in Ireland, and have very little to go on. I do have his birthdate, and now I know he was born in Co. Kerry, so that's a start. But the name of the town is a head scratcher. Anything you might come up with will be much appreciated.

My guess would be that the Irish version starts with Clár, or less likely, Cill Ar-.

Oddly enough, the family lore has always put us in County Cork, but never with a specific town. Now we have the conflicting details on my grandfather's headstone. So, it's a town that sounds like Clarican in County Kerry or Clouracaun in County Cork. Well, it's a beginning. Thanks.

Hmm... Clourican seems to be fairly centrally located in Cork. (I was thinking that if it were on the border, someone might say they were from there and place it in Kerry.)

Let's see what Enfield comes up with. It's past 1AM here, but he'll probably get my PM tomorrow.

Some similar sounding word that may help.
Clouracaun, cloichrean, a place of stones....Cork
Cleraghan, Uí Chléireacháin, O’Clerihan, a family name.
Clerahan, baile Uí Chléireacháin, town of Ó Cléireacháin, a family name and means the descendants of Clerihan.
Cleran, cloichreán, little stony place.
Cleraun, Clothrann, Clothra, a personal or family name.....Longford
Cleraun, cloithreán, rocky land....Longford
Clerhaun, cloichreán, little stony place.....Galway
Clerhawn, cloichreán, rocky ground.... Galway
Clariana, clár Uí Aille, O’Halley’s plain.
Clerran, an cloicheán, not given
Clerrann, cloichreán, little stony place.
Cloran, clocharán, chlocharáin, stepping stones.
Cloran, cloichréan, not given.
Cloran, cloithreán, cloichreán, little stony place.
Cloran, chloichreáin, cloichrean, a stony place.
Clorane, cloichreán, little stony place.
Cloranshea, cloichreán Uí Shé, not given.
Clorenawn, a burial place for unbaptised children.
Clorhane, clochrán, stepping stones.
Clorhane, cloichreán, little stony place.
Clorna, cloichearnach, not given.
Clornagh, cloithearnach, stony land.
Cluricane, luprachaun, luchorpán, leprechaun/s.
Sorry I cannot be more help regarding the actual location.
This is always a good place to start;
http://www.logainm.ie/

Regards.
Tom.

And here I thought I'd found a nice, simple bridge back to Ireland from my great great grandfather's stone. Knowing his descendants (and being one myself), the idea of putting the Irish for luprachaun on his stone is as likely as putting his actual hometown. We're all a little mischievous... Though I am leaning more toward the idea that the family lore of being from Cork might just be right and the stone is wrong. In any case, I'm lucky to have a mystery to solve and grateful to find folks with some ideas. Thanks a million to all who helped.

Clogherane, Cloghereen are in Kerry. Would these fit?