An excursion to Long Melford and Lavenham followed...

Abigail Lloyd gave a comprehensive overview of watery names and island sites - a comparison of Cambridgeshire, Ely and Essex.

Finally on Saturday, Keith Briggs introduced some street-names from Bury St Edmunds, prior to a walking tour later in the evening.

Chris Lewis shared Fashions in personal names and social mobility in late Anglo-Saxon England.

Shaun Tyas gave a presentation on the name of Redburga, queen of Ecgberht (802-839).

Paul Tempan talked about borrowing from abroad in Belfast street-names. Was Commemoration, marketing or other motivation?

Then @aofionnagain.bsky.social shared 'The fields of Athlone: town park and field names outside the walls'.

After lunch, Conchubhar Ó Crualaoich entertained us with Nicknames in working-class Wexford. Is this tradition likely to continue?

Following, @Eilidh NicGilleRuaidh shared her report on Gaelic place-names in Scotland - see www.ainmean-aite.scot

Collaboration! Plurality of opinions/interpretations based on material culture and textual records. Some texts: Hassall (2013), Gerrard (2013), Rippon el al (2015), Fleming (2021); Hill (2017), Green (2012/2020), Nature 610 (2022) DNA. Can't conclude anything re languages spoken from DNA (Coates).

First up this morning is Rob Briggs: recent work in archaeology and history concerning 5th and 6th centuries in lowland Britain/implications for English place-name studies...

Now Gavin Smith speaks about Social systems analysis and English place-names: example of cultural hegemonies of Kings Æthelberht, Rædwald and Sigeberht. Hãm, -ingas (one in each hundredral centre in west/central Surrey), stede names: models suggest exonyms surviving in legal land docs.

Edward Martin, landscape historian, shares place-names in a post-royal landscape - Rendlesham after Rædwald. Lordship and Landscape in East Anglia AD 400-800 (2024), Rendlesham and the East Anglian Kingdom. Pangle (1647 will) 'fenland', walk 'sheep pasture', went 'furlong' - complicated landscapes!

Now, Thomas Clancy shares 'A county of contrast: settlement names in Ayrshire'. See ayr-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk. Cunningham, Kyle, Carrick areas. Names containing Scots 'toun' largely have surnames as specific elements. Why are ' toun' names in the Kyle area different? Are they later?

Next, Lyn Boothman introduces prominent surnames, kinship, and stability in Long Melford. Agriculture and textile manufacturing. A family history for a place. Changes due to migration, infant mortality, local industries, changes in the Poor Law.

We're in Bury St Edmund's for our annual Spring Conference. This evening a keynote talk was given by Professor Mark Bailey on the estates of the Bury St Edmund's Abbey 1250-1450. Violent uprisings, intriguing data gleaned from manorial documents, and more... research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/m...

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Where Duolingo falls down: how I learned to speak Welsh with my mother

The long read: Once violently defended from extinction, Welsh is still a part of daily life. By learning my family’s language, I hoped to join their conversation

theguardian.com

Loch Atraí, Loch na Brocaí agus na Beanna Beola

‘In am’ ag Rialtas na hÉireann an Ghaeilge in Éirinn Aontaithe a chur ‘ar an gclár oibre’ - Foras na Gaeilge

‘In am’ ag Rialtas na hÉireann an Ghaeilge in Éirinn Aontaithe a chur ‘ar an gclár oibre’ – Foras na Gaeilge

Tá sé “in am” ag Rialtas na hÉireann an Ghaeilge a chur ar an gclár oibre ag an gComhairle Aireachta Thuaidh/Theas agus na ceisteanna faoin teanga a luaitear i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta a réiteach a...

tuairisc.ie

Fair play dhuit a Phádraig, ná hinis tada dhóibh 🤐

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

Opinion: This crisis is not ultimately about Greenland. It's about something much bigger

US president Donald Trump’s hostility towards Europe has long been manifest

irishtimes.com

Lán an tí ann an tseachtain seo caite nuair a labhair an Dr Pádraig Lenihan le Cumann Bhaile Átha Luain Ársa: 'Sieges without Guns: Athlone and the midlands from December 1641 to February 1642’ Full house at last week's Old Athlone Society lecture by Dr Pádraig Lenihan.

Bhí cnoic Mhám Tuirc draoíochtúil inniu.

Why 🇮🇪 is missing its military manpower targets. Conor Gallagher is writing in todays @irishtimes.com As our 🇪🇺 partners significantly increase defence expenditure and recruitment, Ireland remains a laggard on both fronts. @micheal-martin.bsky.social @simonharrisireland.bsky.social

Our latest town published was Ballyshannon/Béal Átha Seanaidh by Angela Byrne in October 2025. Below are all 32 atlases published along with those that are in progress. You can browse more here: www.ria.ie/research-pro...

Tá sé thar am go dtógfaí arm, aerfhórsa agus cabhlach a mbeadh sé de chumas acu Éire a chosaint - níor mhaith linn a bheith sáite idir Farage agus Trump/Vance/MAGA faoi cheann cúpla bliain!

In this video, I have a conversation with @carlomasala1.bsky.social about the risk of war with Russia, the future of Nato, and the challenges to European security.

Can NATO survive a war with Russia? — with Carlo Masala

YouTube video by Anders Puck Nielsen

youtube.com

V proud supervisor! Congrats DR Gaëlle Clion who had a very successful viva today @unioflimerick.bsky.social. Pictured with Gaëlle are supervisors @gordonoriain.bsky.social @aofionnagain.bsky.social & examiners Sile de Cléir & Pádraig Ó Macháin (UCC). Thanks also to chair @drtinamorin.bsky.social

The latest volume of the Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie is now available www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/... @degruyterbrill.bsky.social

There's a lot of positivity about Irish at the moment in public commentary, but this inspectors' report on the teaching of Irish in national schools is damning: Summary: many teachers are unable to speak the language they are 'teaching': www.gov.ie/en/departmen...