Ciarraí
/ˈciəɾˠiː/masculine
Kerry is translated into Irish as Ciarraí. Wiktionary also lists Contae Chiarraí.
Meaning: county in Ireland (name)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ciarraí | /ˈciəɾˠiː/ | masculine |
| Contae Chiarraí | masculine |
The word refers to the county in Ireland. While Ciarraí is the standard name used in most contexts, such as describing where someone is from, the term can also be used in its full official form.
Which one should you use?
Ciarraí is the common name for the county used in everyday speech and general contexts. Contae Chiarraí is the full, formal name.
How does it change in a sentence?
Ciarraí is the name of the county used in most contexts, such as when saying someone is from Kerry. The full official name for the county is Contae Chiarraí. Both forms are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈciəɾˠiː/
Did you know?
- The Irish name Ciarraí is derived from the word ciar, meaning 'dark' or 'black', and is traditionally interpreted to mean 'the dark one' or 'the place of the dark-haired people'.
- The initial consonant sound of Ciarraí changes through a process called 'lenition' depending on the grammatical context of the sentence.
- The word contae is akin to the English word 'county' and shares a common root in the Latin word comitātus.
Examples in context
- Tá mé ag dul go dtí Ciarraí ar mo laethanta saoire.I'm going to Kerry on my holidays.
- Bhí teachtaireacht fógraíochta ag teacht ó Chiarraí.An advertisement message was coming from Kerry.
- Is contae álainn é Ciarraí.Kerry is a beautiful county.
Example conversation
Cian and Siobhán are discussing their travel plans.
- CianCá bhfuil tú ag dul an samhradh seo?Where are you going this summer?
- SiobhánTá mé ag dul go Ciarraí.I am going to Kerry.
- CianAn bhfuil tú ag cuairtu an trá?Are you visiting the beach?
- SiobhánTá, tá an trá i Ciarraí go hiontach.Yes, the beach in Kerry is wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kerry” translations and entries Ciarraí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contae, CC BY-SA 4.0.
