Béal an Átha Móir

Béal an Átha Móir, "mouth of the big ford," derives from Irish béal (opening, mouth), an átha (of the ford), and móir (great). The name reflects the town's location at a major crossing point on the Yellow River. In 1244, the settlement was known as Áth na Chuirre ("ford of the afflictions") because a hospital dedicated to Saint John the Baptist stood beside the ford, recorded in the Irish Annal...