placenamesRed Cow
An Bhó Dhearg
The Red Cow name is documented long before the motorways and tram depot that now shape this part of southwest Dublin.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An Bhó Dhearg · Irish · main form · validated name
- Red Cow · English · main form
Place & story
A name recorded before the junction
The Placenames Branch records Red Cow Farm near Clondalkin in a deed of 1735. An Ordnance Survey namebook entry from 1837 explains the local name through a public house whose sign depicted a red cow. These records establish the name’s use well before the modern road interchange. The same archive also preserves the older Shoulder of Mutton inn-name, showing the variety of names recorded in the locality. [2]
The Moran family and the inn
Tom and Sheila Moran purchased the Red Cow Inn in 1988. In a later interview, Tom recalled travelling to the auction on 30 July after a friend encouraged him to view the pub. The family moved to Dublin that September to take it over. The inn became the base for a broader hospitality business, while the family developed other pubs and later concentrated on hotels. [3]
The Luas connection
Red Cow’s transport interchange opened in 2004, bringing tram services together with buses, coaches and park-and-ride facilities. The site also became the operating base for the Luas Red Line. Transport Infrastructure Ireland describes a depot with workshops, tram washing and storage facilities, as well as the central control room. Red Cow therefore serves both passengers changing between services and the less visible work of maintaining and directing the tram network. [4] [5]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Red Cow. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- An Bhó Dhearg/Red Cow, historical references · Placenames Branch, Government of Ireland; Logainm.ie
- The positive publican,10 June 2019 · Drinks Industry Ireland; interview with Tom Moran
- 20 Years of Luas: The Benefits of Luas,2024, page 54 · Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Trams and Depots · Transport Infrastructure Ireland
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-02-17. How this page was prepared.