placenamesLecale Upper
Leath Cathail Uachtarach
Bright’s hilltop church served as a coastal landmark in Lewis’s account.
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
- Leath Cathail Uachtarach · Irish · main form
- Lecale Upper · English · main form
Place & story
A building visible from the sea
Bright’s church had a practical role beyond worship in Samuel Lewis’s 1837 description: its position on a hill made it a useful landmark for mariners. Lewis dated the small building, which he described as Grecian in style, to 1745. Inside stood a memorial to Lord Lecale. Nearby were the ruins of Bright castle, placing the church within an older group of prominent local structures. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Lecale Upper. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Bright, Down: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) · Samuel Lewis
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2019-10-08. How this page was prepared.