placenamesWoodford
An Ghráig
Two surviving buildings record different everyday functions: short-term detention and combined shopkeeping and domestic life.
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 Ghráig · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Woodford · English · main form
Place & story
The former bridewell
Woodford’s former bridewell dates to about 1800 in the architectural inventory. Its three-bay frontage has a central projecting section topped by a pediment. Small upper-floor windows are characteristic of this kind of local gaol, used to hold petty offenders and remand prisoners. Later extensions and alterations changed the building, while its symmetrical arrangement remained recognisable. [2]
Separate entrances for shop and home
A house dating to about 1870 preserves a timber shopfront within its four-bay frontage. Carved doors, display windows, panelled pilasters and a dentilled cornice distinguish the commercial entrance. A separate door serves the domestic accommodation, making the division between trading space and living quarters visible from the street. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Woodford. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Woodford Gaol, NIAH 30342008 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Woodford house and shopfront, NIAH 30342001 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.