Patrick Weston "P. W." Joyce (1827-1914) was an Irish historian, writer and music collector, known particularly for his research in Irish etymology and local place names of Ireland.

Educated at a hedge school Joyce was to become a key cultural figure in Ireland. He produced many works on the history of Ireland including; On the Old Celtic Romances, Irish Grammar, and the English Language in Ireland.

His three volume series, Irish Names of Places, stands as an invaluable resource for those interested in learning more about the origin and development of Irish place names.

The author’s aim in writing the first two volumes of the series was to explain the phonetic laws under which Irish place names were anglicised. Volume three was a natural sequel and P.W. Joyce has endeavoured to include names which you would not find in the previous two volumes.