Dindsenchas or Dindshenchas (modern spellings: Dinnseanchas or Dinnsheanchas or Dınnṡeanċas), meaning "lore of places"[1] (the modern Irish word dinnseanchas means "topography"),[2] is a class of onomastic text in early Irish literature, recounting the origins of place-names and traditions concerning events and characters associated with the places in question.
Since many of the legends being related also concern the acts of mythic and legendary figures, the dindsenchas has been an important source for the study of Irish mythology.
Many of the explanations given are made to fit the name and not the other way around, especially in the many cases where a place was much older than the Middle Irish spoken at the time of the poems' composition.
[4] Knowledge of the real or putative history of local places formed an important part of the education of the elite in ancient Ireland.
It was also essential knowledge for the bardic caste, who were expected to recite poems answering questions on place name origins as part of their professional duties.