Translation according to P. W. Joyce:
Lisheenavalla in Galway ; Lisin-a'-bhealaigh, little fort of the pass or road. See Bealach, vol. i. p. 371.
Bealach [ballagh], signifies a road or pass. It forms part of the well-known battle cry of the 88th Connaught Rangers, Fág-a'-bealach, clear the road. Ballagh, the usual modern form, constitutes or begins the names of a number of places; near several of these the ancient roadways may be traced; and in some cases they are still used. Ballaghboy, yellow road, was formerly the name of several old highways, and is still retained by a number of townlands. Ballaghmoon, two miles north of Carlow, where the battle in which Cormac Mac Cullenan was killed, was fought in the year 903, is called in the Book of Leinster, Bealach-Mughna, Mughan's or Mooan's pass; but we know not who this Mughan was. The great road from Tara to the south-west, called Slighe Dala, is still remembered in the name of a townland in Queen's County, which enables us to identify at least one point in its course. This road was also called Ballaghmore Moydala (the great road of the plain of the conference), and the first part of this old name is retained by the townland of Ballaghmore near Stradbally. There are several other places in Leinster and Munster called Ballaghmore, but none with such interesting associations as this. Several other well-known places retain the memory of those old bealachs. Ballaghadereen in Mayo, is called in Irish Bealach-a'-doirin, the road of the little oak-wood; the village of Ballaghkeen in Wexford, was originally called Bealach-caein, beautiful road; and Ballaghkeeran near Athlone, must have been formerly shaded with keerans or quicken-trees. When this word occurs as a termination, it is very often changed to vally by the aspiration of the b, and the disappearance of the final guttural. There are townlands scattered through the four provinces called Ballinvally and Ballyvally, the town of the road; which in Limerick is made Ballinvallig, by the restoration of the final g (p. 31). So also Moyvally, the name of a place in Carlow, and of another in Kildare - the latter a station on the Midland railway - the plain or field of the road. The word has another form still in Revallagh near Coleraine, clear or open (reidh) road - so called, no doubt, to distinguis it from some other road difficult of passage. For the word ród, a road, see 2nd Vol., Chap. XIII.