An account of the origins of the Irish people discusses their customs, daily life, surnames, coats of arms, and clan tartans from prehistoric times to the present and includes full-color photographs. Edward MacLysaght, the leading authority on Irish names and family history, has writen a guide to over 2000 family names found in Ireland. Brief notations on each family include the original Gaelic version of name, an english translation of the Gaelic, the county or country of origin, and notes on the history of the family when available. If you need a single, definitive volume of Irish names, you won't do any better than this one. Good source of frequently used first names in both Irish and English and their meanings.
Final section lists some Irish placenames and meaning of words.