Rathnait · “RA-nit” · Girl's name · also Renny From rath, 'grace' or 'prosperity'. Patroness of Kilrenny in Kildare — the church that still carries her name, which is more than most of these saints managed.
Rian · “REE-an” · Boy's name · also Ryan, Rían Possibly 'little king' — from rí; disputed. Better known as a surname (Ó Riain, Ryan) than a given name until the late 20th century, when Ryan became a global favourite and Irish parents reclaimed it in its native spelling.
Ríona · “REE-na” · Girl's name · also Riona, Ríoghnach, Regina From ríoghan, 'queen'. The full form, Ríoghnach, was the name of a 6th-century saint and, in legend, the wife of Niall of the Nine Hostages. It doubles neatly as an Irish equivalent of Regina, which means the same thing in Latin.
Ríordán · “REER-dawn” · Boy's name · also Riordan, Rearden 'royal poet' — from ríogh + bardán. Better known as a surname (Ó Ríordáin), and borne by Seán Ó Ríordáin, widely held to be the greatest Irish-language poet of the 20th century — fitting for a name that literally means royal bard.
Róisín · “ro-SHEEN” · Girl's name · also Rosheen, Rosaleen 'little rose'. Róisín Dubh, 'Dark Little Rose', is Ireland herself in one of the most famous songs in the language, a love poem to a woman that is also a coded lament for a country. James Clarence Mangan's translation gave it to English as 'Dark Rosaleen'.
Rónán · “ROH-nawn” · Boy's name · also Ronan From rón, 'seal' — 'little seal'. A dozen saints bore it, and in the old stories it belongs to a king who, deceived by his wife, kills his own son Mael Fothartaig — a tale of tragic misjudgement told in 'Fingal Rónáin'. The seal in the name links it to the selkie lore of the western coasts.
Rossa · “RUSS-a” · Boy's name · also Ross, Ros From ros, 'wood' or 'headland'. Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa ('Rossa' was a title he adopted, meaning of the ros) was the Fenian whose funeral in 1915 gave Pearse the platform for the most famous graveside oration in Irish history: 'Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.'
Ruairí · “ROO-a-ree” · Boy's name · also Rory, Ruaidhrí, Roderick 'red king' — rua + rí. Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair was the last High King of Ireland: he submitted to Henry II in 1175 and died a monk at Cong in 1198. Rory O'More's name became a password of the 1641 rising, and Rory O'Connor held the Four Courts in 1922.