Carnaross or Carnaros () is a village in County Meath, Ireland, approximately 4 km northwest of Kells on the R147 road between Kells and Virginia, County Cavan. Etymology Carnaross is an anglicisation of the Irish language Carn na Ros, meaning "cairn of the woods" or "rock of the woods". Specifically, carn is believed to refer to a local cairn; an ancient pagan burial site or heap of stones over a grave. Evidence for such a burial site may exist nearby in a farmers field. Known as Keim the churchyard, this site contains an ogham inscribed stone which was discovered in 2006. Other sources suggest that carn is derived from carraig, the Irish for stone or rock. Separately, ros is believed to refer to a hill or promontory covered with trees or brushwood. History Parish The parish of Carnaross is composed of the three mediaeval parishes of Castle Kieran, Loughan and Dulane. Carnaross is not mentioned as a townland earlier than 1837, and even then John O'Donovan in the Ordnance Survey Field Name Books, refers to it as "a group of houses (two of them public houses) called Carnaross". A number of sources record holy wells in the area, including one dedicated to Saint Anne. Former constituent parishes Loghan One of the former constituent parishes, Loghan or Loughan, is described by Samuel Lewis in his 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland as being: a parish, partly in the barony of Castlerahan, county of Cavan, and province of Ulster, but chiefly in the barony of Upper Kells, county of Meath, and province of Leinster, 4 miles (N. W.) from Kells, on the road from Dublin by Kells to Enniskillen; containing 3795 inhabitants, of which number, 339 are in the village of Loghan. Lewis notes that there was then a private school (with 60 pupils) at Carnaross, and the remains small church close to the which was dedicated to Saint Kieran. Dulane Lewis (1837) also has an entry for the parish of Duleen or Dulane, which is also described as being the barony of Upper Kells "on the road to Moynalty; containing 1503 inhabitants". He notes that the "land is generally of good quality; and the system of agriculture is improved" with "sufficient quantity of bog for fuel" A private school of 50 children is recorded, with a number of ancient crosses in the local churchyard. The Diocese of Meath : Ancient and Modern,