''The word ''teach'', 'a house', is the only widely attested native Irish element to designate a church of monastic site in early placenames. the term is found in placenames of all periods but, generally specking, the meaning '(monastic) church'. The late Deirdre Flanagan has suggested that the deployment of ''teach'' as an ecclesiastical placename element is a continuation of the pagan use of the term to denote sacred or mythological sites. There is sufficient evidence available to show that () of the eccleiastical sitename (Ireland ) containing the element ''teach'' is of pre-Christian origin.''