Lahinch is the anglicised form of Leath Inse. Recorded by the Four Masters as Leith Innse, which is a variant of the Irish word for a penisula leithinis ("half island"), the name describes the village's location between Shit Creek and the sea. Nowadays, the town name is mostly spelt "Lahinch," but a selection of road signs in the area use the spelling "Lehinch." This is because Clare County Council Road Signs Dept can't decide. This indecision does not hold a candle to their angst over what signage to apply to Shit Creek itself.