Irish place name

[Karen McDonald]

If you take the first 3 letters as representative, then there are not that many letters in the first word. The "r" is very clear and precise in both words.
Looking at the way the "r" is written, I don't think that there is an "n" in the word; I think a stroke comes from the "a" and forms what looks to me like a "v" followed by a "c".

Could it maybe be Stravic(nabo)?

https://www.townlands.ie/cavan/loughtee-upper/lavey/waterloo/stravicnabo/

Karen

[Tom Langley]

Ohh I think you may be right! Would there be a way to find out if this place was often shortened to just Stravic, rather than Stravicnabo?

[dublin1850]

I think it would be very unusual for an Irish person when asked where they were born to give the townland. The nearest town or even the county would be much more usual.

[Maiden Stone]

I think it would be very unusual for an Irish person when asked where they were born to give the townland. The nearest town or even the county would be much more usual.

It would depend on many variables, would it not? Census year for one.
 1851 census likely to have less detail, I should think. Looking at 1851 census, most had Ireland only, some had county, some are hard to decipher.
My 2 Irish families were in England for various census years 1861-1911. POBs of  one family + their Irish visitors in 1861 was a variety: Ireland + county; Ireland + town; Ireland only. A married couple from this family just put Ireland on each census from 1861-1891. The other family put variously: townland (abbreviated), county, Ireland (1881); Ireland (1901); town, county (1911). The person who gave his townland in 1881 was a farm labourer lodger. He was bilingual and could read and write in English, although his spelling wasn't perfect.

[aghadowey]

I still wouldn't rule out Stranraer - I found one family in U.S. census that listed place of birth as 'Cardiff, Ireland' 

[Rattus]

Surname mis-transcribed as 'While' on Ancestry 1851 census info.  Their image is much clearer, better contrast, and their transcription of the place name as 'Stravre' doesn't look unreasonable.

Related topic:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=691161.0

[Gadget]

The v is the same as the other vs on the page and the ns are different to the letter.  It would really depend on who wrote the place down on the schedule and how clear it was when the enumerator came to transcribe it onto the page.

My vote is for Stranraer  - it's nearly Ireland

Gadget

[Tom Langley]

Even if I were to work out the place name. I doubt with a surname like White i would easily be able to get back any further!