Baronies of Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- "Baron" was also a title in the Peerage of Ireland. Such barons had no connection to any geographic barony.
In Ireland, a barony is a historical geographical unit: normally a subdivision of a county, although some baronies straddle county boundaries as a result of subsequent reorganisation of local government. The names and boundaries of baronies were defined during the Anglo-Norman and later English conquest of Ireland, although in many cases, they correspond to earlier Gaelic territories, and some were subsequently subdivided.
An extreme example of this subdivision is the County Down barony of Iveagh covering most of the west of the county, originally the territory of the Mac Aonghusa or MacGuinness family, which was first divided into Lower Iveagh and Upper Iveagh, and each of these divisions being then further subdivided into a Lower Half and an Upper Half.
Some anomalies in barony structure and alignment with counties were corrected by legislation over the years.
[edit] Function
Baronies were used for administrative purposes within counties from medieval times until the establishment of the county councils under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, when they were replaced by urban and rural district councils. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes (they are used in land registration, and specification, such as in planning permissions). However, where two townlands in the same county have the same name, they will be disambiguated in official references as "in the barony of ...".
The Local Government (Ireland) Act also caused a number of county boundaries to be modified, with the result that a number of baronies now cross county boundaries. This can cause confusion to genealogy researchers, who may be unable to find an area referred to as being in a particular county in 19th century sources in the modern county.
In two cases, Rathdown and Fore, there are adjacent baronies in neighbouring counties (Dublin/Wicklow and Meath/Westmeath respectively) with the same name. These are not the result of the 1898 Act, but instead represent half-baronies, subdivisions of older baronies, which found themselves in different counties when Westmeath and Wicklow were established as separate counties in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Many baronies remain the focus of a modicum of local patriotism. Many clubs of the Gaelic Athletic Association bear the name of the barony in which they are located; likewise many public houses and older provincial hotels, which may display the baronial arms on signage.
[edit] Hierarchy
Baronies are a mid-level division of land in Ireland, existing between the counties and the townlands, the smallest standard division (a smaller unit, the quarter, was sometimes used, but is generally not recorded).
[edit] Feudal Baronies
Feudal baronies generally no longer exist. However, a Prescriptive Barony, the lordship of Fingal, granted by King John in 1208 that covered the northern district of County Dublin and consisted of several subordinate baronies, is echoed in County Fingal, a division of County Dublin formed in the administrative reorganisation of the Republic of Ireland undertaken in 1994.
[edit] List
The final catalogue of baronies numbered 331. A figure of 273 is also quoted, by combining those divided into East/West, North/South, or Upper/Middle/Lower divisions.
Note: In the following list, links marked with an *asterisk link to the actual barony; other links are to a town, district, or baronial title of the same name.
[edit] Antrim
Baronies in County Antrim:
- Antrim (Lower)
- Antrim (Upper)
- Belfast City [1]
- Belfast (Lower)
- Belfast (Upper)
- Carrickfergus
- Cary
- Dunluce (Lower)
- Dunluce (Upper)
- Glenarm (Lower)
- Glenarm (Upper)
- Kilconway
- Massereene (Lower)
- Massereene (Upper)
- Toome (Lower)
- Toome (Upper)
[edit] Armagh
Baronies in County Armagh:
- Armagh
- Fews (Lower)
- Fews (Upper)
- Oneilland (East)
- Oneilland (West)
- Orior (Lower)
- Orior (Upper)
- Tiranny
[edit] Carlow
Baronies in County Carlow:
[edit] Cavan
Baronies in County Cavan:
- Castlerahan
- Clankee
- Clanmahon
- Loughtee (Lower)
- Loughtee (Upper)
- Tullygarvey
- Tullyhunco
- *Tullyhaw
[edit] Clare
Baronies in County Clare:[2]
- Bunratty (Lower)
- Bunratty (Upper)
- Burren
- Clonderalaw
- *Corcomroe
- Ibrickan
- Inchiquin
- Islands
- Moyarta
- Tulla (Lower)
- Tulla (Upper)
[edit] Cork
Baronies in County Cork:
- Bantry
- Barretts
- Barrymore
- Bear
- Carbery (East, East division)[3]
- Carbery (East, West division)[3]
- Carbery (West, East division)[3]
- Carbery (West, West division)[3]
- Condons & Clangibbon
- Cork
- Courceys
- *Duhallow
- Fermoy
- Ibane & Barryroe
- Imokilly
- Kerrycurrihy
- Kinalea
- Kinalmeaky
- Kinnatalloon
- Kinsale
- Muskerry (East)
- Muskerry (West)
- Orrery & Kilmore
[edit] Donegal
Baronies in County Donegal:
- Banagh
- Boylagh
- Inishowen (East)
- Inishowen (West)
- Kilmacrenan
- Raphoe (North)
- Raphoe (South)
- Tirhugh
[edit] Down
Baronies in County Down:
- Ards (Lower)
- Ards (Upper)
- Castlereagh (Lower)
- Castlereagh (Upper)
- Dufferin
- Iveagh (Lower-Lower Half)[4]
- Iveagh (Lower-Upper Half)[4]
- Iveagh (Upper-Lower Half)[4]
- Iveagh (Upper-Upper Half)[4]
- Kinelearty
- Lecale (Lower)
- Lecale (Upper)
- Lordship of Newry
- Mourne
[edit] Dublin
Baronies in County Dublin:
- Balrothery (East)
- Balrothery (West)
- Castleknock
- Coolock
- Dublin
- Dublin City[5]
- Nethercross
- Newcastle
- Rathdown (Half-Barony of)
- Uppercross
[edit] Fermanagh
Baronies in County Fermanagh:
- Clanawley
- Clankelly
- Coole
- Knockninny
- Lurg
- Magheraboy
- Magherastephana
- Tirkennedy
[edit] Galway
Baronies in County Galway:
- Aran[6]
- Athenry
- Ballymoe
- Ballynahinch
- Clare
- Clonmacnowen
- Dunkellin
- Dunmore
- Galway
- Kilconnell
- Kiltartan
- Killian
- Leitrim
- Longford
- Loughrea
- Moycullen
- Ross
- Tiaquin
[edit] Kerry
Baronies in County Kerry:
- Clanmaurice
- Corkaguiny
- Dunkerron (North)
- Dunkerron (South)
- Glanarought
- Iraghticonnor
- Iveragh
- Magunihy
- Trughanacmy
[edit] Kildare
Baronies in County Kildare:
- Carbury
- Clane
- Connell
- Ikeathy & Oughterany
- Kilcullen
- Kilkea & Moone
- Naas (North)
- Naas (South)
- *Narragh & Reban (East)
- Narragh & Reban (West)
- Offaly (East)
- Offaly (West)
- Salt (North)
- Salt (South)
[edit] Kilkenny
Baronies in County Kilkenny:
- Callan
- Crannagh
- Fassadinin
- Galmoy
- Gowran
- Ida
- Iverk
- Kells
- Kilculliheen[7]
- Kilkenny City
- Knocktopher
- Shillelogher
[edit] Laois
Baronies in County Laois:
- Ballyadams
- Clandonagh
- Clarmallagh
- Cullenagh
- Maryborough (East)
- Maryborough (West)
- Portnahinch
- Slievemargy
- Stradbally
- Tinnahinch
- Upper Woods
[edit] Leitrim
Baronies in County Leitrim:
- Carrigallen
- Drumahaire
- Leitrim
- Mohill
- Rosclougher
[edit] Limerick
Baronies in County Limerick:
- Clanwilliam
- Connello (Lower)
- Connello (Upper)
- Coonagh
- Coshlea
- Coshma
- Glenquin
- Kenry
- Kilmallock
- Limerick City[8]
- Owneybeg
- Pubblebrien
- Shanid
- Small County
[edit] Derry
Baronies in County Londonderry:
- Coleraine
- Keenaght
- Liberties of Coleraine
- Liberties of Londonderry
- Londonderry Borough[9]
- Loughinsholin
- Tirkeeran
[edit] Longford
Baronies in County Longford:
[edit] Louth
Baronies in County Louth:
[edit] Mayo
Baronies in County Mayo:[11]
- Burrishoole
- Carra
- Clanmorris
- *Costello
- *Erris
- Gallen
- Kilmaine
- Murrisk
- Tirawley
[edit] Meath
Baronies in County Meath:
- Deece (Lower)
- Deece (Upper)
- Duleek (Lower)
- Duleek (Upper)
- Dunboyne
- Fore
- Kells (Lower)
- Kells (Upper)
- Lune
- *Morgallion
- Moyfenrath (Lower)
- Moyfenrath (Upper)
- Navan (Lower)
- Navan (Upper)
- *Ratoath
- Skreen or Skryne
- Slane (Lower)
- Slane (Upper)
[edit] Monaghan
Baronies in County Monaghan:
[edit] Offaly
Baronies in County Offaly:
- Ballyboy
- Ballybritt
- Ballycowen
- Clonlisk
- Coolestown
- Eglish
- Garrycastle
- Geashill
- Kilcoursey
- Philipstown (Lower)
- Philipstown (Upper)
- Warrenstown
[edit] Roscommon
Baronies in County Roscommon:[12]
- Athlone[13]
- Ballintober (North)
- Ballintober (South)
- Ballymoe
- Boyle
- Castlereagh
- Frenchpark
- Moycarn
- Roscommon
[edit] Sligo
Baronies in County Sligo:
- Carbury
- Coolavin
- *Corann
- Leyny
- Tireragh
- Tirerril
[edit] Tipperary
Baronies in County Tipperary:
- In North Tipperary:
- In South Tipperary:
- Clanwilliam
- Iffa & Offa (East)
- Iffa & Offa (West)
- Kilnamanagh (Lower)
- Middlethird
- Slievardagh
[edit] Tyrone
Baronies in County Tyrone:
- Clogher
- Dungannon (Lower)
- Dungannon (Middle)
- Dungannon (Upper)
- Omagh (East)
- Omagh (West)
- Strabane (Lower)
- Strabane (Upper)
[edit] Waterford
Baronies in County Waterford:
- Coshmore & Coshbride
- Decies within Drum
- Decies without Drum
- Gaultier[7]
- Glenahiry
- Middlethird
- Upperthird
- Waterford City[14]
[edit] Westmeath
Baronies in County Westmeath:
- Brawny
- Clonlonan
- Corkaree
- Delvin
- Farbill
- Fartullagh
- Fore
- Kilkenny West
- Moycashel
- Moyashel & Magheradernon
- Moygoish
- Rathconrath
[edit] Wexford
Baronies in County Wexford:
- Ballaghkeen (North)
- Ballaghkeen (South)
- Bantry
- Bargy
- *Forth
- Gorey
- Scarawalsh
- Shelburne
- Shelmaliere (East)
- Shelmaliere (West)
[edit] Wicklow
Baronies in County Wicklow:
- Arklow
- Ballinacor (North)
- Ballinacor (South)
- Newcastle
- Rathdown
- Shillelagh
- Talbotstown (Lower)
- Talbotstown (Upper)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- rootsweb
- Walsh, Dennis (2003). Barony Map of Ireland. Retrieved on 2007-02-13. Source given is "Ordnance survey"
- ANHI
- (1984) A New History of Ireland: Volume IX: Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II 9, maps 119-121. ISBN 0198217455. Source given is "County boundaries, barony boundaries", scale 1:633600, Ordnance Survey of Ireland, 1938
- Mitchell
- Mitchell, Brian (1986). A new genealogical atlas of Ireland. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-8063-1152-5. Source given is Thom, Alexander (1861, based on 1851 census). General index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland. Quotes figure of 331 baronies.
- Ryan
- Ryan, James G. (1999). Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History. Ancestry Inc.. ISBN 0-916489-76-0. No source given, but Mitchell is listed in bibliography. Quotes figure of 273, thiough the maps show 331.
[edit] Notes
- ^ not distinguished from Lower Belfast in ANHI
- ^ also part of barony of Leitrim originally in Galway
- ^ a b c d Neither East nor West Carbery is subdivided into East and West divisions in ANHI
- ^ a b c d Neither Upper nor Lower Iveagh is separated into Upper and Lower halfs in ANHI
- ^ not distinguished from barony of Dublin in ANHI
- ^ not named in ANHI or rootsweb
- ^ a b Kilculliheen in Kilkenny was part of Gaultiere in Waterford until the Local Government Act 1898
- ^ called "North Liberties" in ANHI
- ^ not distinguished from Tirkeeran in ANHI
- ^ not separated from barony of Drogheda in ANHI
- ^ also part of barony of Ross originally in Galway, and of Tireragh originally in Sligo
- ^ also part of Clancostello originally in Mayo
- ^ split into North and South in ANHI
- ^ not distinguished from Gaultiere in ANHI