Tirkennedy

Tirkennedy (from Irish: Tír Cennfhota meaning "country of the long-head") is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.[1] To its west lies Lower Lough Erne and south Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by seven other baronies: Clanawley and Magheraboy to the west; Lurg and Omagh East to the north; Clogher to the east; Magherastephana and Knockninny to the south.[1]

Despite its name, Tirkennedy has nothing to do with the modern personal name of Kennedy. Rather it takes its name from the epithet of Fergus son of Cremthann, the eponymous ancestor of the Ui Chremthainn.[2] Fergus lived in the late fifth century and was known as Cennfhota or "long-head". His descendants became known as the Ui Chennfhota, with the kingdom of Tir Cennfhota receiving its first mention in the Annals in 1349.[3][2]

The Devine (Irish: Ó Daimhín) sept were cited as Lords of Tirkennedy,[2][4] and were a leading Fermanagh sept up to and including the fifteenth century, when their power was broken by the O'Neills to the north and the Maguires to the south.[4] Under the Maguires, the MacManus sept became hereditary supervisors of the fisheries in Tirkennedy.[5]

List of main settlements

List of civil parishes

Below is a list of civil parishes in Tirkennedy:[6]

References

  1. ^ a b PRONI Baronies of Northern Ireland
  2. ^ a b c The Letters of John O'Donovan
  3. ^ The barony of Tirkennedy in Co. Fermanagh
  4. ^ a b Bell, Robert; The Book of Ulster Surnames, page 51. The Black Staff Press, 2003. ISBN 0-85640-602-3
  5. ^ The Baronies of Ireland - Family History
  6. ^ PRONI CIvil Parishes of County Fermanagh