Baronies of Ireland

"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.

Contents

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.

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).

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.

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.

Antrim

Baronies in County Antrim:

  1. Antrim (Lower)
  2. Antrim (Upper)
  3. Belfast City 1
  4. Belfast (Lower)
  5. Belfast (Upper)
  6. Carrickfergus
  7. Cary
  8. Dunluce (Lower)
  9. Dunluce (Upper)
  10. Glenarm (Lower)
  11. Glenarm (Upper)
  12. Kilconway
  13. Massereene (Lower)
  14. Massereene (Upper)
  15. Toome (Lower)
  16. Toome (Upper)

Armagh

Baronies in County Armagh:

  1. Armagh
  2. Fews (Lower)
  3. Fews (Upper)
  4. Oneilland (East)
  5. Oneilland (West)
  6. Orior (Lower)
  7. Orior (Upper)
  8. Tiranny

Carlow

Baronies in County Carlow:

  1. Carlow
  2. Forth
  3. Idrone (East)
  4. Idrone (West)
  5. Rathvilly
  6. St. Mullin's (Lower)
  7. St. Mullin's (Upper)

Cavan

Baronies in County Cavan:

  1. Castlerahan
  2. Clankee
  3. Clanmahon
  4. Loughtee (Lower)
  5. Loughtee (Upper)
  6. Tullygarvey
  7. Tullyhunco
  8. *Tullyhaw

Clare

Baronies in County Clare:2

  1. Bunratty (Lower)
  2. Bunratty (Upper)
  3. Burren
  4. Clonderalaw
  5. *Corcomroe
  6. Ibrickan
  7. Inchiquin
  8. Islands
  9. Moyarta
  10. Tulla (Lower)
  11. Tulla (Upper)

Cork

Baronies in County Cork:

  1. Bantry
  2. Barretts
  3. Barrymore
  4. Bear
  5. Carbery (East, East division)3
  6. Carbery (East, West division)3
  7. Carbery (West, East division)3
  8. Carbery (West, West division)3
  9. Condons & Clangibbon
  10. Cork
  11. Courceys
  12. *Duhallow
  13. Fermoy
  14. Ibane & Barryroe
  15. Imokilly
  16. Kerrycurrihy
  17. Kinalea
  18. Kinalmeaky
  19. Kinnatalloon
  20. Kinsale
  21. Muskerry (East)
  22. Muskerry (West)
  23. Orrery & Kilmore

Donegal

Baronies in County Donegal:

  1. Banagh
  2. Boylagh
  3. Inishowen (East)
  4. Inishowen (West)
  5. Kilmacrenan
  6. Raphoe (North)
  7. Raphoe (South)
  8. Tirhugh

Down

Baronies in County Down:

  1. Ards (Lower)
  2. Ards (Upper)
  3. Castlereagh (Lower)
  4. Castlereagh (Upper)
  5. Dufferin
  6. Iveagh (Lower-Lower Half)4
  7. Iveagh (Lower-Upper Half)4
  8. Iveagh (Upper-Lower Half)4
  9. Iveagh (Upper-Upper Half)4
  10. Kinelearty
  11. Lecale (Lower)
  12. Lecale (Upper)
  13. Lordship of Newry
  14. Mourne

Dublin

Baronies in County Dublin:

  1. Balrothery (East)
  2. Balrothery (West)
  3. Castleknock
  4. Coolock
  5. Dublin
  6. Dublin City5
  7. Nethercross
  8. Newcastle
  9. Rathdown (Half-Barony of)
  10. Uppercross

Fermanagh

Baronies in County Fermanagh:

  1. Clanawley
  2. Clankelly
  3. Coole
  4. Knockninny
  5. Lurg
  6. Magheraboy
  7. Magherastephana
  8. Tirkennedy

Galway

Baronies in County Galway:

  1. Aran6
  2. Athenry
  3. Ballymoe
  4. Ballynahinch
  5. Clare
  6. Clonmacnowen
  7. Dunkellin
  8. Dunmore
  9. Galway
  10. Kilconnell
  11. Kiltartan
  12. Killian
  13. Leitrim
  14. Longford
  15. Loughrea
  16. Moycullen
  17. Ross
  18. Tiaquin

Kerry

Baronies in County Kerry:

  1. Clanmaurice
  2. Corkaguiny
  3. Dunkerron (North)
  4. Dunkerron (South)
  5. Glanarought
  6. Iraghticonnor
  7. Iveragh
  8. Magunihy
  9. Trughanacmy

Kildare

Baronies in County Kildare:

  1. Carbury
  2. Clane
  3. Connell
  4. Ikeathy & Oughterany
  5. Kilcullen
  6. Kilkea & Moone
  7. Naas (North)
  8. Naas (South)
  9. *Narragh & Reban (East)
  10. Narragh & Reban (West)
  11. Offaly (East)
  12. Offaly (West)
  13. Salt (North)
  14. Salt (South)

Kilkenny

Baronies in County Kilkenny:

  1. Callan
  2. Crannagh
  3. Fassadinin
  4. Galmoy
  5. Gowran
  6. Ida
  7. Iverk
  8. Kells
  9. Kilculliheen7
  10. Kilkenny City
  11. Knocktopher
  12. Shillelogher

Laois

Baronies in County Laois:

  1. Ballyadams
  2. Clandonagh
  3. Clarmallagh
  4. Cullenagh
  5. Maryborough (East)
  6. Maryborough (West)
  7. Portnahinch
  8. Slievemargy
  9. Stradbally
  10. Tinnahinch
  11. Upper Woods

Leitrim

Baronies in County Leitrim:

  1. Carrigallen
  2. Drumahaire
  3. Leitrim
  4. Mohill
  5. Rosclougher

Limerick

Baronies in County Limerick:

  1. Clanwilliam
  2. Connello (Lower)
  3. Connello (Upper)
  4. Coonagh
  5. Coshlea
  6. Coshma
  7. Glenquin
  8. Kenry
  9. Kilmallock
  10. Limerick City8
  11. Owneybeg
  12. Pubblebrien
  13. Shanid
  14. Small County

Derry

Baronies in County Londonderry:

  1. Coleraine
  2. Keenaght
  3. Liberties of Coleraine
  4. Liberties of Londonderry
  5. Londonderry Borough9
  6. Loughinsholin
  7. Tirkeeran

Longford

Baronies in County Longford:

  1. Ardagh
  2. Granard
  3. Longford
  4. Moydow
  5. Rathcline
  6. Shrule

Louth

Baronies in County Louth:

  1. Ardee
  2. Drogheda
  3. Drogheda Town10
  4. Dundalk (Lower)
  5. Dundalk (Upper)
  6. Ferrard
  7. Louth

Mayo

Baronies in County Mayo:11

  1. Burrishoole
  2. Carra
  3. Clanmorris
  4. *Costello
  5. *Erris
  6. Gallen
  7. Kilmaine
  8. Murrisk
  9. Tirawley

Meath

Baronies in County Meath:

  1. Deece (Lower)
  2. Deece (Upper)
  3. Duleek (Lower)
  4. Duleek (Upper)
  5. Dunboyne
  6. Fore
  7. Kells (Lower)
  8. Kells (Upper)
  9. Lune
  10. *Morgallion
  11. Moyfenrath (Lower)
  12. Moyfenrath (Upper)
  13. Navan (Lower)
  14. Navan (Upper)
  15. *Ratoath
  16. Skreen or Skryne
  17. Slane (Lower)
  18. Slane (Upper)

Monaghan

Baronies in County Monaghan:

  1. Cremorne
  2. Dartree
  3. *Farney
  4. Monaghan
  5. Trough

Offaly

Baronies in County Offaly:

  1. Ballyboy
  2. Ballybritt
  3. Ballycowen
  4. Clonlisk
  5. Coolestown
  6. Eglish
  7. Garrycastle
  8. Geashill
  9. Kilcoursey
  10. Philipstown (Lower)
  11. Philipstown (Upper)
  12. Warrenstown

Roscommon

Baronies in County Roscommon:12

  1. Athlone13
  2. Ballintober (North)
  3. Ballintober (South)
  4. Ballymoe
  5. Boyle
  6. Castlereagh
  7. Frenchpark
  8. Moycarn
  9. Roscommon

Sligo

Baronies in County Sligo:

  1. Carbury
  2. Coolavin
  3. *Corann
  4. Leyny
  5. Tireragh
  6. Tirerril

Tipperary

Baronies in County Tipperary:

  1. Eliogarty
  2. Ikerrin
  3. Owney & Arra
  4. Ormond (Lower)
  5. Ormond (Upper)
  6. Kilnamanagh (Upper)
  1. Clanwilliam
  2. Iffa & Offa (East)
  3. Iffa & Offa (West)
  4. Kilnamanagh (Lower)
  5. Middlethird
  6. Slievardagh

Tyrone

Baronies in County Tyrone:

  1. Clogher
  2. Dungannon (Lower)
  3. Dungannon (Middle)
  4. Dungannon (Upper)
  5. Omagh (East)
  6. Omagh (West)
  7. Strabane (Lower)
  8. Strabane (Upper)

Waterford

Baronies in County Waterford:

  1. Coshmore & Coshbride
  2. Decies within Drum
  3. Decies without Drum
  4. Gaultier7
  5. Glenahiry
  6. Middlethird
  7. Upperthird
  8. Waterford City14

Westmeath

Baronies in County Westmeath:

  1. Brawny
  2. Clonlonan
  3. Corkaree
  4. Delvin
  5. Farbill
  6. Fartullagh
  7. Fore
  8. Kilkenny West
  9. Moycashel
  10. Moyashel & Magheradernon
  11. Moygoish
  12. Rathconrath

Wexford

Baronies in County Wexford:

  1. Ballaghkeen (North)
  2. Ballaghkeen (South)
  3. Bantry
  4. Bargy
  5. *Forth
  6. Gorey
  7. Scarawalsh
  8. Shelburne
  9. Shelmaliere (East)
  10. Shelmaliere (West)

Wicklow

Baronies in County Wicklow:

  1. Arklow
  2. Ballinacor (North)
  3. Ballinacor (South)
  4. Newcastle
  5. Rathdown
  6. Shillelagh
  7. Talbotstown (Lower)
  8. Talbotstown (Upper)

See also

References

rootsweb
Walsh, Dennis (2003). "Barony Map of Ireland". Retrieved on 2007-02-13. Source given is "Ordnance survey"
ANHI
A New History of Ireland: Volume IX: Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II. 9. 1984. 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.

Notes

  1. ^ not distinguished from Lower Belfast in ANHI
  2. ^ also part of barony of Leitrim originally in Galway
  3. ^ a b c d Neither East nor West Carbery is subdivided into East and West divisions in ANHI
  4. ^ a b c d Neither Upper nor Lower Iveagh is separated into Upper and Lower halfs in ANHI
  5. ^ not distinguished from barony of Dublin in ANHI
  6. ^ not named in ANHI or rootsweb
  7. ^ a b Kilculliheen in Kilkenny was part of Gaultiere in Waterford until the Local Government Act 1898
  8. ^ called "North Liberties" in ANHI
  9. ^ not distinguished from Tirkeeran in ANHI
  10. ^ not separated from barony of Drogheda in ANHI
  11. ^ also part of barony of Ross originally in Galway, and of Tireragh originally in Sligo
  12. ^ also part of Clancostello originally in Mayo
  13. ^ split into North and South in ANHI
  14. ^ not distinguished from Gaultiere in ANHI

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