Ormond Upper

Ormond Upper (Irish: Urumhain Uachtarach) is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Toomevara. It is one of 14 baronies in the traditional county of Tipperary between the baronies of Ormond Lower to the north (whose chief town is Nenagh), Kilnamanagh Upper to the south (whose chief town is Borrisoleigh), Owney and Arra to the west (whose chief town is Newport) and Ikerrin to the east (whose chief town is Roscrea). The territory is currently administered by North Tipperary County Council. The O'Mearas had an entensive territory in the Barony; and the name of their chief residence, Tuaim-ui-Meara, is still retained in the town of Toomavara.

Legal context

Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as sub-divisions of counties and were used for administration. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they have been administratively obsolete since 1898. However, they continue to be used in land registration and specification such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown.

Modern times

When County Tipperary was split into North and South Ridings in 1836, Ormond Upper was allocated to the north riding. However, the neighbouring barony of Kilnamanagh was split into Upper and Lower half-baronies, being allocated to the north and south ridings respectively.^[1]

Towns, villages and townlands of the barony

Silvermines

Civil parishes of the barony

This table^[2] lists an historical geographical sub-division of the barony known as the civil parish (not to be confused with an Ecclesiastical parish).

Name in Irish	Name in English
An tAonach	​Nenagh
Áth na Méadal	​Aghnameadle
Baile Ghiobúin	​Ballygibbon
Baile na Cloiche	​Ballynaclogh
Baile Uí Mhacaí	​Ballymackey
Cill Chéire	​Kilkeary
An Chill Mhór	​Kilmore
Cill na Naomh	​Kilnaneave
Cill Ruáin	​Kilruane
An Doladh	​Dolla
Leatracha	​Latteragh
Lios Buinne	​Lisbunny
Teampall Dóinín	​Templedowney
Teampall Doire	​Templederry

Note: While most of the town of Nenagh is located in Ormond Lower, the civil parish of Nenagh is almost evenly split between the baronies of Upper and Lower Ormond.

See also

• List of civil parishes of North Tipperary
• Butler dynasty

References

1. ^ Murphy, Donal A. (1994). The two Tipperarys: the national and local politics —devolution and self-determination— of the unique 1838 division into two ridings, and the aftermath. Regional studies in political and administrative history. 1. Relay. p. 71. ISBN 0946327149. 
2. ^ Database of Ireland - civil parishes.

External links

• Walsh, Dennis (2003). "Barony Map of Ireland". http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/barony-map-ireland.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-13.  Source given is "Ordnance survey".