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.

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:
# Antrim (Lower)
# Antrim (Upper)
# Belfast City [not distinguished from Lower Belfast in ANHI]
# Belfast (Lower)
# Belfast (Upper)
# Carrickfergus
# Cary
# Dunluce (Lower)
# Dunluce (Upper)
# Glenarm (Lower)
# Glenarm (Upper)
# Kilconway
# Massereene (Lower)
# Massereene (Upper)
# Toome (Lower)
# Toome (Upper)

Armagh

Baronies in County Armagh:
# Armagh
# Fews (Lower)
# Fews (Upper)
# Oneilland (East)
# Oneilland (West)
# Orior (Lower)
# Orior (Upper)
# Tiranny

Carlow

Baronies in County Carlow:
# Carlow
# Forth
# Idrone (East)
# Idrone (West)
# Rathvilly
# St. Mullin's (Lower)
# St. Mullin's (Upper)

Cavan

Baronies in County Cavan:
# Castlerahan
# Clankee
# Clanmahon
# Loughtee (Lower)
# Loughtee (Upper)
# Tullygarvey
# Tullyhunco
# *Tullyhaw

Clare

Baronies in County Clare: [also part of barony of Leitrim originally in Galway]
# Bunratty (Lower)
# Bunratty (Upper)
# Burren
# Clonderalaw
# *Corcomroe
# Ibrickan
# Inchiquin
# Islands
# Moyarta
# Tulla (Lower)
# Tulla (Upper)

Cork

Baronies in County Cork:
# Bantry
# Barretts
# Barrymore
# Bear
# Carbery (East, East division)Neither East nor West Carbery is subdivided into East and West divisions in ANHI]
# Carbery (East, West division)
# Carbery (West, East division)
# Carbery (West, West division)
# Condons & Clangibbon
# Cork
# Courceys
# *Duhallow
# Fermoy
# Ibane & Barryroe
# Imokilly
# Kerrycurrihy
# Kinalea
# Kinalmeaky
# Kinnatalloon
# Kinsale
# Muskerry (East)
# Muskerry (West)
# Orrery & Kilmore

Donegal

Baronies in County Donegal:
# Banagh
# Boylagh
# Inishowen (East)
# Inishowen (West)
# Kilmacrenan
# Raphoe (North)
# Raphoe (South)
# Tirhugh

Down

Baronies in County Down:
# Ards (Lower)
# Ards (Upper)
# Castlereagh (Lower)
# Castlereagh (Upper)
# Dufferin
# Iveagh (Lower-Lower Half)Neither Upper nor Lower Iveagh is separated into Upper and Lower halfs in ANHI]
# Iveagh (Lower-Upper Half)
# Iveagh (Upper-Lower Half)
# Iveagh (Upper-Upper Half)
# Kinelearty
# Lecale (Lower)
# Lecale (Upper)
# Lordship of Newry
# Mourne

Dublin

Baronies in County Dublin:

# Balrothery (East)
# Balrothery (West)
# Castleknock
# Coolock
# Dublin
# Dublin City [not distinguished from barony of Dublin in ANHI]
# Nethercross
# Newcastle
# Rathdown (Half-Barony of)
# Uppercross

Fermanagh

Baronies in County Fermanagh:
# Clanawley
# Clankelly
# Coole
# Knockninny
# Lurg
# Magheraboy
# Magherastephana
# Tirkennedy

Galway

Baronies in County Galway:

# Aran [not named in ANHI or rootsweb]
# Athenry
# Ballymoe
# Ballynahinch
# Clare
# Clonmacnowen
# Dunkellin
# Dunmore
# Galway
# Kilconnell
# Kiltartan
# Killian
# Leitrim
# Longford
# Loughrea
# Moycullen
# Ross
# Tiaquin

Kerry

Baronies in County Kerry:
# Clanmaurice
# Corkaguiny
# Dunkerron (North)
# Dunkerron (South)
# Glanarought
# Iraghticonnor
# Iveragh
# Magunihy
# Trughanacmy

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)

Kilkenny

Baronies in County Kilkenny:
# Callan
# Crannagh
# Fassadinin
# Galmoy
# Gowran
# Ida
# Iverk
# Kells
# KilculliheenKilculliheen in Kilkenny was part of Gaultiere in Waterford until the Local Government Act 1898]
# Kilkenny City
# Knocktopher
# Shillelogher

Laois

Baronies in County Laois:
# Ballyadams
# Clandonagh
# Clarmallagh
# Cullenagh
# Maryborough (East)
# Maryborough (West)
# Portnahinch
# Slievemargy
# Stradbally
# Tinnahinch
# Upper Woods

Leitrim

Baronies in County Leitrim:
# Carrigallen
# Drumahaire
# Leitrim
# Mohill
# Rosclougher

Limerick

Baronies in County Limerick:
# Clanwilliam
# Connello (Lower)
# Connello (Upper)
# Coonagh
# Coshlea
# Coshma
# Glenquin
# Kenry
# Kilmallock
# Limerick City [called "North Liberties" in ANHI]
# Owneybeg
# Pubblebrien
# Shanid
# Small County

Derry

Baronies in County Londonderry:
# Coleraine
# Keenaght
# Liberties of Coleraine
# Liberties of Londonderry
# Londonderry Borough [not distinguished from Tirkeeran in ANHI]
# Loughinsholin
# Tirkeeran

Longford

Baronies in County Longford:
# Ardagh
# Granard
# Longford
# Moydow
# Rathcline
# Shrule

Louth

Baronies in County Louth:
# Ardee
# Drogheda
# Drogheda Town [not separated from barony of Drogheda in ANHI]
# Dundalk (Lower)
# Dundalk (Upper)
# Ferrard
# Louth

Mayo

Baronies in County Mayo: [also part of barony of Ross originally in Galway, and of Tireragh originally in Sligo]
# Burrishoole
# Carra
# Clanmorris
# *Costello
# *Erris
# Gallen
# Kilmaine
# Murrisk
# Tirawley

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)

Monaghan

Baronies in County Monaghan:
# Cremorne
# Dartree
# *Farney
# Monaghan
# Trough

Offaly

Baronies in County Offaly:
# Ballyboy
# Ballybritt
# Ballycowen
# Clonlisk
# Coolestown
# Eglish
# Garrycastle
# Geashill
# Kilcoursey
# Philipstown (Lower)
# Philipstown (Upper)
# Warrenstown

Roscommon

Baronies in County Roscommon: [also part of Clancostello originally in Mayo]
# Athlone [split into North and South in ANHI]
# Ballintober (North)
# Ballintober (South)
# Ballymoe
# Boyle
# Castlereagh
# Frenchpark
# Moycarn
# Roscommon

ligo

Baronies in County Sligo:
# Carbury
# Coolavin
# *Corann
# Leyny
# Tireragh
# Tirerril

Tipperary

Baronies in County Tipperary:
*In North Tipperary:
# Eliogarty
# Ikerrin
# Owney & Arra
# Ormond (Lower)
# Ormond (Upper)
# Kilnamanagh (Upper)
*In South Tipperary:
# Clanwilliam
# Iffa & Offa (East)
# Iffa & Offa (West)
# Kilnamanagh (Lower)
# Middlethird
# Slievardagh

Tyrone

Baronies in County Tyrone:
# Clogher
# Dungannon (Lower)
# Dungannon (Middle)
# Dungannon (Upper)
# Omagh (East)
# Omagh (West)
# Strabane (Lower)
# Strabane (Upper)

Waterford

Baronies in County Waterford:
# Coshmore & Coshbride
# Decies within Drum
# Decies without Drum
# Gaultier
# Glenahiry
# Middlethird
# Upperthird
# Waterford City [not distinguished from Gaultiere in ANHI]

Westmeath

Baronies in County Westmeath:
# Brawny
# Clonlonan
# Corkaree
# Delvin
# Farbill
# Fartullagh
# Fore
# Kilkenny West
# Moycashel
# Moyashel & Magheradernon
# Moygoish
# Rathconrath

Wexford

Baronies in County Wexford:
# Ballaghkeen (North)
# Ballaghkeen (South)
# Bantry
# Bargy
# *Forth
# Gorey
# Scarawalsh
# Shelburne
# Shelmaliere (East)
# Shelmaliere (West)

Wicklow

Baronies in County Wicklow:
# Arklow
# Ballinacor (North)
# Ballinacor (South)
# Newcastle
# Rathdown
# Shillelagh
# Talbotstown (Lower)
# Talbotstown (Upper)

ee also

*List of Irish Local Government Areas 1900 - 1921

References

;rootsweb: cite web |url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/barony-map-ireland.htm |title=Barony Map of Ireland |first=Dennis |last=Walsh |date=2003 |accessdate=2007-02-13 Source given is "Ordnance survey";ANHI: cite book |title=A New History of Ireland: Volume IX: Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II |volume=9 |isbn=0198217455 |year=1984 |pages=maps 119-121 Source given is "County boundaries, barony boundaries", scale 1:633600, Ordnance Survey of Ireland, 1938;Mitchell: cite book |title=A new genealogical atlas of Ireland |first=Brian |last=Mitchell |isbn=0-8063-1152-5 |year=1986 |location=Baltimore, Maryland |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Co. Source given is cite book |title=General index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland |date=1861, based on 1851 census |first=Alexander |last=Thom Quotes figure of 331 baronies.;Ryan: cite book |title=Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History |first=James G. |last=Ryan |isbn=0-916489-76-0 |year=1999 |publisher=Ancestry Inc. No source given, but Mitchell is listed in bibliography. Quotes figure of 273, thiough the maps show 331.

Notes