Barony (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
In Ireland
, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county
. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion
, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England
were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds. Some early baronies were later subdivided into half baronies with the same standing as full baronies.
Baronies were mainly cadastral
rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the nineteenth century before being superseded by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
. Subsequent adjustments of county boundaries mean that some baronies now straddle two counties.
(from the 1169 invasion
to the early fourteenth century) and the rest in the Tudor conquest of the sixteenth century. "Barony" was used in three overlapping but distinct senses in the early period:
Over the centuries, these senses diverged, and many administrative baronies have never been associated with feudal or noble titles. Spurious "barony" titles have been sold by using the names of administrative baronies for which there is no corresponding hereditary or prescriptive barony. In counties Louth
and Meath
, the administrative subdivisions were called "baronies" from the beginning, originally as portions given by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath
to his vassal
s. Further south the name "cantred" was used till the fifteenth century.
Most (administrative) baronies corresponded to the túath
("country") or trícha cét
("thirty hundred [men]") of a Gaelic
chief. However, sometimes baronies combined small territories, or split a large one, or were created without regard for the earlier boundaries. In the Norman period most Gaelic chiefs were killed, expelled, or subordinated by the new Norman lord; in the Tudor period, many Gaelic and Hibernicized lords retained their land by pledging allegiance to the Crown
under surrender and regrant
.
Sir John Perrot
's commissioners reported 184 "cantreds, otherwise called hundreds or baronies" in 1589; William Petty
reported 252 baronies in 1672.
The civil parish
es were originally subdivisions of baronies, each in turn a collection of townland
s. However, barony and county boundaries were gradually rationalised to reduce anomalies and detached parts, whereas this happened less often for civil parishes. As a result, many parishes came to straddle barony and county boundaries.
Baronies were sometimes subdivided, and occasionally combined. The parts of a subdivided barony were called half-baronies, but had the same legal standing. Some subdivisions came about when new counties were formed, and the new boundary split a pre-existing barony. In three cases, there are adjacent half-baronies in neighbouring counties with the same name: Rathdown (Dublin—Wicklow), Fore (Meath—Westmeath
), and Ballymoe (Galway—Roscommon). Subdivision happened especially in the nineteenth century, when qualifiers "Upper"/"Lower"(/"Middle"), "North"/"South", or "East/"West" were used for the half-baronies. The baronies of Iveagh and Muskerry were each subdivided twice; thus, Upper and Lower Iveagh each have Upper and Lower Halves, and East and West Muskerry each have East and West Divisions. When County Tipperary
was split into North
and South Riding
s in 1838, the barony of Kilnamanagh was split into Upper and Lower half-baronies.
granting them borough status similar to English law
. These were originally independent of the baronies, which were rural divisions of the "county at large". By the time of Beaufort's 1792 Memoir of Ireland, this was true of fewer towns. Beaufort distinguishes between baronies and "peculiar districts"; the latter encompassing counties corporate
and liberties
in the environs of some of the older or larger towns and cities.
, Mallow
and Youghal
in County Cork
; Callan in County Kilkenny
; Kilmallock
in County Limerick
; Derry
and Coleraine
in County Londonderry
; and Wexford
in County Wexford
. Of these, those of Wexford, Mallow, and Youghal are no longer counted as separate from the adjacent baronies. Those of Kinsale, Callen, and Kilmallock are now counted as baronies. A 1791 act dealt with the two towns in County Londonderry; it made the North West Liberties of Londonderry
, together with the town, into a barony, while the liberties on the east bank of the River Foyle
were attached to the half barony of Tirkeeran. Similarly, the North East Liberties of Coleraine
formed a barony together with the town, while the liberties on the west bank of the River Bann
were attached to the separate half-barony of Coleraine. The lands of the Lordship of Newry, originating with the Cistercians of Newry Abbey and passing to the Earl of Kilmorey
, were similarly regularised into a barony of County Down and a civil parish
of County Armagh
.
, Dublin, Limerick
, Kilkenny
, and Waterford
, and the "County of the Town" of each of Carrickfergus
, Drogheda
and Galway
. These were excluded from the enclosing "county-at-large" and exercised at a single level the functions which elsewhere were split between county and barony level. Thus, they had "baronial presentment sessions" although they were not strictly speaking baronies. Counties corporate included rural liberties, of which all (except those of Carrickfergus) were detached in the 1840s and assigned to the relevant county-at-large, either as additions to neighbouring baronies or as a new barony. The counties corporate continued till 1898, at which point those of Kilkenny and the three towns were abolished. The municipal areas of Carrickfergus and Kilkenny became new baronies, and those of Drogheda and Galway were re-merged with the baronies of Drogheda and Galway which had been formed in the 1840s from their liberties. The four remaining Counties of cities became county borough
s, and separate baronies.
were organised largely by barony. Different categories of English and Scottish settlers were planted in particular baronies in the midlands, Munster, and Ulster. In certain counties after the Cromwellian reconquest
, Adventurers
got lands in half the baronies, with soldiers
in the other half. The Irish who had forfeited their lands in those regions were resettled in particular baronies in Connacht
and Clare
. William Petty
's Down Survey
of 1655–6 collected statistics and produced maps at barony level to assist the reorganisation.
Acts of 1787 and 1792 allowed the Lord Lieutenant of a county to appoint a constable
for each barony, and the county grand jury
to appoint up to 16 sub-constables. These powers were seldom used and the constables had few powers; they were usually older men nicknamed "old Barnys", with the archetypal "old Barny McKeown". They were superseded by the Royal Irish Constabulary
.
The cess
to pay for roads, bridges, and other public works
was set per barony. "Presentment session
s", where petitioners applied for funding for such works, were originally held as part of the county assizes
, though the costs were paid from the barony cess if the work was of local benefit only. The county grand jury was supposed to included jurors from each barony, though this did not always happen. From 1819, significantly modified in 1836, baronial presentment sessions were held for these purposes, with a local jury picked by the county grand jury from among the barony's highest rate-payers, according to a complicated formula. The baronial presentment sessions were a convoluted process, lacking public confidence and marred by allegations of corruption and favouritism. Special emergency sessions were held during the Famine of the 1840s for the make-work schemes.
Several parallel local administrative divisions were formed in the nineteenth century, which were not based on the barony. The Poor Law Union
s were established in 1838, each centred on an eponymous town; most new or altered responsibilities were given to them in subsequent decades. These Unions which were divided into district electoral division
s (DEDs) for funding purposes. Petty sessions courts for civil cases and quarter sessions
for criminal cases used still another set of land divisions.
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
defined most Irish county constituencies largely or exclusively in terms of the baronies which they comprised; though in some cases, a barony was split parish by parish between two constituencies. The 1891 census was the last for which returns were aggregated by barony as well as by Union and DED; the 1901 census used only the latter classification.
The 1898 Act replaced the county assizes with an elected county council
; at a lower level, the county was divided into urban district
s and rural district
s, each with an elected council. These councils had power to levy rates
and build public works, and the baronial presentment sessions were abolished.
Baronies continue to be used in land registration
, and specification such as in planning permission
s. For example, the form for registration of a freehold property includes a schedule "To contain description of the property, giving area, townland, barony and county, or, if in a city or urban district, the street or road and city or urban district". Where two townland
s in the same county have the same name, they will be disambiguated in official references as "in the barony of ...".
Barony boundaries have remained essentially unchanged since 1898. An exception occurs when land is reclaimed from the sea
, whereupon the maritime boundary
of the coastal land units will be extended accordingly. For example, a 1994 statutory instrument
extended the boundary of the Barony of Arklow, along with the boundaries of the county (Wicklow
), the district electoral division
(Arklow Rural), the civil parish
(Arklow
), and the townland
s (Rock Big, Rock Little, and Money Big).
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. Most markedly, the entire territory of the small barony of Kilculliheen
was moved from County Waterford
to County Kilkenny
. Likewise in 1976, when suburbs of Drogheda were transferred from County Meath to County Louth, barony boundaries were not adjusted.
The marginal relevance of baronies means many people have no idea which barony they live in. However some remain a focus for local patriotism. Some clubs of the Gaelic Athletic Association
bear the name of the barony in which they are located; likewise some public house
s and older provincial hotels, which may display the baronial arms on signage.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England
Counties of England
Counties of England are areas used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. For administrative purposes, England outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly is divided into 83 counties. The counties may consist of a single district or be divided into several...
were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds. Some early baronies were later subdivided into half baronies with the same standing as full baronies.
Baronies were mainly cadastral
Cadastre
A cadastre , using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the metes-and-bounds real property of a country...
rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the nineteenth century before being superseded by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government Act 1898 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, Wales and Scotland by legislation in 1888 and 1889...
. Subsequent adjustments of county boundaries mean that some baronies now straddle two counties.
Creation
The island of Ireland was "shired" into counties in two distinct periods: the east and south during the Anglo-Norman periodNorman Ireland
The History of Ireland 1169–1536 covers the period from the arrival of the Cambro-Normans to the reign of Henry VIII of England, who made himself King of Ireland. After the Norman invasion of 1171, Ireland was under an alternating level of control from Norman lords and the King of England...
(from the 1169 invasion
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
to the early fourteenth century) and the rest in the Tudor conquest of the sixteenth century. "Barony" was used in three overlapping but distinct senses in the early period:
- a "feudal baronyIrish feudal baronyIn Ireland, most originally-feudal titular baronies have long disappeared through obsolescence or disuse. The Lordship of Finegal was granted to Walter de Lacy for seven knight's fees, "although the lords thereof hold elsewhere in capite", according to the unusual grant in 1208 by John, Lord of...
" was an honourHonour (land)In medieval England, an honour could consist of a great lordship, comprising dozens or hundreds of manors. Holders of honours often attempted to preserve the integrity of an honour over time, administering its properties as a unit, maintaining inheritances together, etc.The typical honour had...
or large manorManorialismManorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market... - a "parliamentary baronBaronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
y" was a rank of the peerage of IrelandPeerage of IrelandThe Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, giving the right to sit in the Parliament of IrelandParliament of IrelandThe Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords... - an "administrative barony" was a unit for taxation purposes.
Over the centuries, these senses diverged, and many administrative baronies have never been associated with feudal or noble titles. Spurious "barony" titles have been sold by using the names of administrative baronies for which there is no corresponding hereditary or prescriptive barony. In counties Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
and Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the administrative subdivisions were called "baronies" from the beginning, originally as portions given by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath was an Anglo-Norman magnate granted the lands of the Kingdom of Meath by Henry II in 1172, during the Norman Invasion of Ireland.-Early life:Hugh de Lacy was born before 1135...
to his vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s. Further south the name "cantred" was used till the fifteenth century.
Most (administrative) baronies corresponded to the túath
Tuath
Túath is an Old Irish word, often translated as "people" or "nation". It is cognate with the Welsh and Breton tud , and with the Germanic þeudō ....
("country") or trícha cét
Trícha cét
A Trícha cét or triocha cét was a a territorial unit ... to the eleventh and twelfth centuries [1] in medieval Ireland. It was succeeded by the cantred.Paul MacCotter describes it as:...
("thirty hundred [men]") of a Gaelic
Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans until about 1607 AD...
chief. However, sometimes baronies combined small territories, or split a large one, or were created without regard for the earlier boundaries. In the Norman period most Gaelic chiefs were killed, expelled, or subordinated by the new Norman lord; in the Tudor period, many Gaelic and Hibernicized lords retained their land by pledging allegiance to the Crown
Lordship of Ireland
The Lordship of Ireland refers to that part of Ireland that was under the rule of the king of England, styled Lord of Ireland, between 1177 and 1541. It was created in the wake of the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169–71 and was succeeded by the Kingdom of Ireland...
under surrender and regrant
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
.
Sir John Perrot
John Perrot
Sir John Perrot served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland...
's commissioners reported 184 "cantreds, otherwise called hundreds or baronies" in 1589; William Petty
William Petty
Sir William Petty FRS was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers...
reported 252 baronies in 1672.
The civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
es were originally subdivisions of baronies, each in turn a collection of townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s. However, barony and county boundaries were gradually rationalised to reduce anomalies and detached parts, whereas this happened less often for civil parishes. As a result, many parishes came to straddle barony and county boundaries.
Baronies were sometimes subdivided, and occasionally combined. The parts of a subdivided barony were called half-baronies, but had the same legal standing. Some subdivisions came about when new counties were formed, and the new boundary split a pre-existing barony. In three cases, there are adjacent half-baronies in neighbouring counties with the same name: Rathdown (Dublin—Wicklow), Fore (Meath—Westmeath
Barony of Fore (County Westmeath)
Fore is a barony in northern County Westmeath, Ireland formed in 1672.-Geography:Fore has an area of 49,056 acres, making it the largest barony in Westmeath but placing it among the smaller baronies in Ireland. Mullaghmeen, the highest point in Westmeath is located in Fore and at 261 metres is...
), and Ballymoe (Galway—Roscommon). Subdivision happened especially in the nineteenth century, when qualifiers "Upper"/"Lower"(/"Middle"), "North"/"South", or "East/"West" were used for the half-baronies. The baronies of Iveagh and Muskerry were each subdivided twice; thus, Upper and Lower Iveagh each have Upper and Lower Halves, and East and West Muskerry each have East and West Divisions. When County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
was split into North
North Tipperary
North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
and South Riding
South Tipperary
South Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 52% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
s in 1838, the barony of Kilnamanagh was split into Upper and Lower half-baronies.
Peculiar districts
Many towns had a specific royal charterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
granting them borough status similar to English law
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
. These were originally independent of the baronies, which were rural divisions of the "county at large". By the time of Beaufort's 1792 Memoir of Ireland, this was true of fewer towns. Beaufort distinguishes between baronies and "peculiar districts"; the latter encompassing counties corporate
County corporate
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing counties...
and liberties
Liberty (division)
Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...
in the environs of some of the older or larger towns and cities.
Liberties
The liberties listed by Beaufort separately from baronies are those of KinsaleKinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
and Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
; Callan in County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
; Kilmallock
Kilmallock
Kilmallock or Kilmalloc is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle . The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are still visible. The Dublin–Cork railway line passes by the town,...
in County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
; Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
; and Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
. Of these, those of Wexford, Mallow, and Youghal are no longer counted as separate from the adjacent baronies. Those of Kinsale, Callen, and Kilmallock are now counted as baronies. A 1791 act dealt with the two towns in County Londonderry; it made the North West Liberties of Londonderry
Barony of North West Liberties of Londonderry
The North West Liberties of Londonderry is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is bordered two other baronies in Northern Ireland; Tirkeeran to the east, across Lough Foyle; and Strabane Lower to the south...
, together with the town, into a barony, while the liberties on the east bank of the River Foyle
River Foyle
The River Foyle is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the City of Derry, where it...
were attached to the half barony of Tirkeeran. Similarly, the North East Liberties of Coleraine
Barony of North East Liberties of Coleraine
The North East Liberties of Coleraine is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It borders the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by three other baronies: Coleraine to the west; Dunluce Lower to the north-east; Dunluce Upper to the south-east...
formed a barony together with the town, while the liberties on the west bank of the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...
were attached to the separate half-barony of Coleraine. The lands of the Lordship of Newry, originating with the Cistercians of Newry Abbey and passing to the Earl of Kilmorey
Earl of Kilmorey
Earl of Kilmorey is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1822 for Francis Needham, 12th Viscount Kilmorey, a General in the British Army and former Member of Parliament for Newry. He was made Viscount Newry and Mourne, in the County of Down, at the same time, also in the Peerage of...
, were similarly regularised into a barony of County Down and a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
.
Counties corporate
There were eight counties corporate: the "County of the City" of each of CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Dublin, Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, and the "County of the Town" of each of Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
, Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
and Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. These were excluded from the enclosing "county-at-large" and exercised at a single level the functions which elsewhere were split between county and barony level. Thus, they had "baronial presentment sessions" although they were not strictly speaking baronies. Counties corporate included rural liberties, of which all (except those of Carrickfergus) were detached in the 1840s and assigned to the relevant county-at-large, either as additions to neighbouring baronies or as a new barony. The counties corporate continued till 1898, at which point those of Kilkenny and the three towns were abolished. The municipal areas of Carrickfergus and Kilkenny became new baronies, and those of Drogheda and Galway were re-merged with the baronies of Drogheda and Galway which had been formed in the 1840s from their liberties. The four remaining Counties of cities became county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s, and separate baronies.
Historical functions
The various Plantations of IrelandPlantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
were organised largely by barony. Different categories of English and Scottish settlers were planted in particular baronies in the midlands, Munster, and Ulster. In certain counties after the Cromwellian reconquest
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
, Adventurers
Adventurers Act
The Adventurers' Act is an Act of the Parliament of England, with the long title "An Act for the speedy and effectual reducing of the rebels in His Majesty's Kingdom of Ireland".-The main Act:...
got lands in half the baronies, with soldiers
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
in the other half. The Irish who had forfeited their lands in those regions were resettled in particular baronies in Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
and Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
. William Petty
William Petty
Sir William Petty FRS was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers...
's Down Survey
Down Survey
The Down Survey, also known as the Civil Survey, refers to the mapping of Ireland carried out by William Petty, English scientist in 1655 and 1656....
of 1655–6 collected statistics and produced maps at barony level to assist the reorganisation.
Acts of 1787 and 1792 allowed the Lord Lieutenant of a county to appoint a constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
for each barony, and the county grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
to appoint up to 16 sub-constables. These powers were seldom used and the constables had few powers; they were usually older men nicknamed "old Barnys", with the archetypal "old Barny McKeown". They were superseded by the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
.
The cess
Cess
The term cess generally means a tax. It is a term formerly more particularly applied to local taxation, and was the official term used in Ireland when it was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; otherwise, it has been superseded by "rate"...
to pay for roads, bridges, and other public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
was set per barony. "Presentment session
Session (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a session is a meeting or series of connected meetings devoted to a single order of business, program, agenda, or announced purpose.-Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised :...
s", where petitioners applied for funding for such works, were originally held as part of the county assizes
Assizes
Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...
, though the costs were paid from the barony cess if the work was of local benefit only. The county grand jury was supposed to included jurors from each barony, though this did not always happen. From 1819, significantly modified in 1836, baronial presentment sessions were held for these purposes, with a local jury picked by the county grand jury from among the barony's highest rate-payers, according to a complicated formula. The baronial presentment sessions were a convoluted process, lacking public confidence and marred by allegations of corruption and favouritism. Special emergency sessions were held during the Famine of the 1840s for the make-work schemes.
Several parallel local administrative divisions were formed in the nineteenth century, which were not based on the barony. The Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
s were established in 1838, each centred on an eponymous town; most new or altered responsibilities were given to them in subsequent decades. These Unions which were divided into district electoral division
District Electoral Division
A district electoral division is a former name given to a low-level territorial division in Ireland. In 1994, both district electoral divisions and wards were renamed as electoral divisions...
s (DEDs) for funding purposes. Petty sessions courts for civil cases and quarter sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
for criminal cases used still another set of land divisions.
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
defined most Irish county constituencies largely or exclusively in terms of the baronies which they comprised; though in some cases, a barony was split parish by parish between two constituencies. The 1891 census was the last for which returns were aggregated by barony as well as by Union and DED; the 1901 census used only the latter classification.
The 1898 Act replaced the county assizes with an elected county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
; at a lower level, the county was divided into urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s and rural district
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s, each with an elected council. These councils had power to levy rates
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
and build public works, and the baronial presentment sessions were abolished.
Modern existence
While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units".Baronies continue to be used in land registration
Land registration
Land registration generally describes systems by which matters concerning ownership, possession or other rights in land can be recorded to provide evidence of title, facilitate transactions and to prevent unlawful disposal...
, and specification such as in planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
s. For example, the form for registration of a freehold property includes a schedule "To contain description of the property, giving area, townland, barony and county, or, if in a city or urban district, the street or road and city or urban district". Where two townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s in the same county have the same name, they will be disambiguated in official references as "in the barony of ...".
Barony boundaries have remained essentially unchanged since 1898. An exception occurs when land is reclaimed from the sea
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
, whereupon the maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
of the coastal land units will be extended accordingly. For example, a 1994 statutory instrument
Statutory Instrument
A Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946. They replaced Statutory Rules and Orders, made under the Rules Publication Act 1893, in 1948.Most delegated...
extended the boundary of the Barony of Arklow, along with the boundaries of the county (Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
), the district electoral division
District Electoral Division
A district electoral division is a former name given to a low-level territorial division in Ireland. In 1994, both district electoral divisions and wards were renamed as electoral divisions...
(Arklow Rural), the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
(Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
), and the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s (Rock Big, Rock Little, and Money Big).
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
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
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. Most markedly, the entire territory of the small barony of Kilculliheen
Kilculliheen
Kilculliheen ]) is a civil parish, electoral division and barony in Ireland, on the north bank of the River Suir across from the centre of Waterford City. Historically, it has been transferred several times between the county borough of Waterford and the counties of Kilkenny and Waterford. It now...
was moved from County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
to County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
. Likewise in 1976, when suburbs of Drogheda were transferred from County Meath to County Louth, barony boundaries were not adjusted.
The marginal relevance of baronies means many people have no idea which barony they live in. However some remain a focus for local patriotism. Some clubs of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
bear the name of the barony in which they are located; likewise some public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and older provincial hotels, which may display the baronial arms on signage.
List of baronies
The final catalogue of baronies numbered 331. A figure of 273 is also quoted, by combining those divided into half-baronies, as by East/West, North/South, or Upper/Middle/Lower divisions. Every point in Ireland is in precisely one of the listed divisions. However, the municipal area of the four cities with barony status in 1898 has extended since then into the surrounding baronies. Prior to 1898, the baronies around Dublin City were shrunk according as they ceded land to the expanding city; but there is now land which is both within the current city boundaries and within one of the pre-1898 county baronies. Notably, the Barony of Dublin, created in 1842, is almost entirely within the city, although still separate from the Barony of Dublin City.See also
- Barony (country subdivision)
- List of Irish Local Government Areas 1900 - 1921
- TownlandTownlandA townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
External links
- Itineraries for Irish Topographical Botany includes large JPGs of the county maps from Robert Lloyd PraegerRobert Lloyd Praeger-Life:Of a Unitarian background, he was born in Holywood, County Down, and grew up in that town where he was educated, first in the school of the Rev McAlister and then at nearby Sullivan Upper School. He worked in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin from 1893 to 1923. He co-founded and...
's copy of Philips' Handy Atlas of the Counties of Ireland (c.1880) with baronies clearly differentiated by colour and border. - Barony Map of Ireland by Dennis Walsh
- Alphabetical List of Baronies in Northern Ireland Public Record Office of Northern Ireland