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1 Population density in Ireland 1841 Understanding townlands and Irish land divisions Size of Ireland compared to American states Ireland, showing the provinces and counties (32) vs Indiana (92) Historic land divisions Townland Civil parish Barony County Nineteenth century divisions Poor Law union Superintendent Registrar district Registrar district/dispensary district Ecclesiastical divisions Parish Diocese Irish Land divisions About Irish townlands and placenames But nowhere, of course, are the British more gifted than with place names. There are some 30,000 place names in Britain, a good half of them I would guess, notable or arresting in some way Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson In addition to being divided into four provinces and thirty-two counties, in their turn divided in to baronies and parishes, all having names, Ireland is further divided into some 60,000 townlands, all of which again have names (though many of them, of course, share the same, fairly descriptive, name). Inside these townlands, the smallest official land unit in the country, are many minor names, possibly averaging out at twenty to thirty per townland as recorded on the large-scale maps of the Ordnance Survey, although an intensive ground-survey has revealed as many as 800 minor names in a single townland in Co. Mayo. This amounts to an enormous number of place-names running into many millions; to explain, or even merely to list, all of these in a single work would be impossible. Irish Place Names, Deirdre and Laurence Flanagan they know every tree, every rock, every field and house and most of the tales and legends associated with them. Rural Life in Northern Ireland, John Mogey publishers and copyright holders. 1

2 PRONI Historic Map Viewer Launched January 2017 Useful websites for studying Irish land divisions Above: Right: Useful websites for studying Irish land divisions Irish land divisions IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE/GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS Townland: The townland is the smallest unit of land used in Ireland. The area varies in size from less than ten acres to several thousand acres. Despite their name these units do not contain towns, indeed some have no occupants at all. There are around 64,000 townlands in Ireland, and they are the most specific address usually available to rural dwellers. They are generally organised into civil parishes. Civil Parish: These are important units for record purposes. They generally contain around twenty-five to thirty townlands as well as towns and villages. These are around 2,500 civil parishes in the country. Parishes are generally listed within each county although they may also be divided by barony. In many cases civil parishes straddle county and barony boundaries. Above: Right: Barony: A barony is a portion of a county or a group of parishes. Historically it was introduced by the Anglo-Normans and is usually based on a tribal territory or "tuatha". Barony boundaries do not always conform to those of the civil parishes within them. There are 273 baronies in Ireland. County: The county is a major and consistent division of land. The counties were gradually established by the English since the arrival of the Normans. The first counties - Dublin, Kildare and Louth - were established in the early 13th Century, whereas the last counties, those of Ulster, were not established until after There are thirty-two counties and these are formed into four Provinces. County Down, showing baronies County Down, showing civil parishes 1 Aghaderg 35 Grey Abbey 2 Annaclone 36 Hillsborough 3 annahilt 37 Holywood 4 Ardglass 38 Inch 5 Ardkeen 39 Inishargy 6 Ardquin 40 Kilbroney 7 Ballee 41 Kilclief 8 Ballyculter 42 Kilcoo 9 Ballyhalbert 43 Kilkeel 10 Ballykinler 44 Killaney 11 Ballyphilip 45 Killinchy 12 Ballytrustan 46 Killyleagh 13 Ballywalter 47 Kilmegan 14 Bangor 48 Kilmood 15 Blaris 49 Kilmore 16 Bright 50 Knockbreda 17 Castleboy 51 Lambeg 18 Clonallan 52 Loughinisland 19 Clonduff 53 Maghera 20 Comber 21 Donaghadee 22 Donaghcloney 23 Donaghmore 24 Down 25 Dromara 26 Dromore 27 Drumballyroney 28 Drumbeg 29 Drumbo 30 Drumgath 31 Drumgooland 32 Dundonald 33 Dunsfort 34 Garvaghy 54 Magheradrool 55 Magherahamlet 56 Magheralin 57 Magherally 58 Moira 59 Newry 60 Newtonards 61 Rathmullan 62 Saintfield 63 Saul 64 Seapatrick 65 Shankill 66 Slanes 67 Tullylish 68 Tullynakill 69 Tyrella 70 Warrenpoint publishers and copyright holders. 2

3 Presb. congregations and RC parishes of County Down Civil Parishes in Ireland Ordnance Survey recorded 2,428 civil parishes in 1830s The Church of Ireland (or Episcopal Church) had 1,518 parishes when it was disestablished in 1870 Civil and Catholic Parishes in Co. Cavan Guide to Church Records in PRONI Parish administration was certainly seriously disrupted in the 16 th and 17 th century upheavals and new arrangements in parochial management had to be made. Where older parishes were comparatively extensive (as in Ulster) continuance of parish spaces into the modern period made geographical and social sense. Additionally, parochial tithes paid to the Established Church, though unpopular probably helped to maintain the continuity of older units in collective consciousness. P.J. Duffy The Shape of the parish in The Parish in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland Dioceses in Ireland Superintendent Registrar Districts Church of Ireland dioceses (left) RC dioceses (right) publishers and copyright holders. 3

4 Alphabetical List of Poor Law Unions (Northern Ireland) Armagh (County Armagh) Ballycastle (County Antrim) Ballymena (County Antrim) Ballymoney (County Antrim) Ballyshannon (Counties Fermanagh, Donegal and Leitrim) Banbridge (County Armagh and Down) Belfast (Counties Antrim and Down) Castleblayney (Counties Armagh and Monaghan) Castlederg (County Tyrone) Clogher (County Tyrone) Clones (Counties Fermanagh and Monaghan) Coleraine (County Londonderry) Cookstown (County Tyrone) Downpatrick (County Down) Dungannon (County Tyrone) Enniskillen (Counties Fermanagh and Cavan) Irvinestown (Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone) Kilkeel (County Down) Larne (County Antrim) Limavady (County Londonderry) Lisburn (Counties Antrim and Down) Lisnaskea (County Fermanagh) Londonderry (Counties Londonderry and Donegal) Lurgan (Counties Antrim, Armagh and Down) Magherafelt (County Londonderry) Newry (Counties Armagh and Down) Newtownards (County Down) Omagh (County Tyrone) Strabane (Counties Tyrone and Donegal) Poor Law Unions and baronies of County Down County Down, showing townlands Irish Townlands average size Townland Map Barony: Upper Ards Parish: Ballyphilip Townland: Ballyphilip Baile/Bally (place) 6,400 Kill/Cill/Caille (church or a wood) 2,890 Drum(a ridge) 2,000 Knock/Cnoc (a hill) 1,600 Lis (an enclosed abode or fort) 1,380 Derry (an oak wood) 1,310 Cluain/Clon/Cloon (a meadow) 756 Irish Townlands biggest The largest townland in Ireland Finnaun, parish of Killanin, Co. Galway 7,555 acres and 16 perches Irish Townlands smallest Mill Tenement the smallest townland in Ireland: 1 Acre 1 Rood 1 Perch Listed here as part of Carnlough South publishers and copyright holders. 4

5 Smallest Townland Ulster Old Church Yard, Termonmaguirk, Carrickmore, Co. Tyrone Smallest Townland in Ireland Clonskeagh, Donnybrook, Co. Dublin Clonskeagh in 1851 Census of Ireland is listed as 1 rood and 8 perches, or approx. 0.3 of a acre Old Church Yard in 1851 Census of Ireland is listed as 2 roods and 10 perches, or approx. 0.6 of an acre. Clonskeagh, Donnybrook, Co. Dublin Explaining townlands Since the late medieval period, every county and parish has been divided into small land units known generally as townlands. These units were formerly called by a variety of local and regional names, such as balliboes in parts of Ulster, tates in Fermanagh and Monaghan and ploughlands in some southern counties. Despite frequent enlargement and division, the basic townland pattern has survived to the present day. Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape Townlands in Armagh Derryloughan Derrytrasna Derryinver Cloncore Clonmakate Clonmeen publishers and copyright holders. 5

6 Townlands Irish designation Townlands Scotch designation Townlands English designation Loughmuck (Alcorn) and (Wallace), Drumragh, Co. Tyrone Scotch Quarter, Carrickfergus Variations in land units used in Ireland for what became townlands The Irish designation ballyebetagh victuallers or farmer s town originally denoted a tract of land, which constituted the thirtieth part of a trioca cead, or barony and all the lesser divisions were known by various appellations of quarters, halfquarters, ballyboes, gneeves, tates, etc. In the Ordnance Maps, however, in accordance with the prevailing usage all these names of subdivisions are discarded and the term townland is applied to every such denomination, whether great or small. Census of Ireland 1851, Townland Index publishers and copyright holders. 6

7 Explaining townlands Townlands are thus very early. In origin they seem to be like the Old English hide the amount of land which would support a family and its dependents on average 120 acres. The Ulster Gaelic name baile bo seems to mean land that could raise the rent of a cow. At the Plantation the ballybo was reckoned as 120 acres (of good land) while the tate in the south-west was only half of that. Like Irish baile (Bally in place-names) the Old English word tun originally meant farmstead settlement, rather than town or village. The term townland was created to translate the Irish concept and does not occur in spell-checkers. There are about 9,000 townlands in Northern Ireland (the six counties) on average 350 acres. Celebrating Ulster s Townlands, Kay Muhr General Topographical Index Alphabetical index of Townlands and Towns of Ireland 1901 The barony or Trioca cead consisted of Ballybetaghs or Townlands, Ploughlands, Seisreaghs or Carrows, Tates or Ballyboes, Sessiaghs, Gneeves and Acres. The following is a Table showing these divisions: 10 Acres = 1 Gneeve 2 Gneeves = 1 Sessiagh 3 Sessiaghs = 1 Tate or Ballyboe 2 Ballyboes = 1 Ploughland, Seisreagh or Carrow 4 Ploughlands = 1 Ballybetagh or Townland 30 Ballybetaghs = 1 Trioca cead or Barony At the census of 1821 in addition to the Barony and Townland, the Gneeve and the Ploughland were the only areas given in the above list which were noted by the Enumerators as then existing. In the Ordnance Maps all the names of the smaller sub-divisions were discarded and the term townland applied to every denomination whether great or small. In accordance with the Act 6, Geo IV, cap. 99 the boundaries of the townland laid down on the Ordnance Maps were shown by the local government, guided by the then existing usage in collecting the Grand Jury rates and cess, and consequently the boundaries laid down on the Maps frequently do not coincide with those of earlier denominations Townlands origins Townlands origins According to Reeves (On the Townland Distribution of Ireland) A tricha-ced or cantred had no corresponding division in 19 th century Likewise the ballyebetagh has no readily recognisable modern equivalent, though the nearest approximation to the estimated ballybetagh is half an average parish The Seisreach which is understood to denote the area of ground a sixhorse plough could turn in a year. is the division best represented in our present allotment, with the number of ploughlands in Ireland then (19 th century) stated to be 66,000 remarkably close to the number of townlands. Quarters Monaghan and Fermanagh had ballybetaghs which contained 4 quarters and each quarter 4 tates ie 16 tates in a ballybetagh. Cavan used the pole of which there were 16 poles in a ballybet or ballybetagh. Each poll contained 2 gallons, each gallon two pottles, and then to a subdivision called pints. On the origins of townlands, MacDermott states: These are difficult questions and I think will remain so; but at least one thing is clear. They are not parishes cut into convenient sections. They are, or they represent, divisions which were essentially Irish and which have existed in one form or another time out of mind and long before parishes and counties. Yet their growth is so complex and obscure that I doubt if even the best Irish scholars and historians could agree on these matters. Variations in land units used in Ireland for what became townlands The Irish designation ballyebetagh victuallers or farmer s town originally denoted a tract of land, which constituted the thirtieth part of a trioca cead, or barony and all the lesser divisions were known by various appellations of quarters, halfquarters, ballyboes, gneeves, tates, etc. In the Ordnance Maps, however, in accordance with the prevailing usage all these names of subdivisions are discarded and the term townland is applied to every such denomination, whether great or small. Census of Ireland 1851, Townland Index County Down, showing townlands Barony: Upper Ards, parish: Ballyphilip, townland: Ballyphilip Movements of Robert Murland, Ballyfounder Killydressy Ballytrustan Ballyweird Ballyfounder Tullymally Portaferry Corrog 1901 (twelfth child, Richard) publishers and copyright holders. 7

8 Townlands around Portaferry Townland Index Distance per Google maps: 1.6 miles Index to townlands 1871 census Studying placenames - Placenamesni.org Studying townlands and land holdings - Unofficial/sub-denominational names publishers and copyright holders. 8

9 Peeltown in Ballygelagh, Co. Down OS Maps useful for finding minor placenames Newtowntully listed as townland in Directory of Market Towns 1814 Boneybefore, Carrickferus, Co. Antrim Tithe book for Carrickfergus - Boneybefore Gravestone inscription: Oughtrie MecCosh, Donaghadee, 1671 Donaghadee Parish Graveyard, Co. Down [MD VI, 57 Set up against wall of east transept] Here lyeth the body of Oughtrie MecCosh, sailer in Dennaughadie who departed this life the 3 of March in the year of God Historical name form Old Form Ref. Date Reference Damaugh Dee 1603 Ex. Inq. (Dn) 2 Jac. I Ba: Done 1603 Bartlett Maps (Esch. Co. Maps) 1 Ballidonoghdee 1605 Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac. I Dony 1610 Speed's Antrim & Down Donaghadee 1615 Terrier (Reeves) 57 Donoghdie 1617 CPR Jas I 326a Donoghdee 1622 Ulster Visit. Reeves 35 Donaghodie 1623 Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxiv Donaghadee 1625 CPR Chas I 66 Donadee 1627 CPR Chas I 230 Donoghdee 1633 Inq. Ult. (Down) $41 Car. I Donaghdy 1636 Inq. Ult. (Down) $75 Car. I Donaghdee 1645c Inq. Ult. (Down) $105 Car. I Donaghdee al 1650c Inq. Ult. (Down) $109 Car. I Downadee Donoghadee 1657 Inq. Down (Reeves1) 137 Donnadee 1659c Census Balleno al BSD 88 Donnaghadee Donnacaha dee 1661 Trien. Visit. (Bramhall) 13 Donnaghadee, 1661 BSD 88 ye Parishes of Newtowne & Donaghdee 1663 Sub. Roll Down 281 Donnaghadee 1664 Trien. Visit. (Margetson) 22 Donachadee 1679 Trien. Visit. (Boyle) 44 Donaghadee 1693 Collins B'fast Lough Donaghadee 1739 Reg. Deeds abstracts ii $26 Donaghadee 1810 Wm. Map (OSNB) E 167, E 24 Donaghadee 1830c Bnd. Sur. (OSNB) E.167/E.32 Plantation maps Bodley maps 1609 Townlands in the records Seventeenth century surveys: Down Survey, Civil Survey, Books of Survey & Distribution Registry of Deeds 1708 Eighteenth century substitutes: 1740 Protestant Householders, 1766 returns, Dissenters 1775, estate records Nineteenth century: Tithe Applotment books, Griffith s Valuation, Valuation Revisions, Valuation maps, Grand Jury and cess records Ordnance Survey Memoirs 1830s Placenamesni.org publishers and copyright holders. 9

10 Townland origins Part of Bodley s map of 1609 When the lands were bestowed upon the new grantees they were apportioned in large units a barony or several baronies and the townlands within these units were listed. The townland-names were written down in the official documentation in Anglicised form as they sounded to the English courtscribes, so when the lands were leased to the new tenants the townlands were still known by their Irish names. Thus, because the Irish place-names were formally used in grants and leases, they became the official place-names of the country. Land units mentioned in seventeenth century records (Strafford Inquisition of Co. Mayo, 1635) Irish Place Names, Deirdre and Laurence Flanagan a blanket of Anglicisation covers them, as a result of the English conquest, throughout a great part of the country. The Civil Survey, Registry of Deeds Lands index (family search) Townlands listed in Landed Estate Court Rentals Rentals for diocese of Clogher, referring to Tates in 1834 publishers and copyright holders. 10

11 Ordnance Survey maps (OS) Townland Valuation (VAL/1B) with map (VAL/1A) Basic Sources for studying townlands in PRONI Tenement Valuation (VAL/2B or printed) with map (VAL/2A or VAL/12D) Valuation Revision Lists (VAL/12B & /12F) updating the Tenement Valuation between 1865 and 1935 Census figures (published townland figures ) Census returns for 1901 and 1911 (NAI website) Tithe Composition Applotment books /8 (FIN/5A) & NAI website Also some of the most valuable supplementary sources are the landed estate records Online Resources PRONI Historic Map Viewer Griffith s valuation and maps Irish Townlands Placenames Database of Ireland Placenamesni.org GeoHive an initiative by Ordnance Survey Ireland Houses of the Oireachtas Library and Research Service Basic guides to Studying Townlands and Place Names British Institute Salt Lake City, UT, October publishers and copyright holders. 11