Kells (County Kilkenny barony)
Barony of Kells
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Etymology: head fort, seat or residence | |
Coordinates: 52°27′47″N 7°19′43″W / 52.46306°N 7.32861°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Leinster |
County | County Kilkenny |
Civil parishes | List
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Government County Council | |
• Body | Kilkenny County Council |
Area | |
• Total | 155.6 km2 (60.1 sq mi) |
Kells (Irish: Ceanannas, meaning "head fort, seat or residence") is a barony in the south-west of County Kilkenny, Ireland.[4][1][5] It is one of 12 baronies in County Kilkenny.[1] The size of the barony is 155.6 square kilometres (60.1 sq mi).[3] There are 10 civil parishes in Kells, made up of 167 townlands.[4] The chief town is Kells.[6]
Kells lies to the south-west of the county, with the baronies of
The barony was part of the territory of the Ua Glóiairn clan of Callann,[7][8] and in the historic kingdom of Osraige (Ossory). Kells Priory is located in the barony. Today it is part of the Roman Catholic Church diocese of Ossory and the Church of Ireland diocese of Cashel and Ossory. Kells is currently administered by Kilkenny County Council.[2]
Etymology
The name "Kells" developed from the ancient Irish: Ceanannas (pronounced Kannanas, accent on the first syllable). Still today Ceanannas is used by Irish speakers.[9] After the Norman Invasion "Ceanannas" was corrupted into "Kenelis", and later into "Kells". From the 12th century onward, the settlement was referred to in English and Anglo-Norman as Kenelis, Kenles, Kenlis, Kenlys, Kenllis, Cellys (Deanery), Kyllis, and it has been Kells since the 1655. Carrigan 1905 says that there is no mention of Kells in Ossory in Gaelic records,[9] but agrees with John O'Donovan who suggests the name signifies "the head seat or residence".[10] And that this is of similar origin to Kells in County Meath.[9]
History
Kells is located in the historic
"O'Gloiairn, the fruit branch has got,
A cantred of a sweet country,
A smooth land along the beauteous Callainn,
A land without a particle of blemish."
In 1358 the "Barony of Kenlys" was very small and located in the eastern portion of the present barony.[11] In the western part of the modern barony was the "cantred of Erley".[11] The barony of Erley and the barony of Kells have been merged for many centuries.[11] The barony of Erley must also have included the parish of Earlstown or Erley that is now in the barony of Shillelogher, and the townland of Frankford also belonged to Erley.[11]
On 14 January 1387 William, son of Richard Tobin ("de Sancto Albino") granted to
Baron of Kells,
By the end of the 14th century the Sweetmans had succeeded the D'Erleys in their property of Earlstown and title Baron of Erley, they were based at Castleeve Castle.[11] Kells was recorded in the Down Survey (1656),[14] the 1840 Ordnance Survey map,[15] and on Griffith's Valuation (1864).[16]
Geography
Contains the
Kells barony contains the towns of
Kells contains the
Kells contains parts of the Roman Catholic parishes of Callan, Dunnamaggan, and Windgap.[23][10][24] Parts of the barony were in the Poor law unions of Callan, Carrick on Suir, and Thomastown.[25]
See also
- Barony (county division)
- Barony (Ireland)
- List of baronies of Ireland
- List of townlands of County Kilkenny
- List of Irish Local Government Areas 1900 - 1921
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b c (Government 2003)
- ^ a b Kilkenny County County. "Website". kilkennycoco.ie.
- ^ a b "Barony of Callan, Co. Kilkenny". townlands.ie.
- ^ a b (Fiontar 2008, Ceanannas/Kells)
- ^ (Tighe 1802, p. 4, Baronies)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Town of Ceanannas/Kells)
- ^ a b c Walsh, Dennis. "Barony of Kells". ancestry.com. Walsh, Dennis. "The Baronies of Ireland". ancestry.com. and Walsh, Dennis. "Barony Map of the Leinster Region". ancestry.com.
- ^ a b c d e (O'Huidhrin 1851, p. 8, PDF)
- ^ a b c (Carrigan 1905, pp. 371, Vol III: Kells; Carrigan 1905, pp. 34, Vol IV: Kells)
- ^ a b (Carrigan 1905, pp. 34–87, Vol IV: Religious Parish of Dunnamaggan)
- ^ a b c d e f (Carrigan 1905, p. 25, Existing Civil Divisions or Baronies)
- ^ Grave's MSS.
- ^ a b c (Kilkenny County Council 2005)
- ^ Down Survey Project. "Kells Map". downsurvey.tcd.ie. The Down Survey Project.
- ^ (Ordnance Survey Ireland 2016, Online Map) Historic Ordnance Survey Map, Survayed 1839 and published 1842. Sheets KK023, KK026, KK027, KK030, KK031, KK034, KK035
- ^ (Griffith 1864, Kells Search)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, River Glory)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Aughatarry)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Kyleadohir Bridge)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Walsh Mountains)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Kells Towns and Fiontar 2008, Kells population centres)
- ^ (Fiontar 2008, Kells Civil Parishes)
- ^ (Carrigan 1905, pp. 290–352, Vol III: Religious Parish of Callan)
- ^ (Carrigan 1905, pp. 311–330, Vol IV: Religious Parish of Windgap)
- ^ (Parliament 1862, p. 963, Kells Barony)
Sources
- ISBN 9785879206463.
- Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairsof the Government of Ireland.
- Government (2003). Placenames (Co. Kilkenny) Order 2003 (PDF). Dublin: Government of Ireland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- Griffith, Richard (1864). "Griffith's Valuation". www.askaboutireland.ie.
- Kilkenny County Council (2005). "Kells Local Area Plan 2005" (PDF). kilkennycoco.ie.
- Lewis, Samuel (1837). A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Lewis.
- O'Huidhrin, Giolla Na Naomh (1851). ISBN 978-1143947490.
- Parliament (1862). General alphabetical index to townlands and towns, parishes and baronies of Ireland.
- Tighe, William (1802). Statistical observations relative to the county of Kilkenny: made in the years 1800 & 1801. Printed by Graisberry and Campbell.
- Ordnance Survey Ireland (2016). "Ordnance Survey, first edition (6 inch)". osi.ie.
External links
- Walsh, Dennis. "Barony of Kells". ancestry.com.
- Walsh, Dennis. "The Baronies of Ireland". ancestry.com.
- Walsh, Dennis. "Barony Map of the Leinster Region". ancestry.com.
- "Barony of Kells, Co. Kilkenny". townlands.ie.