Fore (County Meath barony)

Fore Baile Fhobhair (Irish) Demifore
Barony
Cattle at Milltown
Barony map of County Meath, 1900; Fore is in the northwest, coloured pink.
Fore
Coordinates: 53°44′N7°09′W / 53.73°N 7.15°W / 53.73; -7.15
Sovereign state	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Meath
Area
• Total	171.5 km2 (66.2 sq mi)

Fore (Irish : Baile Fhobhair), also called Demifore, ^[1] is a historical barony in north-central County Meath, Ireland. ^{[2] [3]}

Baronies were mainly cadastral rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. ^[4]

History

The region was ruled by the Delbna Bec in the 8th century (with surname Ua Maoilchallan, Mulholland) and the Ó hAonghusa (Hennessys) in the 12th century. ^[5]

The barony takes its name from Fore Abbey (County Westmeath), whose name is from Irish fobhar, "well." Originally there was a single large barony, but when Meath was split into Meath and Westmeath in the Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543, ^[6] two "half-baronies" of Fore (Westmeath) and Fore (Meath) were created. ^[3]

Geography

Fore is a hilly region in the northwest of the county, ^[3] on the border with County Westmeath to its west; Lough Bane is on the border here. The northern border of Fore follows the River Inny and Lough Sheelin, where it meets County Cavan. ^[7] Fore barony contains Slieve Na Calliagh and the Loughcrew megalithic complex. ^{[8] [9]}

List of settlements

Settlements within the historical barony of Fore include:

• Drumone
• Oldcastle ^[10]

References

1. "Genuki: Diamor, Meath". www.genuki.org.uk.
2. "Ireland Barony Maps County Meath – L Brown Collection".
3. "Genuki: County Meath Baronies, Towns, Civil Parishes & Villages, Meath". www.genuki.org.uk.
4. General Register Office of Ireland (1904). "Alphabetical index to the baronies of Ireland". Census of Ireland 1901: General topographical index. Command papers. Vol. Cd. 2071. HMSO. pp. 966–978.
5. "The Baronies of Ireland - Family History". sites.rootsweb.com.
6. Ellis, S. G. (2015:131). Defending English Ground: War and Peace in Meath and Northumberland, 1460-1542. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
7. "Fore". www.townlands.ie.
8. "Sub-units of: Baile Fhobhair/Fore". logainm.ie.
9. "Sub-units of: Baile Fhobhair/Fore". logainm.ie.
10. "Sub-units of: Baile Fhobhair/Fore". logainm.ie.