Bunratty Upper Bun Raite Uachtarach | |
|---|---|
  Bunratty Upper | |
| Coordinates: 52°49′09″N8°51′47″W / 52.819052°N 8.863012°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | Clare |
Bunratty Upper (Irish : Bun Raite Uachtarach) [1] is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient geographical division of land is in turn divided into six civil parishes.
Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions of counties and were used the administration of justice and the raising of revenue. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they have been administratively obsolete since 1898. However, they continue to be used in land registration and in specification, such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown.
Bunratty Upper is a division of the former barony of Bunratty. This belonged to the Macnamara family, and was called Dangan-i-vigin. It is bounded to the north by the county of Galway. Within the county of Clare, it is bounded by the baronies of Tulla Upper (to the north-east), Tulla Lower (to the east), Bunratty Lower (to the south), Islands (to the south-west) and by Inchiquin (to the north-west). Lough Cullaunyheeda separates the barony from its neighbour, Tulla Lower.
The barony has an area of 53,844 acres (21,790 ha). The land is rocky, but able to support large numbers of sheep. [2]
Bunratty Upper contains the civil parishes of Clooney, Doora, Inchicronan, Kilraghtis, Quin and Templemaley. The main population centres are Quin and Crusheen. [2] The barony now also includes the eastern and north-eastern edges of Ennis. However, most of Ennis, including its historic centre, is in the Barony of Islands. [3]
Doora is a village and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland, just to the east of the town of Ennis.
East Clare was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament (MP) from 1885 to 1922.
Spancil Hill, or in original spelling Spancilhill, is a traditional Irish folk ballad composed by Michael Considine (1850–73), who was born in Spancil Hill and migrated to the US. It bemoans the plight of the Irish emigrants who so longed for home from their new lives in America. This song is sung by a man who longs for his home in Spancill Hill, County Clare, his friends and the love he left there. All the characters and places in this song are real.
Bunratty is a village in County Clare, Ireland, near Bunratty Castle. It is connected by the N18 road to Limerick and Galway. The Raite river defines the parish's eastern boundary and flows into the Shannon Estuary, which defines the southern boundary.
Quin is a village in southeast County Clare, Ireland. The name also refers to a civil parish in the barony of Bunratty Upper, and to an ecclesiastical parish of the same name. The main attraction in the vicinity is Quin Abbey, the ruins of Franciscan friary, which is open to the public. Although roofless, much of the structure remains and is relatively well-preserved. The abbey was built on the foundations of an earlier Norman castle; the foundations of three corner towers can still be seen.
Spancill Hill or Spancilhill is a hill and adjacent dispersed settlement in County Clare, Ireland. The historic hamlet of Spancilhill was by the fair green, which is still the site of the Spancill Hill Fair, which occurs annually on 23 June. Houses are concentrated slightly south at Cross of Spancilhill, where the R352 road between Ennis to the west and Tulla to the east crosses a local road between Barefield to the north and Quin to the south.
Kilnasoolagh is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland, and a townland within that parish. Church records mention the parish in 1256.
Tomfinlough is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. A Christian establishment was first made here around 540 AD. The parish lands were often raided by Irish, Viking, Norman and English forces in the years that followed. The church was allowed to fall into ruins during the period when the Catholic Church was penalized in Ireland.
Clonloghan is a civil parish of County Clare, Ireland, located 21.7 kilometres (13.5 mi) by road northwest of Limerick, just north of Shannon.
Clooney is a civil parish of County Clare, Ireland, located to the northeast of Ennis, south of Inchicronan. The area is marshy, with the Oysterman's Marsh Natural Heritage Area in the vicinity. Clooney-Quin GAA is a GAA club for the Catholic parish of Clooney and Quin.
Bunratty Lower is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient unit of land division is in turn divided into fourteen civil parishes.
Tulla Upper is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient geographical division of land is in turn divided into seven civil parishes.
Tulla Lower is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient geographical division of land is in turn divided into eight civil parishes.
Islands is a barony located in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient unit of land division is in turn divided into five civil parishes.
Inchiquin is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This geographical unit of land is one of 11 baronies in the county. Its chief town is Corofin. It is administered by Clare County Council.
Kilconry is a civil parish of County Clare, Ireland, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Limerick, west of Shannon on the estuary of the River Shannon. The main village in the area is Ballycalla/Ballcally and it contains the Shannon Golf Course and Shannon Airport.
Kilfinaghta is a civil parish of County Clare, Ireland, located to the east of Sixmilebridge and northeast of Shannon.
Kilmurry-Negaul is a civil parish and a village in County Clare, Ireland.
Crusheen, formerly called Inchicronan, is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. There is also a catholic parish Crusheen, covering the same area. The parish lies to the northeast of Ennis. It contains the villages of Crusheen and Ballinruan.
Leitrim is a barony in Ireland that lies partly in County Galway and partly in County Clare. It is located in the south-eastern corner of County Galway and the north-eastern corner of County Clare. Prior to 1898, the entire barony was contained in County Galway. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 split the barony: part of the barony was transferred to County Clare. Leitrim is bounded, clockwise from the southwest, by the Clare baronies of Tulla Upper and Tulla Lower; the Galway baronies of Loughrea to the west, Kilconnell to the north, and Longford to the east; and by Lough Derg to the south and southeast. It measures 20 miles (32 km) from north to south and 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from east to west.
Citations
Sources