Tirkennedy
| Tirkennedy Tír Cheannada[1] (Irish) | |
|---|---|
 Location of Tirkennedy, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| County | Fermanagh |
Tirkennedy (from Irish Tír Cennfhota, meaning "country of the long-head") is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.[2] To its west lies Lower Lough Erne and south Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by seven other baronies: Clanawley and Magheraboy to the west; Lurg and Omagh East to the north; Clogher to the east; Magherastephana and Knockninny to the south.[2]
History
Despite its name, Tirkennedy has nothing to do with the modern personal name of Kennedy, which derives from Cennétig (ugly/rough headed). Rather it takes its name from the epithet of Fergus son of Cremthann, the eponymous ancestor of the Ui Chremthainn, the predominant tribe of the western Airgialla.[1][3] Fergus lived in the late fifth century and was known as Cennfhota (long-head). His descendants became known as the Ui Chennfhota, with the kingdom of Tir Cennfhota receiving its first mention in the Annals in 1349.[4][3]
The Devine (Irish: Ó Daimhín) sept were cited as Lords of Tirkennedy,[3][5] and were a leading Fermanagh sept up to and including the fifteenth century, when their power was broken by the O'Neills to the north and the Maguires to the south.[5] Under the Maguires, the MacManus sept became hereditary supervisors of the fisheries in Tirkennedy.[6]
The early Anglicisation of "Tircannada" recorded in the 1609 escheated counties map is claimed as being more accurate than the present form of "Tirkennedy".[1]
List of main settlements
- Ballinamallard
- Enniskillen (east of the River Erne)
- Lisbellaw
- Tempo
List of civil parishes
Below is a list of civil parishes in Tirkennedy:[7]
- Cleenish (split with baronies of Magheraboy and Clanawley)
- Derrybrusk (also partly in barony of Magherastephana)
- Derryvullan (also partly in barony of Lurg)
- Enniskillen
- Magheracross (split with barony of Omagh East)
- Trory (also partly in barony of Lurg)
References
- 1 2 3 "Strabane Lower". Placenames Database of Ireland. Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- 1 2 PRONI Baronies of Northern Ireland
- 1 2 3 The Letters of John O'Donovan
- ↑ The barony of Tirkennedy in Co. Fermanagh
- 1 2 Bell, Robert; The Book of Ulster Surnames, page 51. The Black Staff Press, 2003. ISBN 0-85640-602-3
- ↑ The Baronies of Ireland - Family History
- ↑ PRONI CIvil Parishes of County Fermanagh
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