Muskerry East

Muskerry East (Irish: Múscraí Thoir [l 1]) is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Ballincollig. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because some time before the 1821 census data, it was divided from its other half - Muskerry West. Other neighbouring baronies include Cork to the east (surrounding the city of Cork), Duhallow to the north (whose chief town is Newmarket) and the Barony of Barretts to the north-east .[1]

Legal context

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. This is true in the case of the Muskerry baronies whose origins go back the ancient kingdom of Múscraige - see History below.

History

The Múscraige and Corcu Duibne descend form Corc, a son of Cairbre Musc. While the Múscraige petty kingdoms were scattered throughout the province of Munster, the largest were centred on the present baronies of Muskerry (West and East).[2] The tribes or septs were pre-Eóganachta, that is before the 6th century. At this time, the territory did not extend south of the River Lee (although the river bisects the current barony). A pedigree of the chieftains of the tribe may be found in the Book of Leinster.[3][4] The main septs were:

Irish name of the túath Equivalent barony County
Múscraige Tíre Ormond Lower
and Owney and Arra[5]		 County Tipperary
Múscraige Breógain Clanwilliam County Tipperary
Múscraige Tri Maighe[6] Orrery and Kilmore and part
of the barony of Duhallow 		County Cork
Múscraige Mittaine Muskerry East,
Muskerry West
and Barretts [7]		 County Cork
Múscraighe Aodha
(alias Múscraighe Luachra) 		Various baronies Counties Cork, Tipperary
and Limerick

Rivalry between the princely houses of the outer circle of the Eóganacht would eventually undo the kingdom of Múscraighe Mittaine. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, moved in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin.[8] This forced the erstwhile rulers of Locha Léin - the O'Flynns - to migrate eastwards. Sometime after 1096, Múscraighe Mittaine fell to the O'Flynns . The local Ó Donnagáin dynasty persisted in their opposition to the usurpers, at least until 1115 when they killed the reigning O'Flynn king of Muskerry. Thereafter, both dynasties were united in obscurity. From 1118 onwards, the kings of Desmond came from the leading family of Eóganacht Chaisil - the MacCarthy dynasty. The reigning king at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland was Dermod Mór na Cill Baghain MacCarthy, who, in 1171 submitted to King Henry II of England. In so doing, he hoped to secure the king's protection for his lands, particularly from Henry's own barons, as was the Gaelic way. Instead, Henry granted of Dermod's entire kingdom to two of his leading adventurer knights - Robert Fitz-Stephen and Milo de Cogan - in 1177. According to Giraldus, the grantees took possession of seven cantreds only; three to the east of Cork city were allocated to Fitz-Stephen and four to the west to de Cogan.[9] The remaining twenty four cantreds they allowed to MacCarthy at rent.

An invasion into Múscraighe Mittaine in 1201 in reported in the Annals of Inisfallen as follows:

“ AI1201.12: A mighty hosting this year in Desmumu by William and other foreigners, together with the royalty of all Mumu, i.e. including Muirchertach Ua Briain, Conchobar Ruad, and Donnchad Cairprech, and many others, and their plundering parties were sent against Múscraige Mittaine, and they committed great depredations. They proceeded thence to Cenn Eich, spent a week there, and made great raids and burned corn crops in every place they came to. ”

As neither Fitz-Stephen nor de Cogan left male heirs, the inheritance was confused. This suited the purposes of King John of England who, when he came to the throne, was determined to weaken the power of the Irish barons. He sequestered the kingdom of Desmond to the English crown and from 1200 to 1207 he proceeded to parcel out the land among his loyal subjects. Richard de Cogan (son of Milo's brother, Richard) got Múscraighe Mittaine which he was expected to win by the sword.[10] The Cogans conquered most of this area, building castles at Mourne Abbey, Maglin (near Ballincollig), Dundrinan, (Castlemore near Cookstown), Dooniskey, Mahallagh, and Macroom. About 1242 John de Cogan (Richard's son) had the patronage of the churches of Clondrohid, Matehy, and Kilshannig. In 1254-5, "Muscryemychene" was one of the cantreds to pay a compotum of 40/- so that the county sessions might be held there.

Following the Battle of Callann, the McCarthies successfully repulsed the Cambo-Normans although their leader Fínghin Mac Carthaigh was slain. In 1280 the MacCarthy Reagh sept of Carbery made peace with the main branch of the family, whose king was Domhnall Ruadh MacCarthy, the nephew of Fínghin Mac Carthaigh. They apportioned Desmond amongst themselves. The Cogans gradually lost their power and lands in Muskerry. Efforts by the viceroys Lionel and Rokeby to recover Cogan lands from the MacCarthys in east Muskerry failed. In 1398 the Mac Carthys were not alone free to plunder from Dingle to the territory of the Barretts, but could carry on their ancient feud against the Carbery MacCarthys at Carrigrohane.[11]

Civil parishes

There are 25 civil parishes either wholly or partly in the barony.[12]

Civil Parish Irish Name Civil Parish English Name
Achadh Bolg Aghabulloge
Achadh Fhíonach Aghinagh
Áth na nUamhann Athnowen
Baile na Baoi Ballinaboy
Carraig Ruacháin Bheag Carrigrohanebeg
Carraig Ruacháin Carrigrohane
Ceannmhaigh Cannaway
Cill Bheanáin Kilbonane
Cill Muire Kilmurry
Cill na Gluaire Kilnaglory
Cnoc an Bhile Knockavilly
An Corrbhaile Corbally
An Díseart Mór Desertmore
Domhnach Mór Donoughmore
Dún Darú Dunderrow
An Eaglais Aglish
Garbhchluain Garrycloyne
Greanach Grenagh
Inis Cara Inniscarra
Inis Cionaoith Inishkenny
Maigh Guairne Magourney
Maigh Mhide Moviddy
Maigh Teichigh Matehy
Paróiste Fhionnbharra St. Finbar's
Paróiste San Nioclás St. Nicholas

Note 1: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Cork city to the east.

Note 2: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Kinalea to the south.

Note 3: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Muskerry West to the west.

Note 4: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Barretts to the north-east.

Features

See also

References

From "Irish placenames database". logainm.ie (in English and Irish). Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Retrieved 26 September 2011. :

  1. ↑ Muskerry East

From other sources:

  1. ↑ Joyce, P.W. (c. 1880). "County Cork". Philips' Handy Atlas of the Counties of Ireland. London: George Philips & Son. p. 7.
  2. ↑ Mumu by Dennis Walsh
  3. ↑ Ó Murchadha, Diarmuid, Family names of County Cork, pg 153.
  4. ↑ Book of Leinster, Dublin, TCD, MS 1339 (olim MS H 2.18)
  5. ↑ MacLysaght (More Irish Families), notes that the O'Donegans of Aradh (Ara) in Múscraige Tíre became dispersed by the O'Briens whose chief there became Mac I Brien Ara.
  6. ↑ MacLysaght (More Irish Families) notes that O'Donegan's country was the alias for Múscraige Tri Maighe and that the territory passed into the possession of the Cambro-Norman de Barry family in the 13th century.
  7. ↑ T. M. Charles-Edwards, The Chronicle of Ireland. Translated texts for historians., Volume 44, pg 126.
  8. ↑ Annals of Innisfallen
  9. ↑ Giraldi Cambrensis Opera (Rolls Series), v. 347; Benedictus Abbas, i, 163..
  10. ↑ Diarmuid Ó Murchadha, Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Vol. LXVI, No. 204; July–December 1961; pages 105-116.
  11. ↑ MacCarthaigh's Book, 1398.
  12. ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland: Muskerry East.

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