Fore (County Meath barony)

Fore
Baile Fhobhair (Irish)
Demifore
Cattle at Milltown
Cattle at Milltown
Barony map of County Meath, 1900; Fore is in the northwest, coloured pink.
Barony map of County Meath, 1900; Fore is in the northwest, coloured pink.
Fore is located in Ireland
Fore
Fore
Coordinates: 53°44′N 7°09′W / 53.73°N 7.15°W / 53.73; -7.15
Sovereign stateIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyMeath
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 They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898.[4]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:

References

  1. ^ "Genuki: Diamor, Meath". www.genuki.org.uk.
  2. ^ "Ireland Barony Maps County Meath – L Brown Collection".
  3. ^ a b c "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.