Shillelogher Explained

Shillelogher
Native Name:Irish: Síol Fhaolchair
Settlement Type:Barony
Etymology:territory of the Descendants of Fáelchar
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Coordinates:52.5719°N -7.3351°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Leinster
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:County Kilkenny
Established Title:Barony of Shillelogher
Established Date:By 1672
Parts Type:Civil parishes
Parts Style:coll
P1:Ballybur
P2:Burnchurch
P3:Castleinch or Inchyolaghan
P4:Danesfort
P5:Earlstown
P6:Ennisnag
P7:Grange
P8:Grangekilree
P9:Kells
P10:Kilferagh
P11:Killaloe
P12:Outrath
P13:St. Canice
P14:St. John's
P15:St. Patrick's
P16:Stonecarthy
P17:Treadingstown
P18:Tullaghanbrogue
P19:Tullamaine
Government Type:County Council
Governing Body:Kilkenny County Council
Area Total Acre:36684

The barony of Shillelogher is a barony in the west of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The barony is 36684acres in size. It is one of 12 baronies in County Kilkenny. There are 19 civil parishes in Shillelogher, made up of 109 townlands. The chief town is Bennettsbridge.Shillelogher lies at the centre of the county, with the baronies of Crannagh and Kilkenny to the north (whose chief towns are Freshford and Kilkenny, and the barony of Gowran to the east (whose chief towns is Gowran). It is borders County Tipperary to the west. The N76 road bisects the barony. The river Nore flows through the barony. Danesfort Church is located in Shillelogher.

Shillelogher was an early medieval cantred within the shire of Kilkenny, and part of the historic kingdom of Osraige (Ossory). Today it is part of the Roman Catholic Church diocese of Ossory and the Church of Ireland diocese of Cashel and Ossory. Shillelogher is currently administered by Kilkenny County Council.

Etymology

There have been many variations of the name, but all are anglicized variations form the old Irish name, 'Síol Fhaolchair', which means – territory of the Descendants of Fáelchar. The 'f' would be silent and 'l' easily commuted with 'r'. So the name appears under many forms in ancient records, such as 'Stilyker' (1333), 'Sillr', Silelogher, Shillekyr, Shyllekyr, Sylerekyll (1450), Sylerker (1480), in the Red Book of Ossory, Sillelogher (1303), 'Sileyrthir', 'shillegher' or 'shilleligher' in 1587, 'Shillekyr' and 'Shillecher' in 1608; 'Shelogher' in 1657; and 'Sleewloger', 'Shellelogher' and 'Shilliliger'.

History

Named as, Descendants of Fáelchar territory. Fáelchar ua Máele Ódrain was a king of Osraige, descended from Óengus Osrithe. The Norman family of Wall was based there.

In 1358 it appears as the 'cantred of Silyrthir' and perhaps included the barony of Crannagh as well as the barony of Shillelogher. Shillelogher was recorded in the Down Survey (1656), the 1842 Ordnance Survey map, and on Griffith's Valuation (1864).

It was established by 1672 and depicted in Hiberniae Delineatio, "Perry's Atlas", engraved in 1671-2 by William Petty from the data of the Down Survey.

Geography

The river Nore flows through the barony. Shillelogher contains the towns of Bennettsbridge and the settlements of Stonyford, Danesfort, and Grange. Danesfort Church is in Shillelogher.

There are 19 civil parishes in Shillelogher. These include; Ballybur, Burnchurch, Castleinch, Danesfort, Earlstown, Ennisnag, Grange, Grangekilree, Kells, Kilferagh, Killaloe, Outrath, St. Canice, St. John's, St. Patrick's, Stonecarthy, Treadingstown, Tullaghanbrogue, and Tullamaine. Parts of the barony were in the Poor law unions of Callan, Kilkenny, and Thomastown.

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