King's County Baronies
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[Parishes referred to are Civil Parishes]
BALLYBOY - The centre of the county; south of Ballycowan; west of Geashill; east of Eglish and Garrycastle; with Queen's county on its south. It includes the parish of same name, and Killoughy with Frankford town, the Silver river running through the barony.
BALLBRITT - Is south of Eglish; west of Queen's County; north of Clonlisk, which bounds it also on west, as does Tipperary; containing the parishes of Birr, Kinnitty, Letterluna, Roscomroe, and Sierkieran, with portions of Ettagh, Kilcolman, Aghancon, Corbally, and Roscrea. Parsonstown [Birr] is in this barony.
BALLCOWAN - In the northern end of the county, is bounded on the north by Kilcoursey and Westmeath; east by Geashill; south by Ballyboy; west by Garrycastle, and contains the capital town, the parishes of Kilbride, Lynally, and Rahan, with part of Durrow, which has the ruins of a celebrated abbey near the fine mansion of Hector G. Toler, JP
CLONLISK - In extreme south of county, bounded S. E. and W. by Tipperary, N. by Ballybritt, and contains parishes of Dunkerrln, Castletownely, Kilcommin, Finglas, Shinrone, Kilmurryely, and Templeharry, with parts of Borrisnafarney, Aghancon, Corbally, Ettagh, Cullenwaine, Kilcolman, and Roscrea. About 13 miles in length and 6 at its greatest breath, part of the Devil Bit mountain touches it. Several streams run through into the Shannon, including the Little Brosna.
COOLESTOWN - Bounded N. by Warrenstown, S. and W. by Philipstown, with Kildare on east, containing parishes of Ballynakill, Clonsast, Monasteroris, with part of Castlejordan. Is 9½ miles long by 7 wide. The river Boyne drains the north and the Feagle the south end.
EGLISH - Formerly called Fircall-Lies N.W. of Garrycastle, N.E. of Ballyboy, and S.E. of Ballybritt, measuring about six miles by seven, containing the parish of Eglish and Drumcullen. Five-alley is the post town, also Thomastown. The parish includes a partly dried up lake 172 feet above sea level, with an island having ruins.
GARRYCASTLE - The largest barony in the King's County, containing parishes of Clonmacaois, Gallen, Lusmagh, Lemonaghan, Reynagh, Tisarin, and Killegally otherwise Wheery, also the towns of Banagher, Ferbane, Shannonbridge, Cloghan, and Shannonharbour, bounded by Westmeath on N., by Tipperary on S.W., and by Galway on W. as separated by the Shannon, which bounds its N. and N.W. border. The Little Brosna and Grand Canal traverses the interior, as does partly the railway from Clara via Ferbane and Belmount-which latter place is celebrated for one of the largest corn mills in Ireland, owned by James and Thomas Perry. This mill was in 1879.80 renovated and modern machinery replaced in it, the building having been destroyed by fire in 1879. The roofless baronial castle, formerly of the MacCoghlans, in the near vicinity of the new important Distillery, is seen from the Birr road, presenting a large gap in the thick walls, resembling an outline map of Ireland. The barony has the pre-eminence of possessing the most elaborate Whiskey Distillery in the country.
GEASHILL - Lies north of Queen's County; east of Ballyboy and Ballycowan; south and east of both Philipstowns, and includes parts of the parishes of Ballykean and Geashill. Part of the immense Bog of Allan occupies the north; the Grand Canal and the Clodagh river run through. It contains the village of Killeigh and the ruins of Geashill Castle, in years gone by belonging to the warlike O'Dempseys, afterwards to the Fitzgeralds, from whom it came to Sir Robert Digby in 1620. Within it Lady Digby withstood a siege of many months in 1642, until released by Sir Richard Greville, her conduct entitling her to rank among the famed heroines of the world. Geashill gave a title of Baron to the now extinct earldom of Digby.
KILCOURSEY - Six miles in length and breadth, between a circle and a triangle in shape, is surrounded on two-thirds of its boundary, east, west, and north by Westmeath, the southern side, which is more irregularly shaped, jutting into Ballycowan, with Garrycastle bounding a small portion of its south-west face. It contains the parishes of Kilbride-Langan, and parts of Ardnurcher, Kilcumreragh, and Kilmanaghan, with the town of Clara. It gives the title of Viscount to the Earl of Cavan.
Lr. PHILIPSTOWN - Is south of Westmeath, west of Warrenstown and Coolestown, north of Geashill and Upper Philipstown, and east of Ballycowan. It is seven by five miles across, containing Philipstown [Daingean], and the parishes of Ballycommon, Croghan, Kilclonfert, Killaderry, and part of Ballyburley.
Up. PHILIPSTOWN - Is north and east of the Queen's County; east of Geashill; west of Coolestown and Kildare, and south of Lower Philipstown. Its length is nine miles, and its breadth five, containing the parish of Clonyhurke, and parts of Ballykean and Geashill.
WARRENSTOWN - Lies in the north-east corner of the county. Contains parish of Ballymacwilliam, with parts of Ballyburley and Castlejordan. Bounded on the N. by Meath and Westmeath; on S. by Coolestown; E. and W. by Kildare.
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