Islands Na hOileáin | |
|---|---|
  Islands | |
| Coordinates:52°43′43″N9°03′33″W / 52.728496°N 9.059128°W /52.728496; -9.059128 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | Clare |
| Area | |
• Total | 257.34 km2 (99.36 sq mi) |
Islands (Irish:Na hOileáin) is abarony located inCounty Clare,Ireland.[1] This ancient unit of land division is in turn divided into fivecivil parishes.
The name refers to the many islands of theFergus estuary, such asCanon Island,Deer Island,Inishloe,Feenish andTrummer: theAnglo-Normans approaching fromLimerick along these waters perceived the County Clare region as anarchipelago and named it "thecantred of the isles ofThomond", a name still preserved in that of the barony.[2]
Baronies were created after theNorman invasion of Ireland as divisions ofcounties and were used the administration of justice and the raising of revenue. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they have beenadministratively 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 earlierGaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown.
The barony is bounded by the barony ofInchiquin (to the north), byBunratty Upper (to the east), byClonderalaw (to the south) and byIbrickane (to the west). It covers 67,101 acres (27,155 ha) of which 3,471 acres (1,405 ha) are tideway of theRiver Fergus and 3,932 acres (1,591 ha) are water. The river and estuary of the Fergus form the eastern boundary of the barony, which slopes down to the water. The western part is mainly peaty uplands, while the east includes some of the rich pasturage known as "Corcasses".[3]
The barony contains thecivil parishes ofClare-Abbey,Clondagad,Dromcliffe,Killone, andKilmaly.The main settlements areEnnis andClare.[3]
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