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.
Location
The barony is bounded by the barony of Inchiquin (to the north), by Bunratty Upper (to the east), by Clonderalaw (to the south) and by Ibrickane (to the west). It covers 67,101 acres (27,155 ha) of which 3,471 acres (1,405 ha) are tideway of the River 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]
