Tirkeeran () is a

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Keenaght to the east;

Strabane Lower Strabane Lower (named after Strabane) is a barony in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by five other baronies in Northern Ireland: North West Liberties of Derry to the north; Tirkeeran to the north-east; Strabane Upper to the eas ...

to the south-east;

North West Liberties of Londonderry The North West Liberties of Londonderry is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by two other baronies in Northern Ireland. They are Tirkeeran to the east, across Lough Foyle; and Strabane Lower to the south. It also b ...

to the west;

Strabane Upper Strabane Upper (named after Strabane) is a barony in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by six other baronies: Tirkeeran and Keenaght to the north; Loughinsholin and Dungannon Upper to the east; Omagh East to the south; and Straba ...

to the south.

History

Tirkeeran derives its name from the territory of the Airgiallan clan; ''Ui Mhic Carthainn'' (MacCarthain), one of the earliest tribes in the area based to the south-east of ''Locha Febail'' (

Lough Foyle Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle ( or "loch of the lip"), is the estuary of the River Foyle, on the north coast of Ireland. It lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Sovereignty over ...

). The ''Ui Mhic Carthainn'' are claimed to descend from Forgo mac Carthainn, the great-great-grandson of

Colla Uais The Three Collas (Modern Irish: Trí Cholla) were, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the fourth-century sons of Eochaid Doimlén, son of Cairbre Lifechair. Their names were: Cairell Colla Uais; Muiredach Colla Fo Chrí ( ...

. Dunchad mac Ultain is cited as king of the ''Ui Meic Cairthinn'' in 677, when he was killed by the Cenél nEóghain king, Mael Fithrich. It was around this period that the Cenél nEóghain were attempting to expand eastwards from their homeland in Innishowen, in modern-day County Donegal and into central Ulster. Eventually the Cenél nEóghain crushed the power and independence of the Ui Mhic Carthainn and subjugated them, however it would remain in some minor form until the end of the eleventh century when the Annals cite ''Conchobhor ua hAinniaraidh, king of Cianachta and Ua Cein king of the Ui Meic Carithinn fell by each other in combat''. Prior to the 13th century the septs of ''Ó Cairealláin'' (O'Carolan) and ''Mac Eiteagain'' (MacEttigan) are cited as ruling the territory of Clann Diarmatta (south-east of Lough Foyle), which contained the present-day parish of Clondermot (which derives its name from the territory). These septs descend from the Cenél nEóghain branch ''Clann Conchúir Magh Ithe'' (Clan Connor of Moy Ith), of which the

O'Cahan The O'Cahan (Irish: ''Ó Catháin'' 'descendants of Cahan') were a powerful sept of the Northern Uí Néill’s Cenél nEógain in medieval Ireland. The name is presently anglicized as Keane, O'Kane and Kane. The O'Cahan's originated in Laggan ...

s were the principal sept and who would later dominate and rule a territory spanning the baronies of Tirkeeran, Keenaght, and Coleraine. When the baronies of Ulster were being created by the English from 1585, the general manner was to name it after the principal town or castle lying within the area, in which they held their court, baron, and gaol. This resulted in Firnacreeve being renamed as the barony of Coleraine, and Kinel-Ferady to the barony of

Clogher Clogher () is a village and civil parish in the border area of south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, 5.8 miles from the border crossing to County Monaghan. It stands on the townlands of Clogher Demesne and C ...

. The 1591 inquisition which shired County Tyrone specified as one of its eight baronies "Anagh, conteyninge Tyrchyrine irkeeran Sgryn agilligan and Clandermod londermot. The name Anagh was after the O'Cahan's castle, which stood on an island in

Enagh Lough Enagh Lough () is a pair of lakes called East lake and Westlake, situated between Judges Road and Temple Road in Maydown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Features Under the surface at the bottom of the lake there is ice age water. The Hono ...

. Anagh was one of three baronies transferred from Tyrone to the new

County Coleraine County Coleraine, called the County of Colerain in the earliest documents,Hill, George. ''The Fall of Irish Chiefs and Clans; The Conquest of Ireland''. Irish Roots Cafe, 2004. p.97 was one of the counties of Ireland from 1585 to 1613. It was ...

, which in turn was enlarged and renamed County Londonderry in 1613. The name of the barony was changed from Anagh to Tirkeeran some time between 1615 and 1639.

List of settlements

Below is a list of settlements in Tirkeeran:

Cities and towns

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

(east of the

River Foyle The River Foyle () is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Ty ...

)

Villages

Claudy Claudy () is a village and townland (of 1,154 acres) in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the Faughan Valley, southeast of Derry, where the River Glenrandal joins the River Faughan. It is situated in the civil parish of Cumber Upp ...

Drumahoe Drumahoe () is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies to the east of Derry. It is home to Institute F.C., an NIFL Championship football club. The busy A6 road from Belfast to Derry passes through the townland. I ...

* Eglinton *

Feeny Feeny () is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is between Dungiven and Claudy. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 690. Feeny lies just inside the boundary of the Sperrins Area of ...

Greysteel Greysteel or Gresteel is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies to the east of Derry and to the west of Limavady on the main A2 coast road between Limavady and Derry, overlooking Lough Foyle. It is designated as a Large Vi ...

* Lettershendoney *

Newbuildings Newbuildings or New Buildings is a large village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies close to the banks of the River Foyle and south of the city of Derry. It had a population of 3,381 in the 2011 Census. It is within Derry and Stra ...

Population centres

*Park *Straidarran *The Cross

List of civil parishes

Below is a list of civil parishes in Tirkeeran: *Banagher (split with barony of Keenaght) *Clondermot *Cumber Lower *

Cumber Upper Cumber Upper is a civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mainly situated in the historic barony of Tirkeeran, with one townland ( Stranagalwilly) in the barony of Strabane Lower. Towns and villages The civil parish contains t ...

(with one townland in barony of Strabane Lower) *Faughanvale *Slaughtmanus *Learmount (split with barony of Strabane Lower)

References

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