Corkaree () 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 ...

in north

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...

, in the Republic of Ireland. It was formed by 1672.Corkaree
''townlands.ie'' Retrieved 21 May 2015 It is bordered by three other baronies: Fore (to the north), Moyashel and Magheradernon (to the south) and

Moygoish Moygoish () is a barony in north County Westmeath, in the Republic of Ireland, formed by 1672.Moygoish
'town ...

(to the west).

Early history

In the Medieval period the area of Corcaree formed part of the lands held by the

Ó Dálaigh The Ó Dálaigh () were a learned Irish Bardic poetry, bardic family who first came to prominence early in the 12th century, when Cú Connacht Ó Dálaigh was described as "The first ''Ollamh'' of poetry in all Ireland" (''ollamh'' is the title g ...

(Daly) bardic family.

Máel Íosa Ua Dálaigh Máel Íosa Ua Dálaigh was an Irish poet. He died in 1185. Biography Máel Íosa (meaning "Follower of Jesus") was a member of the Ó Dálaigh family of bards, of whom some forty are attested in Ireland and Scotland between the 12th and 17th c ...

, died 1185, was described as "Chief poet of Ireland and Scotland," he was also lord (''ard taoiseach'') of the 'minor midland kingdom' of Corca Raidhe (Corcaree). The annals state that in 1185, Maelisa O'Daly, ollave (chief poet) of Ireland and Scotland, Lord of Corcaree and Corca-Adain, a man illustrious for his poetry, hospitality, and nobility, died while on a pilgrimage at Clonard.

Geography

Corkaree has an area of . The barony contains two large lakes; Lough Derravaragh, shared with the barony of Fore, and home to the Irish legend of the

Children of Lir The ''Children of Lir'' ( ga, Oidheadh chloinne Lir) is a legend from Irish mythology. It is a tale from the post-Christianisation period that mixes magical elements such as druidic wands and spells with a Christian message of Christian faith ...

and Lough Owel an internationally recognised Ramsar waterfowl habitat. In addition Lough Iron, a small lake, lies on the River Inny and is shared with the barony of Moygoish. The lake is not easily accessible as there is no road close to the lake or public access. The River Inny, flows into Lough Derravaragh, then near the village of Ballinalack. The River Brosna, rises in Lough Owel and, like the Inny, is a tributary of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

. The N4, a national primary road passes to the north of Lough Owel, connecting Dublin with the north–west of Ireland and the coastal town of

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

. A railway line carrying the national rail company

Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and fr ...

's Dublin to

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

commuter service and Dublin to

intercity service also passes through the barony.

Civil parishes of the barony

This table lists an historical geographical sub-division of the barony known as the civil parish (not to be confused with an Ecclesiastical parish).Civil parishes of the barony of Corkaree.
''The Placenames Database of Ireland'' 7 June 2015

Towns, villages and townlands

* Ballinalack, a village on the N4 close to the River Inny. *Bunbrosna, a village on the N4 road. *

Crookedwood Crookedwood () is a small village in County Westmeath on the R394 regional road. Historically it was called ''Taghmon'' (), after the townland it occupies. Geography Overlooked by the dominating hill of Knockeyon to the north, the village r ...

, a small village on the R394 * Knockdrin, an area north of Mullingar on the R394 road. *Monilea, Taghmon * Multyfarnham, a village on the River Gaine. *Taughmon, a small village on the R394 road, not to be confused with Taghmon townland. There are 77 townlands in the barony of Corkaree.

Places of interest

Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham - geograph

Knockdrin Castle Knockdrin () is a townland and Electoral division (Ireland), electoral division that is 5.6 kilometers northeast of Mullingar, in County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the home of the Westmeath Hunt, and its most notable buildin ...

, mainly an early 19th-century neo-Gothic structure. * Multyfarnham Friary, a Franciscan

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

founded in the 15th century. * Wilson's Hospital School, founded in 1761 by Andrew Wilson as a school for young Protestant boys and also as a hospital for old men, some of whom were retired soldiers; now a co-educational

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

References

External links

Map of Corkaree
at openstreetmap.org
Barony of Corkaree, County Westmeath
at Townlands.ie {{County Westmeath Baronies of County Westmeath