Cullenagh or Cullinagh () 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 Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...

(formerly called ''Queen's County'' or ''County Leix''),

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Etymology

The barony is named after the Cullenagh Hills; located between Abbeyleix and

Timahoe Timahoe (: 'House of Mochua') is a village in County Laois, Ireland, south of Portlaoise on the R426 regional road. The population of Timahoe in 2002 was 517, a 2.6% increase since 1996. It increased to 527 in 2006. Retrieved dead link with Wa ...

, they rise to a height of and contain the source of the River Triogue. The name is believed to derive from Irish ''cuileann'', " holly."

Geography

Cullenagh is located in southern County Laois, mostly east of the

River Nore The River Nore ( ga, An Fheoir ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The river drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three counti ...

. The southern part (near the border with

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

) is hilly, called the Slieve Lough or Dysart Hills.

History

Cullenagh formed part of the ancient kingdom of

Loígis Loígis () is the name of an Irish tribe, as it is called by contemporary scholars. Formerly, scholars generally called the tribe ''Laoighis'' or ''Laeighis'' in Irish, ''Lagisia'' in Latin, and ''Leix'' in English. Loígis is also the name of the ...

. The northern part was part of Tuath-Fiodhbhuidhe (territory of the O'Devoy) along with the southern part of

Maryborough West Maryborough West or West Maryborough () is a barony in County Laois (formerly called ''Queen's County'' or ''County Leix''), Ireland. Etymology Maryborough is the former name of the town of Portlaoise, established in 1548 and named after Qu ...

. The southern part was called ''Gailine'', and is mentioned in the topographical poem '' Tuilleadh feasa ar Éirinn óigh'' ( Giolla na Naomh Ó hUidhrín, d. 1420): ''Gailine na sreaḃ soiċleaċ'' ''DO'Cheallaiġ ní coṁoighṫeaċ'' ''Trom ag fiaḋacg an fine'' ''Ar fonn ngrianach nGailine.'' ("Gailine of the pleasant streams to

Ó Ceallaigh O'Kelly ( ga, i=no, Ó Ceallaigh, approximately ) is the name of a number of distinct septs in Ireland. Most prominent of these is the O'Kelly sept of the Uí Maine. Another sept is that of the kingdom of Kings of Brega, Brega, descended from t ...

is not unhereditary, Mighty is the tribe at hunting on the sunny land of Gailine.") After the Laois-Offaly Plantation, the Barrington family received land in Cullenagh. Among their descendants was the jurist and writer Jonah Barrington (1756/7–1834).

List of settlements

Below is a list of settlements in Cullenagh barony: * Abbeyleix (eastern part) *

Ballinakill Ballinakill () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland on the R432 regional road between Abbeyleix, Ballyragget and Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. As of the 2016 census, there were 445 people living in Ballinakill. History From 1613 until ...

* Ballyroan *

References

{{County Laois Baronies of County Laois