Ards () is the name of several different historical territorial divisions all located on the

Ards Peninsula The Ards Peninsula () is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north-east coast of Ireland. It separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea. Towns and villages on the peninsula include Donaghadee, Milli ...

in modern-day County Down,

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 ...

Early history

Ards was once an ancient Irish

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

that was possessed by a tribe known as the ''Uí Echach Arda'', and as such was known in the 7th and 8th centuries as ''Aird Ua nEchach'', "peninsula of the Uí Echach", as well as ''na hArda'' (meaning "the Ards") in the 10th-century

Lebor na Cert ''Lebor na Cert'', or the ''Book of Rights'', is a book of Early Irish laws, from medieval Ireland. The text details the rents and taxes paid by the King of Cashel, to various others in Ireland. The Great Book of Lecan and the Book of Ballym ...

. This territory was part of the over-kingdom of

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and i ...

, and its inhabitants claimed to be descended from

Eochaid Gonnat Eochaid Gonnat or Gunnat ("wounding"?), son of Fiach, son of Imchad, son of Bresal, son of Sírchad, son of Fíatach Finn, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to the throne on the death ...

who was of the

Dál Fiatach Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's history. Their ...

. After the power of the ''Uí Echach'' in Ards was destroyed by the

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and ...

in the early 9th-century, it simply became known as ''Aird Uladh'', "peninsula of the Ulstermen". Ards was later possessed by the ''Mac Giolla Mhuire'' sept ( en, Gilmore). A small portion of the future barony located in the north-west consisting of parts of the modern parishes of Bangor and Newtownards belonged to a neighbouring district called ''

Uí Blathmaic Blathewyc or Blathewic () is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the anglicised name of an ancient Irish ''túath'', ruled by the ''Uí Blathmaic'', later becoming a barony, bai ...

''. The

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

record the

Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) i ...

as having made incursions into Ards in 1011 and 1130, plundering it both times. Around 1172, the battle of "Derry-Ceite" occurred between the king of Ulaid, Cooley O'Flathri, and Donnsleibhe of the Dál Fiatach, resulting in a slaughter of the people of ''Aird Uladh'' and ''Uí Blathmaic''. The Lebor na Cert stated that the king of ''na hArda'' had to pay stipends of: "Eight foreigners, eight fierce horses, Eight drinking-horns, eight cloaks with ring-clasps, and eight exquisitely beauteous ships.".

County of Ards

With the invasion of Ulaid in 1177 by the Norman knight

John de Courcy {{Infobox noble , image = Sir John de Courcy (1150-1219).jpg , caption = , alt = , more = no , succession = , reign = , predecessor = , successor = , ...

, and its subsequent conquest, the districts of ''Aird Uladh'' and ''Uí Blathmaic'' were combined to form a county, which was styled as "Comitatus de Arde" and "Comitatus Novae Villae". Its capital was at ''Nove Ville de Blathwyc'' (present-day Newtownards). This county was divided into two baronies, or bailiwicks: "Balliva del Art" and "Balliva de Blathewick". The county, spelt as "del Art", was noted in 1333 as being one of the seven that the

Earldom of Ulster The Earldom of Ulster was an Anglo-Norman lordship in northern medieval Ireland, established by John de Courcy from the conquest of the province of Ulaid in eastern Ulster. It was the most important Anglo-Norman lordship in the north of Ireland ...

was divided into. In 1345, Edward III, appointed Roberta de Halywode as sheriff of "Comitatus Nove Ville de Blawico". Henry IV in his first year (1399), appointed Robert Savage as sheriff of "de Arte in Ultonia".

Barony of Ards

Towards the end of the 16th century, the barony appears to have been divided in two—"Great Ardes" and "Little Ardes". By 1851 the barony was divided into

Ards Lower Ards Lower (named after the former barony of Ards), alternatively known as North Ards, is a barony in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northern half of the Ards Peninsula in the north-east of the county, with the Irish Sea to its eas ...

and

Ards Upper Ards Upper (named after the former barony of Ards) is a barony in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the southern half of the Ards Peninsula in the east of the county, with the Irish Sea to its east and Strangford Lough to its west. It is ...

, both of which did not correspond directly to the previous division of Ards, the difference being three parishes that were part of "Great Ardes" being placed under Ards Upper. The territory includes the lands of that part of the ancient barony of Ards known as Mid or Middle Ards, which is located in the north of

. A distinction should be made between the administrative division of the barony, in terms of geographical area, and the proprietary division of the barony, in terms of segments having different owners. The barony of Ards was divided between three key proprietors in the 17th century, namely O'Brien, Hamilton and Montgomery, with a fourth part owned by the Savages. The Hamilton lands were later split between two co-heiresses, one of whom was married into the Ward family of Castle Ward, later the Viscounts Bangor of Castle Ward.

References

{{Coord missing, County Down Baronies of County Down Former baronies of Ireland County Down Former counties of Ireland Earldom of Ulster Ulaid