Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the
provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the
ancient Kingdoms of
Meath, Leinster and
Osraige. Following the 12th-century
Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly san ...
, the historic
"fifths" of Leinster and Meath gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of
the Pale
The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast ...
, which straddled both, thereby forming the present-day province of Leinster. The ancient kingdoms were
shired into a number of
counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has prompted further sub-division of the historic counties.
Leinster has no official function for local-government purposes. However, it is an officially recognised subdivision of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
and is listed on
ISO 3166-2 as one of the four provinces of Ireland. "IE-L" is attributed to Leinster as its ''country sub-division'' code. Leinster had a population of 2,858,501 according to the preliminary results of the
2022 census, making it the most populous province in the country.
The traditional flag of Leinster features a golden
harp on a green background.
History
Early history
The
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
Kingdom of Leinster before 1171, considerably smaller than the present-day province, usually did not include certain territories such as
Meath,
Osraige or the
Viking cities of
Wexford and
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
.
The first part of the
name ''Leinster'' derives from ''
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinsterm ...
'', the name of a major
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...
that once inhabited the area. The latter part of the name derives either from the
Irish ''tír'' or from the
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
''staðr'', both of which translate as "land" or "territory".
Úgaine Mór (Hugony the Great), who supposedly built the hill fort of
Dún Ailinne, near
Kilcullen in
County Kildare, united the tribes of Leinster. He is a likely, but uncertain, candidate as the first historical king of Laigin (Leinster) in the 7th century BC. Circa 175/185 AD, following a period of
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
s in Ireland, the legendary
Cathair Mor
Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wale ...
re-founded the kingdom of Laigin. The legendary Finn Mac Cool, or
Fionn mac Cumhaill, reputedly built a stronghold at the
Hill of Allen, on the edge of the
Bog of Allen
The Bog of Allen ( ga, Móin Alúine) is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon.
The bog's 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Lao ...
.
In the 4th and 5th centuries AD, after
Magnus Maximus had left
Britain in 383 AD with his
legions, leaving a power vacuum, colonists from Laigin settled in
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
, specifically in
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
,
Carnarvonshire
, HQ= County Hall, Caernarfon
, Map=
, Image= Flag
, Motto= Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd)
, year_start=
, Arms= ''Coat of arms of Caerna ...
and
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
. In
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
some of the Leinster-Irish colonists left their name on the
Llŷn Peninsula (in
Gwynedd), which derives its name from ''Laigin''.
In the 5th century, the emerging
Uí Néill dynasties from
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...
conquered areas of Westmeath, Meath and Offaly from the
Uí Enechglaiss and Uí Failge of the Laigin. Uí Néill
Ard Righ attempted to exact the ''Boroimhe Laighean'' (cattle-tribute) from the Laigin from that time, in the process becoming their traditional enemies.
By the 8th century the rulers of Laigin had split into two dynasties:
* Northern Leinster
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
: Murchad mac Brain (d. 727), King of
Uí Dúnlainge, and joint leader of the Laigin
* Southern Leinster dynasty:
Áed mac Colggen (d. 738), King of
Uí Cheinnselaig, and joint leader of the Laigin
After the death of the last Kildare-based King of Laigin,
Murchad Mac Dunlainge
Murchadh is masculine given name in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages.
Etymology
''A Dictionary of First Names'', published by Oxford University Press, defines the Irish name as being derived from the Gaelic elements ''muir'', meaning "se ...
in 1042, the kingship of Leinster reverted to the
Uí Cheinnselaig sept based in the southeast in present-day
County Wexford. This southern dynasty provided all the later
Kings of Leinster.
Kingdom of Ireland period
Leinster includes the extended "
English Pale
The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...
", counties controlled directly from Dublin, at the beginning of the 1600s. The other three provinces had their own regional "Presidency" systems, based on a Welsh model of administration, in theory if not in fact, from the 1570s and 1580s up to the 1670s, and were considered separate entities. Gradually "Leinster" subsumed the term "
The Pale
The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast ...
", as the kingdom was pacified and the difference between the old Pale area and the wider province, now also under English administration, grew less distinct.
The expansion of the province took in the territory of the ancient
Kingdom of Mide encompassing much of present-day counties
Meath,
Westmeath and
Longford with five west
County Offaly baronies. Local lordships were incorporated during the
Tudor conquest of Ireland and subsequent
plantation schemes.
Other boundary changes included
County Louth, officially removed from
Ulster in 1596, the baronies of
Ballybritt
Ballybritt () is a barony in County Offaly (formerly King's County), Republic of Ireland.
Etymology
Ballybritt derives its name from Ballybritt Castle (near Roscrea) and the townland of Ballybritt (Irish ''Baile an Bhriotaigh'', "settlement of ...
and
Clonlisk (formerly
Éile Uí Chearbhaill in the county palatine of
Tipperary) in
Munster becoming part of Leinster in 1606, and the 'Lands of
Ballymascanlon
Ballymascanlan (), otherwise Ballymascanlon, is a small village and townland in County Louth, Ireland, situated 4 km north-east of Dundalk on the Cooley Peninsula, on the road to Carlingford.
Locale
The townland runs down to the coast, an ...
' transferred from Armagh to Louth circa 1630. The provincial borders were redrawn by
Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
for administration and military reasons, and the Offaly parishes of
Annally and
Lusmagh
Lusmagh ( ga, Lusmhaigh) is a civil parish in County Offaly, Ireland, bounded by three rivers: the Shannon, Lusmagh and Little Brosna to the west, east and south respectively. The town of Banagher is northeast across the River Lusmagh. Lusmagh ...
, formerly part of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...
, were transferred in 1660.
The last major boundary changes within Leinster occurred with the formation of
County Wicklow (1603–1606), from lands in the north of
Carlow (which previously extended to the sea) and most of southern Dublin. Later minor changes dealt with "islands" of one county in another. By the late 1700s, Leinster looked as shown in the above map of 1784.
Geography and subdivisions
Counties
The province is divided into twelve traditional
counties:
Carlow,
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
,
Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...
,
Kilkenny,
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 medi ...
,
Longford,
Louth,
Meath,
Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, i ...
,
Westmeath,
Wexford and
Wicklow. Leinster has the most counties of any province, but is the second smallest of the four Irish provinces by land area. With a population of 2,858,501 as of 2022, it is the island's most populous province.
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
is the only official city in the province, and is by far its largest settlement.
Large settlements
As of the 2016 census, the larger settlements in Leinster included:
Culture
Language
As is the norm for
language in Ireland, English is the primary spoken language, but there is an active
Irish-speaking minority in the province. According to the Census of Ireland of 2011, there were 18,947 daily speakers of Irish in Leinster outside the education system, including 1,299 native speakers in the small Gaeltacht of
Ráth Chairn. As of 2011, there were 19,348 students attending the 66
Gaelscoils (Irish-language primary schools) and 15
Gaelcholáistí (Irish-language secondary schools) in the province, primarily in the Dublin area.
Sport
A number of sporting and cultural organisations organise themselves on provincial lines, including
Leinster Rugby, the
Leinster Cricket Union, Leinster Hockey Association and
Leinster GAA. While Leinster GAA is made up primarily of the traditional counties of the province, GAA teams from Galway, Kerry and Antrim have played in the
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, as has a team from London; Galway won the title in 2012. Participation of these counties is based on their performances in the
Christy Ring Cup.
See also
*
Duke of Leinster
Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...
*
Leinster (European Parliament constituency)
Leinster was a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland between 1979 and 2004. It elected 3 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the 1979, 1984 and 1989 elections and 4 MEPs in the elections of 1994 and 1999 using the single t ...
*
Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core ...
*
List of kings of Leinster
*
New Leinster Province
*
Ó Laighin
References
External links
*
CSO Irish Regional Income/GDP 2004 Report
{{Coord, 53, 20, 52, N, 6, 15, 35, W, type:adm1st_source:kolossus-itwiki, display=title
Provinces of Ireland