Ballyadams () 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 ( ; ) 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 medieval kingdom. Hist ...

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

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Etymology

Ballyadams barony is named after

Ballyadams Castle Ballyadams () is a Barony (Ireland), barony in County Laois (formerly called ''Queen's County'' or ''County Leix''), Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Etymology Ballyadams barony is named after Ballyadams Castle, a 15th-century fortified house nea ...

, a 15th-century

fortified house A fortified house or fortified mansion is a type of building which developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, generally with significant fortifications added. During the earlier Roman Empire, Roman period it was common for wealthy landowner ...

near Ballylynan.

Geography

Ballyadams is located in the east of the county, north of the River Douglas and west of the

River Barrow The Barrow () is a river in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters (Ireland), The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest of the three rivers and, at 192 km (12 ...

(where it forms part of the border with

County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...

). It is a

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

region, with some

anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a lustre (mineralogy)#Submetallic lustre, submetallic lustre. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy densit ...

coal being mined in the past.

History

Ancient chiefs in the area include the Uí Caollaidhe (Keely), who were chiefs of Críoch Uí mBuidhe. It is referred to in the topographical poem '' Tuilleadh feasa ar Éirinn óigh'' ( Giolla na Naomh Ó hUidhrín, d. 1420): ''Críoch Ó mBuidhe an fhóid fhinntigh'' ''ós Bearbha mbuig mbraoinlinntigh; ''d’Ó Chaolluidhe as caomh an chríoch,'' ''aoghoire nár fhaomh eissíoth'' ("Crioch O-mbuidhe of the fair sod, Along the Barrow of the bright pools, To O'Caollaidhe the territory is fair, A shepherd prepared to encounter enemies.") The Uí Caollaidhe were expelled during the Laois-Offaly Plantation of the 16th century, and took land at Kylenabehy. Ballyadams went to the Bowen family, including Robert Bowen ( High Sheriff of Queen's County 1579) and Lucy Bowen (wife of William Southwell).

List of settlements

Below is a list of settlements in Ballyadams barony: * Ballylinan * Barrowhouse, County Laois

References

{{County Laois Baronies of County Laois