Coshma () is a historical barony in southeast

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

, Ireland. Baronies were mainly

cadastral A cadastre or cadaster ( ) is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes and bounds, metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref> Often it is represente ...

rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the

Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots diale ...

History

The

Uí Fidgenti The Uí Fidgenti, Fidgeinti, Fidgheinte, Fidugeinte, Fidgente, or Fidgeinte ( or ;In the pronunciation, the -d- is silent, and the -g- becomes a glide, producing what might be anglicized ''Feeyenti'' or ''Feeyenta''. "descendants of, or of the ...

were the dominant Irish kingdom in the Coshma region. The Uí Conaill Gabhra (Hy Cnocnuil Gabhra) were in the area and were part of the

Eóganachta The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on Rock of Cashel, Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of De ...

. The Ó Cinnfhaolaidh (O'Kinealy, O'Kenealy) were chiefs of Eoganacht Grian Guara which included Coshma and the barony of

Smallcounty Smallcounty or Small County () is a historical barony in eastern County Limerick, Ireland. Settlements in the barony include Hospital, Herbertstown, Fedamore and Knockainy. Location Located in County Limerick, the barony of Smallcounty is bor ...

. Before the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

the Ó Cleirchín (O'Clerkin, Clerk, Cleary) were in Coshma as Lords of the Uí Fidgenti and of Ui-Cairbre. Coshma was known as a centre of

Irish-language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenou ...

poetry, with the

Maigue poets Croom () is a village in County Limerick, Ireland. It is located just off the N20 (which has bypassed the town since 2001) on the River Maigue. It is 8 km southeast of Adare on the N20. The village is in a townland and civil parish of t ...

being nationally famous. Aindrias Mac Craith wrote of the area as , "Coshma of the

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...

," in his poem "Slán le Máigh" ('Farewell to the Maigue').

Mannix Joyce Mannix Joyce (Irish: Mainchín Seoighe, 1924 – 3 July 2006) was an Irish local historian and writer, known particularly for his publications on County Limerick. He was born in Tankardstown, Kilmallock, County Limerick. In 1941 he started w ...

also wrote about the Coshma region and its literature.

Geography

Coshma is in the middle of the county, going along the

River Maigue The River Maigue (, ) rises in the Milford area of north County Cork, Ireland. The River Maigue is long. It drains an area of It is joined by the small River Glen and the larger River Loobagh in south County Limerick. It then flows north t ...

; the Irish name means "banks of the Maigue."

List of settlements

Settlements within the historical barony of Coshma include: *

Adare Adare (; ) is a village in County Limerick, Ireland, located southwest of the city of Limerick. Adare is designated as a heritage town by the Irish government. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. History The River M ...

Bruff Bruff () is a town in east County Limerick, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located on the old Limerick–Cork (city), Cork road (R512 road (Ireland), R512). The town lies on the River Maigue, Morning Star river, with two bridg ...

* Croom *

Effin Effin () is a townland and civil parish in County Limerick, Ireland. It is on the R515 road, midway between Kilmallock and Charleville. The population of the parish is about 1,000. Effin is partly in the barony of Coshlea, but chiefly in tha ...

References

{{reflist Baronies of County Limerick