Gowran (; ) 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 ...

in the east of

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...

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 ...

. The size of the barony is . There are 35

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...

in Gowran. The chief town today is

Gowran Gowran (; ) is a town on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church is in the centre of Gowran, close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course are one kilometre from the centre of ...

. The barony contains the ecclesiastical sites of Kilfane and

Duiske Abbey Duiske Abbey National Monument (Ireland), National Monument, also known as Graiguenamanagh Abbey, is a 13th-century Cistercian monastery situated in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny in Ireland. Duiske Abbey was founded by William Marshal, 1st ...

The barony of Gowran is situated in the east of the county between the baronies of Fassadinin to the north (whose chief town is

Castlecomer Castlecomer (,Castlecomer/Caisleán an Chomair
Placenames Database of Ireland. 'castle at ...

), the baronies of

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

, Shillelogher and

Knocktopher Knocktopher (historically ''Knocktofer'' and ''Knocktover''; ) is a village in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the R713 road (Ireland), R713 road between the villages of Stoneyford, County Kilkenny, Stoneyford t ...

to the west (whose chief towns are

, Bennettsbridge and

), and the barony of Ida is to the south. It borders

County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...

to the east. The M9 motorway bisects the barony.

Geography

Gowran contains the towns of Thomastown, Paulstown, Bennettsbridge, Goresbridge,

Graiguenamanagh Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...

, and

Inistioge Inistioge (; ) is a small village in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Historically, its name has been spelt as Ennistioge, Ennisteage, and in other ways. The village is situated on the River Nore, southeast of Kilkenny. Inistioge ...

, and the settlements of Ballyfoyle, Maddockstown, Whitehall, Castlewarren, Dungarvan, Rathgarvan or Clifden, Skeaghvasteen, and Johnswell. There are 35

in the barony (see map). They are: Blackrath, Blanchvilleskill, Clara, Columbkille, Dunbell, Dungarvan, Famma, Gowran, Graiguenamanagh, Grangesilvia, Inistioge, Jerpointabbey, Jerpointwest, Kilderry, Kilfane, Kilkieran, Killarney, Kilmacahill, Kilmadum, Mothell, Pleberstown, Powerstown, Rathcoole, Shankill, St. John's, St. Martin's, St. Maul's, Thomastown, Tiscoffin, Treadingstown, Tullaherin, Ullard, Wells, and Woolengrange. Three of which are split between the Barony of Gowran and the Baronies of Fassadinin and Ida (Mothell, Kilmadum and

). Most of the eastern boundary of the barony of Gowran is formed by the River Barrow.

History

The barony was part of the territory of the historic kingdom of

Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of ...

(''Ossory''). That kingdom was almost co-terminus with the still extant

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

diocese of Ossory . In the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

, the diocese has been merged into the diocese of Cashel and Ossory. Gowran is currently administered by Kilkenny County Council. Gowran was recorded in the Down Survey (1656), and on Griffith's Valuation (1864). Parts of the barony were in the

Poor law union A poor law union was a geographical territory, and early local government unit, in Great Britain and Ireland. Poor law unions existed in England and Wales from 1834 to 1930 for the administration of poor relief. Prior to the Poor Law Amendment ...

s of Castlecomer, Kilkenny, and Thomastown. Territory of O'Carroll and O'Dunphy. Given to Theobald Fitzwalter (

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

). Dobbyn family based there in the 15th century. Richard FitzPatrick was created Lord Gowran in 1715, and his son was created Earl of Upper Ossory in 1751. Both titles became extinct in 1818. Contains the ecclesiastical sites of Kilfane and

. Kilbline Castle and Woodstock Castle are also located in Gowran.

Notes

References

* * * * * *

External links

* * * {{County Kilkenny

Geography

History

See also

Notes

References

External links