Muskerry East


Muskerry East
is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Ballincollig. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because some time before the 1821 census data, it was divided from its other half - Muskerry West. Other neighbouring baronies include Cork to the east, Duhallow to the north and the barony of Barretts to the north-east.

Legal context

Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions of counties and were used the administration of justice and the raising of revenue. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they have been administratively obsolete since 1898. However, they continue to be used in land registration and in specification, such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown. This is true in the case of the Muskerry baronies whose origins go back the ancient kingdom of Múscraige - see History below.

History

The Múscraige and Corcu Duibne descend form Corc, a son of Cairbre Musc. While the Múscraige petty kingdoms were scattered throughout the province of Munster, the largest were centred on the present baronies of Muskerry.
The tribes or septs were pre-Eóganachta, that is before the 6th century. At this time, the territory did not extend south of the River Lee. A pedigree of the chieftains of the tribe may be found in the Book of Leinster.
The main septs were:
Irish name of the túathEquivalent baronyCounty
Múscraige TíreOrmond Lower
and Owney and Arra		County Tipperary
Múscraige BreógainClanwilliamCounty Tipperary
Múscraige Tri MaigheOrrery and Kilmore and part
of the barony of Duhallow		County Cork
Múscraige MittaineMuskerry East,
Muskerry West
and Barretts		County Cork
Múscraighe Aodha
Various baroniesCounties Cork, Tipperary
and Limerick

Rivalry between the princely houses of the outer circle of the Eóganacht would eventually undo the kingdom of Múscraighe Mittaine. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, moved in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin. This forced the erstwhile rulers of Locha Léin - the O'Flynns - to migrate eastwards. Sometime after 1096, Múscraighe Mittaine fell to the O'Flynns. The local Ó Donnagáin dynasty persisted in their opposition to the usurpers, at least until 1115 when they killed the reigning O'Flynn king of Muskerry. Thereafter, both dynasties were united in obscurity.
From 1118 onwards, the kings of Desmond came from the leading family of Eóganacht Chaisil - the MacCarthy dynasty. The reigning king at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland was Dermod Mór na Cill Baghain MacCarthy, who, in 1171 submitted to King Henry II of England. In so doing, he hoped to secure the king's protection for his lands, particularly from Henry's own barons, as was the Gaelic way. Instead, Henry granted of Dermod's entire kingdom to two of his leading adventurer knights - Robert Fitz-Stephen and Milo de Cogan - in 1177. According to Giraldus, the grantees took possession of seven cantreds only; three to the east of Cork city were allocated to Fitz-Stephen and four to the west to de Cogan. The remaining twenty four cantreds they allowed to MacCarthy at rent.
An invasion into Múscraighe Mittaine in 1201 in reported in the Annals of Inisfallen as follows:
As neither Fitz-Stephen nor de Cogan left male heirs, the inheritance was confused. This suited the purposes of King John of England who, when he came to the throne, was determined to weaken the power of the Irish barons. He sequestered the kingdom of Desmond to the English crown and from 1200 to 1207 he proceeded to parcel out the land among his loyal subjects. Richard de Cogan got Múscraighe Mittaine which he was expected to win by the sword.
The Cogans conquered most of this area, building castles at Mourne Abbey, Maglin, Dundrinan,, Dooniskey, Mahallagh, and Macroom. About 1242 John de Cogan had the patronage of the churches of Clondrohid, Matehy, and Kilshannig. In 1254–5, "Muscryemychene" was one of the cantreds to pay a compotum of 40/- so that the county sessions might be held there.
Following the Battle of Callann, the McCarthies successfully repulsed the Cambo-Normans although their leader Fínghin Mac Carthaigh was slain. In 1280 the MacCarthy Reagh sept of Carbery made peace with the main branch of the family, whose king was Domhnall Ruadh MacCarthy, the nephew of Fínghin Mac Carthaigh. They apportioned Desmond amongst themselves. The Cogans gradually lost their power and lands in Muskerry. Efforts by the viceroys Lionel and Rokeby to recover Cogan lands from the MacCarthys in east Muskerry failed. In 1398 the Mac Carthys were not alone free to plunder from Dingle to the territory of the Barretts, but could carry on their ancient feud against the Carbery MacCarthys at Carrigrohane.

Civil parishes

There are 25 civil parishes either wholly or partly in the barony.
Civil Parish Irish NameCivil Parish English Name
Achadh BolgAghabulloge
Achadh FhíonachAghinagh
Áth na nUamhannAthnowen
Baile na BaoiBallinaboy
Carraig Ruacháin BheagCarrigrohanebeg
Carraig RuacháinCarrigrohane
CeannmhaighCannaway
Cill BheanáinKilbonane
Cill MuireKilmurry
Cill na GluaireKilnaglory
Cnoc an BhileKnockavilly
An CorrbhaileCorbally
An Díseart MórDesertmore
Domhnach MórDonoughmore
Dún DarúDunderrow
An EaglaisAglish
GarbhchluainGarrycloyne
GreanachGrenagh
Inis CaraInniscarra
Inis CionaoithInishkenny
Maigh GuairneMagourney
Maigh MhideMoviddy
Maigh TeichighMatehy
Paróiste FhionnbharraSt. Finbar's
Paróiste San NioclásSt. Nicholas

Note 1: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Cork city to the east.
Note 2: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Kinalea to the south.
Note 3: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Muskerry West to the west.
Note 4: Parishes shared with the neighbouring barony of Barretts to the north-east.