Upperthird is a barony of County Tipperary, in the historical province of Munster (Irish: Uachtar Tíre), a small barony covering less than 5 km² of land. The barony records 21 NMS archaeological sites and 7 NIAH listed buildings, placing it at around the 96th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for sites per km². This means it is in the top tenth of all baronies for sites per km². Dated archaeological evidence runs from the Early Bronze Age through to the Medieval, spanning 4 of 9 archaeological periods, placing the barony in the 4th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for chronological depth. This means it is in the bottom tenth of all baronies for chronological depth. The largest dated subset of recorded sites dates to the Middle-Late Bronze Age.
Heritage at a glance
Percentile rankings throughout this profile compare each barony only against the other 279 Republic of Ireland baronies.
The recorded heritage of Upperthird
The National Monuments Service Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) is the statutory inventory of archaeological sites for the Republic of Ireland, maintained by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Sites recorded here include earthworks, ringforts, megalithic tombs, ecclesiastical remains, and post-medieval features; not every record is legally protected, but each is registered as a monument of archaeological interest.
The National Monuments Service records 21 archaeological sites in Upperthird, putting it at the 96th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for sites per km². This means it is in the top tenth of all baronies for sites per km². Protection coverage is near-universal — 21 sites (100%) fall within a recorded monument protection zone, indicating an extensively surveyed landscape. The record is dominated by agricultural and prehistoric industrial sites — fulachta fiadh and field systems (10 sites, 48% of the total), with ecclesiastical sites forming a substantial secondary presence (4 sites, 19%). Fulacht fia is the most prevalent type, making up 48% of the barony's recorded sites (10 records) — well above the ROI average of 6% across all baronies where this type occurs. Fulacht fia is a horseshoe-shaped Bronze Age burnt mound built around a sunken trough beside a water source, traditionally interpreted as a cooking site. Other significant types include Graveyard (2) and Castle – unclassified (1). Graveyard is a burial area associated with a church, in use from the medieval period onwards; Castle – unclassified is a castle whose form cannot be precisely classified, dating somewhere between the late 12th and 16th centuries.
Most common monument types
Hover or tap a monument type to see its definition.
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Fulacht fia a horseshoe-shaped Bronze Age burnt mound built around a sunken trough beside a water source, traditionally interpreted as a cooking site | 10 |
| Graveyard a burial area associated with a church, in use from the medieval period onwards | 2 |
| Castle – unclassified a castle whose form cannot be precisely classified, dating somewhere between the late 12th and 16th centuries | 1 |
| Bridge a built structure spanning a river or ravine to allow crossing, dated medieval onwards | 1 |
| House – 17th century a habitation building dated to the 17th century AD | 1 |
| Church a building used for public Christian worship, of any date from c. 500 AD onwards | 1 |
| Graveslab a recumbent grave-marking slab, dated 1200–1700 AD | 1 |
Chronological distribution
The dated archaeological record for Upperthird spans from the Early Bronze Age through to the Medieval, with activity attested across 4 of 9 archaeological periods. This is the 4th percentile across ROI baronies — a relatively narrow chronological band, with much of Irish prehistory not represented in the dated record. The record is near-continuous, with only the Iron Age period falling inside the span without any recorded sites. Activity concentrates most heavily in the Middle Late Bronze Age (10 sites, 50% of dated material), with the Medieval forming a secondary peak (7 sites, 35%). A further 1 recorded sites (5% of the overall NMS register for the barony) carry no period attribution — appearing as 'Unknown' in the bar chart below. This typically reflects either records that pre-date the standardised period vocabulary or sites awaiting specialist dating review, rather than a genuine absence of chronological evidence.
Sample of recorded monuments
Show all 21 recorded monuments
All 21 recorded monuments in the barony. Each entry shows the official Sites and Monuments Record reference number and the description published by the National Monuments Service.
Religious house – Franciscan friars
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. It is partly incorporated in modern St. Molleran's RC church. This Franciscan friary was founded in 1336 by James Butler, first Earl of…
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. It is partly incorporated in modern St. Molleran's RC church. This Franciscan friary was founded in 1336 by James Butler, first Earl of Ormond, supposedly on the site of the initial manor castle (Bradley 1985, 41). The first guardian, Friar Clyn, wrote that the said James Butler 'gave the franciscans his castle as a friary at Carrick' (Crowley 1978, 7). Construction of the friary appears to have been slow as twelve years after the foundation date the friars were granted land by the second Earl for a dwelling-house, out-buildings, a church and an oratory (Crowley 1978, 8), with the proviso that twelve friars could be suitably maintained (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 243). According to tradition the church was in ruins by 1447 when it was re-founded by Edward Mac Richard Butler (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 143). In 1540, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the friary was surrendered by the then prior William Cormoke. At this time the friary possessed 'a church and steeple, chapter-house, dormitory, hall, three chambers, kitchen, stable and gardens…the buildings being ruinous and accounted of no value (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 243-4). The friary was subsequently granted to James Butler, the then current Earl of Ormond. The RC parish church of St. Molleran, built in 1827, incorporates the tower, part of the N wall and W doorway of the original friary church. The latter appears to have been c. 6.4m…
Castle – unclassified
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. The Franciscan friary and subsequent RC church are supposedly built on the site of the initial manor castle (Bradley 1985, 41). It was…
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. The Franciscan friary and subsequent RC church are supposedly built on the site of the initial manor castle (Bradley 1985, 41). It was granted to the friars in 1336 by James Butler, the first Earl of Ormond (ibid.). The first guardian, Friar Clyn, wrote that the said James 'gave the franciscans his castle as a friary at Carrick' (Crowley 1978, 7). There is no trace of the original castle above ground.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Bridge
This bridge crosses the River Suir and connects Carrick-on-Suir with Carrickbeg, running from Bridge Street in the former to Abbey Hill in the latter. There are records of pontage grants made in 1343 to 1356 (Bradley…
This bridge crosses the River Suir and connects Carrick-on-Suir with Carrickbeg, running from Bridge Street in the former to Abbey Hill in the latter. There are records of pontage grants made in 1343 to 1356 (Bradley 1985, 41) and portions of the bridge possibly date from this time (O'Keefe and Simington 1991, 156-8). The present eight arch structure has been dated to 1447 (Craig and Garner 1975, 16-18) but it may be of 16th-century date (O'Keefe and Simington 1991, 156-8). The bridge is depicted on the Down Survey map of 1656. The present bridge (L 91.4m; Wth 4.6m) consists of eight segmental arches (Wth 6m), the S arch was widened in the late 18th/early 19th century to double its width (Wth 15.2m). There are massive triangular cutwaters on the upriver side which have been brought up to parapet level to form pedestrian refuges, while the rectangular piers on the downriver side are also brought up to form similar refuges in the parapet wall. There is a large rectangular refuge at the middle of the bridge which is known as 'Nailers House'. Simington and O'Keefe (1991, 156-8) date the bridge, based on structural form, to the 15th or 16th century. According to Pollock (2004, 472) an arch uncovered in the bridge during an excavation in 2001 may be of 15th- or 17th-century date.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
House – 17th century
In flat terrain on the S bank of the River Suir. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) ‘James Earl of Ormond’ was the proprietor of ‘Tynkally’ in 1640 and following confiscation ‘Tynkally’ and neighbouring land in the…
In flat terrain on the S bank of the River Suir. According to the Civil Survey (1654-6) ‘James Earl of Ormond’ was the proprietor of ‘Tynkally’ in 1640 and following confiscation ‘Tynkally’ and neighbouring land in the 1650s ‘belonges to Comissary Generall Reynolds’ (Simington 1942, vol. 6, 104). It states that of these lands the ‘chief howse is at Tynkally’ (ibid.). The house is depicted on the Down Survey maps (1655-58). The house is roughly aligned N-S (actually ENE-WSW) with the N gable facing the river. This is a two storey house (ext. dims. 20.83m x 7.24m; E and W walls 0.8m T; N gable 1m T; H 4.3m to eaves) with a six-bay ground floor and a four bay first floor to front and three-bay to rear, one room deep (int. Wth 6.25m) with two large chimneys in the rear wall which project externally (N chimney Wth 4m; D 0.89m; S chimney Wth 2.59m; D 0.74m) and brick stacks. There is a brick chimney stack on the ridge, roughly mid-way along, which appears to be a later insertion. There is a gable-fronted porch in the front which appears to have replaced an earlier structure projecting c. 0.2m from the house and c. 0.4m below eaves level. The house appears to be, at least partially, built of clay, as the rear wall batters internally, though some attempt has been made to straighten them. It currently has a pebble-dash render externally. According to the landowner the roof timbers are original, though the pitch of the roof is shallow and the slates probably date to the 19th centur…
Church
Power (1896, 5-6) states that, 'Close by the remains of the quondam [former] Friary [the Franciscan friary TS085-004004], and separated from the latter by little more than the width of the public road, is the ancient…
Power (1896, 5-6) states that, 'Close by the remains of the quondam [former] Friary [the Franciscan friary TS085-004004], and separated from the latter by little more than the width of the public road, is the ancient cemetery of Killmoleran, from the church of which the parish is named…Not a trace of the ancient church survives; even tradition has no record of its exact site. The cemetery [TS085-0004031-] is popularly known as Relig na muc, or the Pig's Cemetery, though the origin of the sobriquent is unknown'. This church and graveyard were erroneously located at the graveyard associated with the modern Franciscan church but have been re-located to the graveyard at the junction of Mass Road and Mothel Road which is known locally as Relig na Muc.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of revised upload: 4 September 2019
Graveslab
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg in the grounds of the Franciscan friary (TS085-004004-) which is partly incorporated in modern St. Molleran's RC church. A fragment (dims.…
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg in the grounds of the Franciscan friary (TS085-004004-) which is partly incorporated in modern St. Molleran's RC church. A fragment (dims. 0.57m x 0.51m; T 0.07m) of a 16th/17th-century limestone graveslab lies embedded in the ground at the base of the S wall of the present church, near the SW corner (Farrelly and FitzPatrick 1993, 20). It is inscribed along the sinister side with raised latin script and there is a faint suggestion of a cross shaft towards the centre (ibid.).
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 16 August 2011
Bullaun stone (present location)
Originally located at a fork in a laneway on a steep NW-facing slope in the wood in Reatagh townland in Waterford (WA004-023—-), overlooking a small valley with a stream. The stone was removed to its present location…
Originally located at a fork in a laneway on a steep NW-facing slope in the wood in Reatagh townland in Waterford (WA004-023—-), overlooking a small valley with a stream. The stone was removed to its present location for safe keeping some years before 1989. The bullaun is a D-shaped conglomerate stone (dims. 0.8m x 0.5m; max. T 0.35m) with one oval basin (dims. 0.26m x 0.24m; D 0.9m). According to one local source the stone is called the 'Hatter's Stone' as felt hats were moulded in the basin.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 18 December 2012
Tomb – effigial
Hunt (1974, vol. 1, 221) lists an effigy, possibly that of a woman, from Carrickbeg which was illustrated by Austin Cooper (Price 1942, 20, plate 31; Harbison 2000, 56-7) in 1781. According to the caption on Cooper's…
Hunt (1974, vol. 1, 221) lists an effigy, possibly that of a woman, from Carrickbeg which was illustrated by Austin Cooper (Price 1942, 20, plate 31; Harbison 2000, 56-7) in 1781. According to the caption on Cooper's drawing, the effigy is from 'An Old Tomb in the Abbey of Carrick-beg' (Price 1942, 20, plate 31; Harbison 2000, 56-7; NLI, Coo 2122 TX(1) 22). This abbey is the Franciscan friary (TS083-004004-), the surviving remains of which are incorporated into the RC church of St Molleran which was built in 1827. Recently exposed during graveyard cleanup scheme the top of the slab is visible protruding above the surface of the graveyard, against the inner face of the graveyard wall.
See attached drawing of effigial slab courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, and photograph of recently found slab kindly provided by Kay Wall
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Revised by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 26 August 2020
Standing stone
Situated towards the bottom of Carrickbeg Hill, at the edge of the floodplain of the W-E River Suir. This is a conglomerate stone with a rectangular cross-section (dims. 1.1m x 0.3m; H 1.55m) oriented NNE-SSW. It has a…
Situated towards the bottom of Carrickbeg Hill, at the edge of the floodplain of the W-E River Suir. This is a conglomerate stone with a rectangular cross-section (dims. 1.1m x 0.3m; H 1.55m) oriented NNE-SSW. It has a rounded crest and is damaged at both the N and S ends. Standing stone (WA003-072—-) is c. 200m to the SE.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 23 December 2008
Graveyard
Power (1896, 5-6) states that, 'Close by the remains of the quondam [former] Friary [the Franciscan friary TS085-004004], and separated from the latter by little more than the width of the public road, is the ancient…
Power (1896, 5-6) states that, 'Close by the remains of the quondam [former] Friary [the Franciscan friary TS085-004004], and separated from the latter by little more than the width of the public road, is the ancient cemetery of Killmoleran, from the church of which the parish is named…Not a trace of the ancient church survives; even tradition has no record of its exact site. The cemetery is popularly known as Relig na muc, or the Pig's Cemetery, though the origin of the sobriquent is unknown'. This church (TS085-004011-) and graveyard were erroneously located at the graveyard associated with the modern Franciscan church but have been re-located to the graveyard at the junction of Mass Road and Mothel Road which is known locally as Relig na Muc.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of revised upload: 4 September 2019
Graveyard
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. A roughly rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 27m N-S; c. 40m E-W) situated S of the St. Molleran's RC church which partially incorporates the…
On the S bank of the River Suir, on the E side of Abbey Hill Road in Carrickbeg. A roughly rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 27m N-S; c. 40m E-W) situated S of the St. Molleran's RC church which partially incorporates the medieval Franciscan friary (TS085-004004-). According to Conlan (2003, 31) the cloister and living quarters of this friary were to the S of the church, in the area now occupied by the graveyard.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In undulating terrain at base of NE facing ridge, in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument…
In undulating terrain at base of NE facing ridge, in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above gound.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In undulating terrain at base of NE facing ridge, in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument…
In undulating terrain at base of NE facing ridge, in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above gound.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In gently undulating terrain in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above…
In gently undulating terrain in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above gound.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In gently undulating terrain in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above…
In gently undulating terrain in wet, lush meadow. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, excavation ref. no. BW/18/5 (Gowen 1988, 171-173, 180). No visible trace of monument above gound.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
On slightly sloping break in slope on a NE facing ridge, in well drained pasture. Identified as a possible fulacht fia during gas pipeline excavations in 1986 (Gowen 1988, 171-3). There is no visible trace of the…
On slightly sloping break in slope on a NE facing ridge, in well drained pasture. Identified as a possible fulacht fia during gas pipeline excavations in 1986 (Gowen 1988, 171-3). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground level.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In undulating terrain under pasture, at base of N facing ridge. Fulacht fia revealed in gas pipeline excavation in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/1 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). Raised areas in field are natural features. There is no…
In undulating terrain under pasture, at base of N facing ridge. Fulacht fia revealed in gas pipeline excavation in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/1 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). Raised areas in field are natural features. There is no visible trace of the monument at ground level.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In undulating terrain at base of N-facing ridge, under pasture. Fulacht fia revealed in gas pipeline excavation 1986, ref. no. BW/18/2 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground…
In undulating terrain at base of N-facing ridge, under pasture. Fulacht fia revealed in gas pipeline excavation 1986, ref. no. BW/18/2 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground level.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
At base of N-facing ridge in undulating pastureland. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/3 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground…
At base of N-facing ridge in undulating pastureland. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavation in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/3 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground level.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
In gently undulating terrain at base of N-facing ridge. N-S field boundary immediately W of the monument has been removed. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavations in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/4 (Gowen 1988,…
In gently undulating terrain at base of N-facing ridge. N-S field boundary immediately W of the monument has been removed. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavations in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/4 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). No visible trace above ground.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Fulacht fia
At base of NE-facing ridge, in reclaimed pasture, ground very sodden. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavations in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/6 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at…
At base of NE-facing ridge, in reclaimed pasture, ground very sodden. Fulacht fia revealed during gas pipeline excavations in 1986, ref. no. BW/18/6 (Gowen 1988, 171-3, 180). There is no visible trace of the monument at ground level.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
Listed buildings
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is a state survey appraising buildings of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, or technical interest. Each surveyed structure receives a rating from International (the highest, for buildings of European importance) through National, Regional, Local, and Record-Only.
The NIAH records only 7 listed buildings in Upperthird, the 1st percentile across ROI baronies — a relatively thin architectural record. All recorded buildings carry Regional or lower grading; the barony does not contain any structures appraised as being of National or International architectural importance.
Terrain and environment
Mean elevation across the barony is 28m — the 5th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for elevation. This means it is in the bottom tenth of all baronies for elevation. This is a relatively low-lying landscape by ROI standards. Elevation matters for heritage because higher-altitude baronies typically favour defensive monuments — ringforts and hilltop forts placed on prominent ground — while lowland baronies are more likely to carry the dense settlement and church networks of intensive agricultural landscapes. A maximum elevation of 134m gives the barony meaningful vertical relief. Mean slope is 6.7° — the 90th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for slope. This means it is in the top tenth of all baronies for slope. This is consistently steep terrain by ROI standards, the kind of landscape that tends to preserve upstanding archaeological features well. Slope is a key control on both land use and archaeological preservation: steep ground resists ploughing and tends to preserve earthworks intact, while gentle slopes favour intensive cultivation that damages or destroys surface archaeology over time. Localised maximum slopes reach 19°, typical of stream-cut valleys, escarpments, or coastal bluffs within the wider landscape. The Topographic Wetness Index averages 9.7, the 14th percentile among 280 ROI baronies for wetness. This means it is in the bottom fifth of all baronies for wetness. This is well-drained ground by ROI standards — typical of upland or steeply-sloping country that sheds water rapidly. Drainage matters for heritage because poorly-drained ground preserves organic archaeology (wooden trackways, leather, textiles, and on rare occasions human remains) far better than free-draining soil; well-drained ground favours arable use but destroys organic material rapidly. Urban land covers 7% of the barony (the 93rd percentile among 280 ROI baronies for urban cover. This means it is in the top tenth of all baronies for urban cover). Heavy urban coverage compresses heritage analysis: many archaeological features have been buried or destroyed by development, but the surviving record is concentrated in protected city-centre cores, and the NIAH listed-buildings count is typically high. The land-cover mosaic combines improved grassland (59%), woodland (24%), and urban land (7%), giving a mixed agricultural and semi-natural landscape. In overall character, this is steeply-sloping terrain at modest elevation, with land use dominated by improved grassland.
Terrain measurements
Where this barony sits in the Republic of Ireland
Geology and preservation
Bedrock geology shapes the landscape long before any settlement begins — controlling soil drainage, agricultural potential, the survival of upstanding monuments, and the preservation of buried archaeology. The figures below come from the Geological Survey Ireland 1:100,000 bedrock map.
The bedrock underlying Upperthird is predominantly sandstone (75% of the barony by area), laid down during the Devonian period (64% by area, around 419 to 359 million years ago). Sandstone weathers to free-draining, moderately fertile soils that supported Early Medieval ringfort agriculture and later manorial estates. The rock itself is a major source of building stone — visible in churches, tower houses, and farm buildings across the barony's historic landscape. A substantial secondary geology of limestone (25%) adds further variety to the underlying landscape. The single largest mapped unit is the Kiltorcan Formation (56% of the barony's bedrock). With only 2 distinct rock types mapped, the barony is geologically uniform compared to the rest of the Republic (18th percentile for diversity) — a single coherent bedrock landscape.
Rock type composition
Largest mapped unit: Kiltorcan Formation (56% of the barony)
Placename evidence
The Logainm record for Upperthird contains only 1 heritage-diagnostic placename — 1 cill-name. With this few records, the count should be read as indicative rather than as a firm characterisation of the linguistic heritage layers; a larger sample would be needed to reliably distinguish defensive, ecclesiastical, or other stratigraphic signals from chance occurrence.
Early Christian Ecclesiastical
| Root | Count | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cill- | 1 | church (early) |
Other baronies in Tipperary
- Middlethird
- Iffa And Offa West
- Ormond Lower
- Eliogarty
- Kilnamanagh Upper
- Iffa And Offa East
- Ikerrin
- Upperthird — Waterford
- Cork — Cork
- Tulla Lower — Clare
See all 280 baronies in the Republic of Ireland Heritage Tool.
Explore further
Grounding History: 10 Maps of Northern Ireland’s Past
If you’re interested in Irish heritage more widely, the companion report for Northern Ireland brings together the analysis of all 462 NI wards into one place through 10 high-quality maps — covering monument density, archaeological periods, placename heritage, terrain, wetland, and the historic landscape at first survey. Take a look.
About this profile
Click any section below to expand.
What is a barony?
A barony is a historic administrative unit in Ireland, broadly equivalent to an English hundred. The 280 baronies used here are from the OSi 2019 National Statutory Boundaries (generalised 20m), covering the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. Baronies derive from the Norman period, were formalised in the 17th century, and have not been redrawn for statistical purposes. They vary enormously in area, from compact urban baronies in Dublin to vast upland baronies in Connacht, and should not be compared by raw site count without accounting for area differences.
What counts as a site?
This profile combines three distinct heritage registers, each with its own definition of what constitutes a recordable site:
- Archaeological sites (NMS). The National Monuments Service Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) catalogues every known archaeological monument or site of archaeological interest in the Republic, from prehistoric burial mounds and ringforts to medieval churches and post-medieval defensive works. Inclusion does not require legal protection — only that the site has been identified, surveyed, and assessed as having archaeological value. A separate subset of these sites lies within a recorded protection zone, which gives them statutory protection under the National Monuments Acts.
- Listed buildings (NIAH). The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records buildings of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, or technical interest. Each surveyed structure is appraised on a five-tier scale: International, National, Regional, Local, and Record-Only. The NIAH appraisal is informational rather than strictly statutory, but it underpins local-authority Record of Protected Structures (RPS) listings.
- Heritage placenames (Logainm). Logainm is the authoritative database of Irish placenames maintained by the Placenames Branch. This profile applies a heritage-diagnostic classifier to the Irish-language form of each townland name, flagging roots that signal defensive sites (ráth-, lios-, dún-, caiseal-, cathair-), ecclesiastical foundations (cill-, teampall-, domhnach-, mainistir-), prehistoric burial-ritual features (tuaim-, carn-, leaba-), or Norse-contact settlement (gall-). Townlands without one of these diagnostic roots are not flagged here — they may still carry historical significance, but that significance is not encoded in the name itself.
Editorial principles
The narrative sections of this profile follow several explicit principles:
- Evidential. Every claim about this barony’s heritage character is anchored in the underlying register data. Where a site count, a placename count, or a percentile rank is cited, it is computed from the source datasets at export time, not estimated.
- Comparative. Counts and metrics are reported alongside their percentile rank against the other 279 ROI baronies. A barony with 50 ringforts in absolute terms could be unusually high or unusually low depending on its size and regional context; percentile ranking removes that ambiguity.
- Transparent on limits. Where a register has known coverage gaps, survey biases, or data-quality issues that affect this barony’s figures, the profile flags them rather than presenting the numbers as definitive.
- No interpretation beyond what the data supports. The narrative does not speculate about historical events, social dynamics, or cultural meaning beyond what the recorded heritage and placename evidence directly attests.
Data caveats and limits
- NMS Sites and Monuments Record is the product of survey campaigns conducted at different intensities across different counties and decades. Some baronies have been surveyed more thoroughly than others, and absolute counts should be read in that light. Sites destroyed by development before survey are typically not represented; sites in heavily forested or upland terrain are sometimes under-recorded.
- NIAH coverage is broadly complete for the Republic of Ireland but the survey was conducted on a rolling county-by-county basis, and the most recent appraisal date varies. Buildings demolished or substantially altered after their original survey may still appear in the register; conversely, recent buildings of merit may not yet have been appraised.
- Logainm classification applies a deliberately conservative pattern-matching approach to the Irish-language townland forms. The classifier prioritises true positives over recall: a townland may carry a heritage signal that the classifier doesn’t recognise, particularly where the diagnostic root has been heavily anglicised or where the townland name draws on a less common term. The 60,000+ townland records and ~9,800 classified placenames give a substantial signal at barony scale, but individual townland names should be checked against Logainm directly for definitive interpretation.
- Period attribution. The chronological distribution reflects only those NMS sites that carry a recognised period attribution in the source data. Sites listed as “Unknown” period are excluded from the dated subset.
- Boundary changes. Some baronies have undergone minor boundary adjustments since their 19th-century definition; the OSi 2019 generalised boundaries used here are the current statutory definition and may differ slightly from historical maps in border areas.
- Bedrock geology is mapped at 1:100,000 scale, which means local variation within a barony — small pockets of different rock type, mineral veins, alluvium overlying bedrock — is generalised. The dominant-system and rocktype figures are area-weighted, so a barony reading “70% Carboniferous limestone” may still contain small but archaeologically important pockets of older or younger rock. Around 3% of GSI polygons do not match the lexicon and contribute no rocktype or system attribution.
Data sources
- National Monuments Service — Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) https://data.gov.ie/dataset/national-monuments-service-archaeological-survey-of-ireland
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) https://data.gov.ie/dataset/national-inventory-of-architectural-heritage-niah-national-dataset
- Logainm — Placenames Database of Ireland https://www.logainm.ie/
- Ordnance Survey Ireland — National Statutory Barony Boundaries 2019 https://data-osi.opendata.arcgis.com/
- EURODEM — European Digital Elevation Model https://www.mapsforeurope.org/datasets/euro-dem
- ESA WorldCover https://esa-worldcover.org/en
- Geological Survey Ireland — 1:100,000 Bedrock Geology https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/data-and-maps/Pages/Bedrock.aspx
Explore more: Search any of the 280 ROI baronies, browse by historical province, or read the methodology and data sources for the full Republic of Ireland Heritage Tool.