Kenry


Kenry is a historical barony in northern County Limerick, Ireland.
Baronies were mainly cadastral rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the Local Government Act 1898.

History

The barony takes its name from the Gaelic Irish Cáenraige, "Cáen's tribe." The Cáenraige were ruled by the Uí Fidgenti from the 3rd to 10th centuries AD, when the Ó Donnabháin took it from them; they were rulers of the Uí Chairbre prior to this and their new territory became known as Caonraighe Ui Chaibre. In the 12th century, Donal Mor O'Brien and the Anglo-Normans drove the Donovans into West Cork and Kerry. Kenry gave its name to Kenry Castle, which in turn gave its name to Pallaskenry.
The Book of Lecan connects Kenry to the legendary harper Uaithne, with his sons Uaithnia, Druithnia and Caínnia being the ancestors of the Uaithni, Dál Druithne and Cáenraige.
The Annals of the Four Masters describes an assault on Kenry in 1581 during the Second Desmond Rebellion :
Kenry barony was created in the 17th century under English rule by Sir William Ellison. It was divided in two parts for the purpose of taxation: Kenrymore being the smaller part and largely owned by the Knights of Glin, while Kenryhurragh, composed of the civil parishes of Adare, Kildimo, Ardcanny and Chapelrussell, was subject to the Earls of Desmond. The spellings Kenryemore, Kenryehurraghe, Kenry Lurragh are also found.
The Anglo-Irish aristocrat Edwin Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl was named Baron Kenry in 1866 when he was raised to the British peerage and given a seat in the House of Lords. It passed to Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl in 1871. He had no sons so the title became extinct on his death.
The name is used today by the Kenry Historical Society.

Geography

Kenry is in the north-centre of the county, bounded to the north by the Shannon Estuary and to the east and south by the River Maigue.

List of settlements

Settlements within the historical barony of Kenry include:
  • Ballysteen
  • Kildimo
  • Pallaskenry