THE COUNTIES OF IRELAND


  COUNTY ANTRIM

  Antrim is on the northwestern coast of Ireland.  The major towns are
  Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Lisburn, and the city of Belfast which is in both
  Antrim and Down.

  Under the old Gaelic system this area was part of the territory of the
  O'Neills and was called Dalriada.  The other major Gaelic families were the
  McQuillans and O'Quinns. Some "Gallowglass" or mercenary families from
  Scotland settled in Antrim in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.  These
  included the McDonnells, Bissels (who became McKeowns), MacNeills, and
  McAllisters.  Two Connaught families, the O'Haras and MacClearys, also
  migrated to Antrim at this period.  The county was little affected by the
  Norman invasion and the ruling families of the county maintained their
  independence for several centuries.

  In 1594 the major tribes of Ulster, led by Hugh O'Neill, rebelled against
  English rule. This rebellion lasted until 1603 when the Ulster tribes were
  finally defeated.  Following the defeat and departure of O'Neill and the
  heads of the major clans, Antrim, like the rest of Ulster, was "planted" with
  settlers from Britain.

  Antrim was one of the first counties planted, in advance of the main Ulster
  plantation which began in 1609.  In about 1605 the Lord Deputy, Arthur
  Chichester, acquired the castle and lands of Belfast.  Subsequently, he
  ruthlessly exterminated the inhabitants of these estates and planted them
  with English settlers.  These came mainly from Devon, Lancashire, and
  Cheshire and included families named Bradshaw, Bradford, Watson, Taylor,
  Walker, Jackson, Wilson, Johnson, and Young.

  Also in the early 1600s English and Scottish adventurers, such as Clotworthy
  and Upton, were given confiscated lands in Antrim on the understanding that
  they would bring over settlers to their new estates.  The now common
  occurrence of names such as Boyd, Fraser, Lindsay, Johnson, Morrison,
  Patterson, and Maxwell is due to the Scottish settlers brought to the county
  by these adventurers.

  The objectives of plantation, the clearance of the native population and
  their replacement by British subjects, were most successfully achieved in
  this county.  Many of the native people were removed from the county
  altogether.  As the native Irish population was predominantly Catholic, the
  Scottish usually Presbyterian, and the English generally Protestant, the
  proportions of these religions among the population can, in very general
  terms, be used to estimate the origins of the inhabitants of the county.
  When religious affiliation was first determined in the census of 1861, the
  respective proportions of Catholic, Presbyterian, and Protestant in Antrim
  were 28, 20, and 48 percent.

  Antrim, like the other northeastern counties, became a center of the linen
  industry.  The industry was particularly developed by the arrival in the
  county of many French Huguenot weavers from 1685 onwards.  These Huguenots
  settled in particular in Lisburn and Belfast, and their introduction of
  French looms and other innovations began a period of prosperity for the
  industry.  By 1700 Belfast had a population of 2,000.

  As in the other northern counties, many northern Presbyterians or so-called
  Scots-Irish left Antrim during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries
  because of the repression of Presbyterians under the Penal Laws which were
  primarily intended to repress Catholicism.  In the eighteenth century Belfast
  was the center of the Society of the United Irishmen, which was a movement of
  Catholics and Presbyterians against this repression.

  Belfast City is arguably the only city in Ireland to have felt the full
  effects of the industrial revolution.  The city developed rapidly in the
  nineteenth century largely based on the linen industry and on heavy industry
  such as shipbuilding.  Its rapid growth resulted in further immigration of
  people from Scotland, northern England, and rural Ireland.  By the end of the
  nineteenth century its population had grown to 300,000.

  The county is one of the few whose population has increased since the Great
  Famine.  This is largely due to the growth of Belfast City and surrounding
  towns.  Apart from Dublin, the population of County Antrim is the most
  urbanized in Ireland.  Because of this, commercial directories are
  particularly valuable sources of information.  Some of the 1857 Census
  returns have also survived.  The northern, and nonurbanized, parts of the
  county are largely agricultural and also have important fishing ports.


  COUNTY ARMAGH

  County Armagh was part of the old Gaelic territory of Uriel or Oriel.  The
  town of Armagh was the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ulster and has also
  been the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland for some 1500 years.

  The main Gaelic families in the area are O'Neill, O'Hanlon, MacCann,
  MacMahon, O'Keelaghan, McPartlan, MacVeagh, O'Heany, MacSherry, MacAlinden,
  O'Mulcreevy, O'Heron, O'Garvey, O'Loughran, O'Rogan, O'Hoey, and McEntee or
  McGinty. Most of these are still much in evidence in the county.  Although
  the Normans invaded this county following their invasion of Ireland in the
  twelfth century, they did not exercise effective control because of the power
  of the Gaelic families.  This situation of independence from English rule
  continued for several centuries.

  The O'Neill rebellion in 1594 (see Co. Antrim) led to the emigration of Hugh
  O'Neill and the major families of Ulster, the confiscation of their
  territories, and in 1609, the English plantation of Ulster by "adventurers."

  Among the English adventurers given land in Armagh at this time were the
  families of Acheson, Brownlow, St. John, McHenry, and Blacker.  The
  plantation of Ulster, which also took place in Cavan, Donegal, Derry,
  Fermanagh, and Tyrone, was largely successful.  Thousands of settlers, of all
  social classes, came to Armagh from Scotland and England during the early
  seventeenth century.  The names of the Scottish settlers who came to the
  county include Boyd, Fraser, Lindsay, Johnston, Morrison, Patterson, and
  Maxwell.  The English settler names include Bradshaw, Bradford, Watson,
  Taylor, Walker, Jackson, Wilson, Johnson, and Young.

  The native population was predominantly Catholic, the Scottish were usually
  Presbyterian, and English were of the of the Protestant faith.  The
  proportions of these religions among the population can, in very general
  terms, be used to estimate the origins of the inhabitants of the county.
  When religious affiliation was first determined in the census of 1861, the
  respective proportions of Catholic, Presbyterian, and Protestant were 49, 31,
  and 16 percent.

  The Penal Laws, enacted in the 1690s following the accession of the
  Protestant King William to the English throne, were mainly aimed at
  restriction of the rights of Catholics.  However, they also included various
  measures which disadvantaged Presbyterians.  As a result many Ulster
  Presbyterians, the so-called Scots-Irish, emigrated to North America during
  the eighteenth century.

  During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Armagh became a major center
  of Ulster's linen industry, particularly around the town of Lurgan.  This
  industry and other farming activities made the county relatively prosperous
  during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.  By the nineteenth century
  the population had grown to over 200,000 making it one of the most densely
  populated in the country.  The population density was 511 people to the
  square mile at the peak population (232,000) in 1841.

  The county was relatively less affected than others by the Great Famine of
  1845-47, although it still reduced the population by around 15 percent
  between 1841 and 1851.

  In 1921 the county was one of those which remained in the United Kingdom when
  the Irish Free State was formed.  The main towns are Armagh, Portadown,
  Lurgan, Tanderagee, and Keady.



  COUNTY CARLOW

  This inland Leinster county contains the towns of Carlow, Muinebeag (or
  Bagenalstown), Tullow, Leighlinbridge,and Rathvilly.

  County Carlow was formerly part of the territory of Ui Kinsellaigh.  The
  major families of the county were Kavanagh, O'Ryan of Idrone,O'Nolan of
  Forth, O'Neill, and O'Hayden.  Following the Norman invasion the county was
  taken by their leader, Strongbow, and castles were built at Carlow town,
  Leighlin, and Tullow.  The English administration gradually lost their power
  elsewhere in the county to the powerful McMurrough Kavanaghs, who allied
  themselves with the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles in Wicklow.  These native
  chieftains continued to hold varying degrees of control over the county for
  several centuries.

  The town of Carlow was an important Norman stronghold during the Middle Ages.
  In 1361 it was walled to protect it from the neighbouring Gaelic chieftains.
  It was repeatedly attacked and was captured in 1405 by the McMurroug
  Kavanaghs, (see Wexford) and in 1567 by the O'Moores (see Laois).  Although a
  plan for a plantation of the county was put forward during the reign of James
  I, it was not acted on.

  In 1641 the county joined the rebellion of the Catholic Confederacy but the
  Carlow rebels were finally defeated by Ireton, one of Cromwell's generals, in
  1650.  Of the English and Norman families who settled in Carlow at various
  times, the most prominent were Bruen, Butler, Bagenal, Best, Brown, Bunbury,
  Burton, and Tallon.

  During the Great Famine of 1845-47 the county was relatively badly affected.
  The population in 1841 was 86,000 and by 1851 had fallen by 21 percent to
  68,000.  Of these people, over 10,000 died of starvation or other causes
  between 1845 and 1850, and further thousands emigrated.

  County Carlow is now an important agricultural center with an extensive
  sugarbeet and cereal industry.


  COUNTY CAVAN

  Originally part of the ancient Kingdom of Breifne, this inland
  Ulster county contains the towns of Cavan, Bailieborough, Virginia,
  Belturbet, and Ballyjamesduff.  This part of Breifne was ruled by the
  O'Reillys whose base was the town of Cavan.  Other families associated with
  the county are (Mc)Brady, O'Mulleady, McGowan (often anglicized as Smith),
  O'Farrelly, McKiernan, O'Curry, O'Clery, and McIlduff.  The O'Reillys
  retained control over the county for several centuries after the arrival of
  the Normans in Ireland in 1169.  This was due both to the skill of their
  cavalry and also to the difficulty of the Cavan terrain with its forests,
  bogs, and lakes.

  The boundaries of the county of Cavan were established by the English in
  1584, and the county divided into baronies.  Most of these were given to
  different branches of the O'Reillys, with two baronies controlled by the
  McKernons and McGowans.  During the late sixteenth century the O'Reillys and
  their Cavan allies joined the rebellion of O'Neill against the English (see
  Co. Tyrone).

  Following the defeat of the rebels the land in the county was confiscated and
  "planted" with English and Scottish settlers in 1609.  This was done by
  granting portions of the county to adventurers (such as Auchmuty) who, in
  return, undertook to settle an agreed number of English or Scottish families.
  Pynnar's Survey of the progress of the Ulster plantation during its early
  stages shows that 286 families were planted in Cavan.  The native population
  retained large parts of the county, however, as there were not enough
  settlers willing to come to the county.

  In 1641 the Catholics in the county, again led by an O'Reilly, joined the
  Catholic Confederacy (see Co. Kilkenny) in rebellion against England. This
  rebellion was finally defeated by Cromwell in 1649 and was followed by
  further confiscations and granting of land in Cavan to English soldiers and
  others.

  The relative proportions of people of Irish, Scottish, and English extraction
  can, in very general terms, be estimated from the relative proportions of
  Catholics, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians (Protestants) in the county.  In
  1861 when the census first collected this information, the respective
  proportions were 81, 4, and 15 percent respectively.

  The county was badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  In 1841 the
  population was 243,000, and by 1851 it had fallen by almost 30 percent to
  174,000.  Around 25,000 people died of starvation or disease between 1845 and
  1850.  Further thousands migrated to the cities or emigrated.


  COUNTY CLARE

  This Munster county occupies the area between the lower parts of the Shannon
  River and the west coast.  It contains the towns of Ennis, Kilkee, Killaloe,
  and Kilrush.

  In the old Gaelic system the county was part of the Kingdom of Thomond.  The
  major families were those of O'Loughlin, McNamara, and McMahon, and the chief
  family was the O'Briens.  Together, these families are generally referred to
  as the Dalcassian families.

  The O'Briens were a major force in Thomond from earliest times.  The Danish
  Vikings raided this county on many occasions during the ninth to eleventh
  centuries and established settlements in Limerick and on Inniscattery Island.
  They were finally defeated early in the eleventh century by one of the most
  famous of the O'Briens, Brian Boru, who also led the Irish army which
  defeated the powerful Danes of Dublin at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

  Following the Norman invasion the area was granted to Norman knights, but the
  Clare chieftains kept them from holding any substantial power in the county.
  In 1275 it was granted to Thomas de Clare who attempted to take control of
  the county but was totally defeated by the O'Briens.  The O'Briens were later
  made Earls of Thomond and thereby remained the major force in the county for
  centuries.  Despite the failure of Thomas de Clare or his successor to take
  control of the territories granted to them in Thomond, the county was
  nevertheless named after the family when its boundaries were established by
  the English administration in 1565.  Initially it was made part of Connaught,
  but in 1602 the county was joined with the province of Munster.


  The major Norman settlements in the county were at Clare town and at
  Bunratty.  The Norman inhabitants of these towns were either gradually
  expelled from the county by the Gaelic families, or else adopted the Irish
  way of life. The Norman castle at Bunratty, for instance, was captured by the
  O'Briens in 1355 and held by them until the seventeenth century.  In the
  fifteenth century the O'Briens rebuilt the castle on the same site and this
  castle, restored and refurbished, is now open to the public.

  Following the defeat of the 1641 rebellion of the Catholic Confederacy, this
  county was one of the counties which were set aside to accommodate the
  "delinquent proprietors," i.e., those proprietors whose land was confiscated
  because they did not  actively oppose the rebellion.  Parts of the holdings
  of the existing Clare landholders were confiscated to accommodate these
  newcomers.

  The county was badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The population
  was 286,000 in 1841 and by 1851 had been reduced to 212,000.  Over 50,000
  people died between 1845 and 1850 and thousands emigrated, many to Australia.
  Between 1851 and 1855, for instance, over 37,000 people emigrated from the
  county.  The decline in population continued for the  remainder of the
  century so that by 1891 the population was 124,000.  It is currently around
  88,000.

  County Clare has one of the best local sources of family history research in
  the form of the Clare Heritage Centre located in Corofin.  This center has
  indexed all of the church records in the county and provides a research
  service.


  COUNTY CORK

  This Munster county is the largest in Ireland.  The major towns in the county
  are Cork city, Mallow, Mitchelstown, Youghal, Kanturk, Cobh, Fermoy, Kinsale,
  Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry, and Bandon.

  Before the establishment of the county system, the area of the present County
  Cork was divided between the territories of Desmond, Muskerry, and Corca
  Laoidhe.  The major Gaelic families in the county were McCarthy, O'Keefe,
  Murphy, O'Mahony, O'Callaghan, O'Donovan, O'Driscoll, and O'Riordan.

  The city of Cork itself was founded in the sixth century by the establishment
  of a monastery and school on the site by St. Finbarr. This grew into a
  considerable town.  In the early ninth century the Norse Vikings raided and
  later settled in the town, establishing it as a trading post, and merged with
  the local inhabitants.

  Following the Norman invasion in the twelfth century, the county was granted
  to the Norman knights, Fitzstephen and De Cogan. These brought over further
  Anglo-Norman settlers, but the colony never extended much beyond the area
  around the present Cork city. Like the Norsemen, the Normans in the county
  gradually merged with the native Irish and adopted the Irish way of life.
  Gradually over the succeeding centuries the power and holdings of the
  individual Norman families increased by war and intermarriage.  The main
  names of Norman extraction now found in the county are Barry, Roche, Cogan,
  and Nagle.  The Anglo-Saxon names of Gould and Verling are also found in Cork
  since Norman times.

  The power of many of these Norman and Gaelic families was broken after they
  supported the unsuccessful revolt of the Earl of Desmond in the late
  sixteenth century.  This resulted in the confiscation of the bulk of the
  holdings of these families and their distribution, in 1583, to English
  adventurers.  During what is known as the Plantation of Munster, around
  15,000 people were brought over and settled in Cork and neighbouring
  counties.  Most of these settlers left again during Hugh O'Neills war with
  the English (see Co. Tyrone) and particularly on the approach of his army
  into Munster in 1598.  Although some returned again after his defeat, the
  plantation was largely a failure.  Further English settlers came to the
  county in the 1650s following the defeat of the 1641 rebellion.

  In the Great Famine, of 1845-47, County Cork was one of the worst affected
  areas.  The population, which peaked at 854,000 in 1841, had fallen to
  650,000 in 1851.  Almost 150,000 people died between 1845 and 1850, and
  further thousands emigrated.  The population is currently around 404,000.

  Currently the twenty most common names in Cork are O'Sullivan, Murphy,
  McCarthy, Mahoney, O'Donovan, Walsh, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, O'Leary, Crowley,
  Collins, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, Barry, Cronin, Buckley, Daly, Sheehy,
  O'Riordan, and Kelliher.


  COUNTY DERRY

  This Ulster county contains the city of  Derry (or Londonderry) and the towns
  of Coleraine, Limavady, Magherafelt, and Portstewart.

  In the old Gaelic system much of Derry was in the old territory of Tirowen.
  The area was mainly the territory of the O'Cahans or O'Kanes.  Other families
  associated with the area include the O'Connors, O'Donnells, O'Mullan,
  McCloskey, O'Hegarty, O'Corr, McGurk, McRory, (O')Diamond, McCrilly,
  McGilligan, O'Deery, and McColgan.

  The city of Derry dates back to the foundation of a monastery on the site in
  A.D. 546.  The growth of the monastery and the surrounding settlement made
  Derry an important town.  The town was repeatedly raided by the Danish
  vikings during the ninth to eleventh centuries.

  Neither Derry city nor the old kingdom of  Tirowen were affected by the
  Norman invasion and, like most of the rest of Ulster, it retained its
  independence from English rule until the beginning of the seventeenth
  century.

  In 1600, during the rebellion of O'Neill and  O'Donnell (see Co. Tyrone) and
  their allies, the city of Derry was taken by  English forces.  Following the
  final defeat of the  rebellion most of the county was confiscated  from its
  owners and given to "adventurers" and others for the purpose of planting it
  with English  and Scottish settlers.  The O'Cahans were one of the few native
  families who retained property in the county.  Ulster was also divided into
  counties and was, for a time, known as the county of Coleraine.

  In 1609 the plantation of Ulster began and  huge areas of Ulster were set
  aside for the use of settlers from Britain.  In an effort to ensure the
  effective settlement of the new county of Coleraine, it was offered as a
  business venture to the city of London.  Accordingly, in 1613 the county was
  renamed Londonderry and formally handed over to the city of London by King
  James.  The city decided to administer the county through some of its trade
  guilds.  The county was divided among twelve trade guilds of London, each of
  which was responsible for the development of its own area.

  The London guilds were, by most accounts, less than enthusiastic about the
  scheme, and there were consequently not as many English settlers as the
  plantation organizers had expected.  By some accounts there were more Irish
  tenants in the county than in any other.  In consequence of this, the London
  company was heavily fined in 1635 for failing to honor their commitment to
  plant the county.  Nevertheless,  a large colony of Protestants was brought
  into Derry, and the fortification of the city was completed by 1618.

  Among the common settler names in the county are those of Elliott, Campbell,
  Anderson, Baird, Thompson, McClintock, Hamilton, Browne, Barr, Stewart,
  Smith, Johnston, Irwin, Morrison, Young, and White.

  In 1641 the native Irish joined the general rebellion of Irish Catholics.
  The rebellion was defeated and those involved were severely dealt with.

  During the Williamite wars of the early 1690s the city of Derry became a
  stronghold for the Protestants of the North and withstood a seven month siege
  by Jacobite forces.

  A general indication of the relative proportions of those of English,
  Scottish, or native Irish extraction in the county can be gauged from their
  religious persuasions.  In 1861, when the census first ascertained religion,
  the relative proportions of Catholics (Irish), Protestants (English), and
  Presbyterians (Scottish) were 45, 17, and 35 percent respectively.

  The Penal Laws were specifically enacted at the beginning of the eighteenth
  century to suppress Catholics, but they also affected Presbyterians.  For
  this reason there was considerable emigration of the so-called Scots-Irish
  from Derry and other Ulster counties during the eighteenth century.

  During the Great Famine, County Derry was not as badly affected as others.
  The population was 222,000 in 1841, and by 1851 it had fallen to 192,000.
  Derry was an important port of emigration at this time, and there was
  extensive migration to the city as a result of the famine.  Following the
  foundation of an independent

  Irish State in 1921, Derry was one of the six Ulster counties which was kept
  within the United Kingdom.  The name Derry continues to be used in reference
  to the city and county by most of the population of Ireland.  The name
  Londonderry should also be referred to by researchers.


  COUNTY DONEGAL

  This Ulster coastal county, which is largely bog and mountain land, contains
  the towns of Letterkenny, Donegal, Ballyshannon, Lifford, Stranorlar,
  Killybegs, and Bundoran.

  County Donegal was known as the Kingdom of Tirconnell in the old Irish
  administrative system.  It was the territory of the powerful O'Donnell
  family.  The other major families in the county were O'Boyle, O'Doherty,
  O'Friel, O'Sheil, MacWard, McLoughlin, McDunlevy,  McGillespie, MacRearty,
  McGrath, McGonagle, O'Mulholland, O'Harkin, O'Derry,  and O'Strahan.  The
  McSweeneys, also a relatively common name in the county, were a Gallowg1ass
  or mercenary family who arrived in the  county in the thirteenth century.

  This county was little affected by the Norman invasion in the twelfth century
  and it was not until the late sixteenth century that the English gained any
  foothold.  This was lost again in1592 when the O'Donnells, under their chief
  Red  Hugh O'Donnell, joined with the O'Neills in a rebellion against the
  English.  This rebellion ended in the defeat of the Ulster Chieftains in
  1602, and the county was subsequently included in the plantation of Ulster.
  Under this scheme the lands were confiscated from the native Irish owners and
  given to undertakers, i.e., to persons who were granted land on the agreement
  that they would bring over settlers from England or Scotland.   Among the
  common settler names in the county are those of Elliott, Campbell, Anderson,
  Baird, Thompson, McClintock, Hamilton, Browne, Barr, Stewart, Smith,
  Johnston, Irwin, Morrison, Young, and White.

  A general indication of the proportion of native Irish, Scottish, and English
  can be estimated from the religious persuasions of the inhabitants as the
  native Irish were generally Catholic, the Scottish Presbyterian, and the
  English Protestant or Episcopalian.  In 1861, when the census first
  ascertained religion, the proportions of each religion were 75, 11, and 13
  percent respectively.

  In the eighteenth century the county remained relatively remote.
  Contemporary maps show few roads in the county, and the accounts of various
  travellers tell of the unique customs of some of its people.  The Penal Laws
  were specifically enacted at the beginning of the eighteenth century to
  suppress Catholics. However, they also disadvantaged Presbyterians.  For this
  reason there was considerable emigration of the so-called Scots-Irish from
  Donegal and other Ulster counties during the eighteenth century.

  The density of population on the arable land in County Donegal was one of the
  highest in the  country in the early nineteenth century.  The county was not
  as badly affected as many others in the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The
  population was 296,000 in 1841, and by 1851 it had fallen to 255,000.  Almost
  28,000 people died in the county between 1845 and 1850, and further thousands
  emigrated.


  COUNTY DOWN

  County Down was the first Ulster county to be colonized by the Normans.  The
  knight John de Courcy took the area around Downpatrick after the Norman
  invasion, and the county was formed around 1300.  The county later came into
  the possession of the De Lacy's.  Most of this county came to be known as the
  Earldom of Ulster during this period.  One of the few Norman families who
  settled in the county is Savage.  The major Gaelic families were O'Neill,
  McGuinness, McQuillan, McCartan, and MacGilmore.

  In 1569 Sir Thomas Smith unsuccessfully attempted to bring English settlers
  into the Ards   Peninsula and County Down.  In 1594 a general rebellion in
  Ulster, led by the major Ulster chieftain Hugh O'Neill began (see Co.
  Tyrone). On the defeat of O'Neill, his lands and those of his allies were
  confiscated and divided among English and Scottish "adventurers."  A
  well-planned plantation of Ulster began in 1609 involving the introduction to
  the province of thousands of settlers.  These were brought in by adventurers
  who, in return for title to the land, agreed to bring in a specified number
  of settlers to their estates.

  One Scottish adventurer, James Hamilton, brought over 10,000 Scots to
  northwest Down. Scots names such as Boyd, Fraser, Johnston, Lindsay,
  Morrison, Patterson, and Maxwell are consequently common in Down.  English
  adventurers in Down who brought over English families included Annesley,
  Hill, and Montgomery.  These settlers brought the names Wilson, Johnson,
  Young, Taylor, Walker, Jackson, Watson, Bradshaw, and Bradford to Ulster.
  The new settlers developed a prosperous linen industry in Down and
  surrounding counties.  The industrial center of Belfast also grew rapidly
  during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

  The relative proportions of people of Irish/Norman, Scottish, and English
  extraction can, in very general terms, be estimated from the proportions of
  Catholic, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian (Protestant) respectively in the
  county.  In 1841 the respective proportions were 32, 45, and 21 percent.

  County Down was less badly affected by the Great Famine than many others.
  One of its effects, however, was a large exodus from the rural areas to the
  city of Belfast, part of which is in County Down. The population of Down in
  1841 was 368,000.  In 1851 this had reduced by around 11 percent.  Of these,
  46,000 died, mainly in the years 1847-50.  The level of emigration from the
  county was among the lowest in Ireland, only 6 percent of the population
  against a national average of 11.4 percent.  During the remainder of the
  nineteenth century the town of Belfast and other towns in the county grew
  enormously. Some notes on the history of Belfast are included in the history
  of County Antrim.  Belfast's prosperity attracted further immigration of
  workers from rural Ireland and Scotland to the city and to the outlying towns
  of the county.  In 1921 Down was one of the six counties which remained part
  of the United Kingdom when an independent Irish state was formed.


  COUNTY DUBLIN

  The earliest accounts of Dublin city go back as far as A.D. 140 when Ptolemy
  mentioned a settlement on this site.  The major development of the city began
  in the eighth century when the Vikings or Norsemen established a settlement
  which developed into a powerful Viking base.  The power of the Dublin
  Norsemen lasted until 1014 when they were defeated, at the Battle of
  Clontarf, by the native Irish, led by Brian Boru (see Co. Clare).  However,
  the Vikings remained in much of the county, particularly north of the city.
  The Vikings did not use hereditary surnames or family names and therefore
  their influence is not obvious in the family names which exist in the county.

  In 1169 the Normans made Dublin the center of their activities following
  their successful invasion of Ireland.  It has remained the effective seat of
  government almost ever since. The north of the county was granted to the
  Norman Hugh de Lacy in the thirteenth century.  Other Anglo-Norman families
  who settled in the county include those of Baggot, Sarsfield, Luttrell,
  Delahyde, Talbot, Barnewall, St.  Lawrence, Cruise, Archbold, and Segrave.
  The city grew considerably during the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries,
  despite the continuing attacks by the O'Tooles and O'Byrnes of Wicklow (see
  Co. Wicklow) and the O'Moore and O'Carrolls (see counties Laois and Offaly).

  As the seat of English administration of Ireland, Dublin was largely a
  Protestant city during the Middle Ages.  In 1644 the total population of the
  city was only around 8,000.  By 1682, when the rebellion of Irish Catholics
  (see Co. Kilkenny) had been defeated and English power was imposed on most of
  the country, the population of Dublin was estimated at 60,000.  Extensive
  growth outside the walls of the old city was occurring at this time.  By 1728
  the population was 146,000, and by the end of the century it was over
  170,000.  The influx of people to Dublin included English administrators as
  well as people from all over Ireland.  From abroad there have also been
  influxes of Huguenot, Jewish, and other peoples.

  The eighteenth century was the great period of growth of Dublin city when the
  great streets were laid out and many of the great public buildings
  established.  In this period Dublin was one of the great cities of Europe.
  In 1800, however, the Irish Parliament was amalgamated with the Westminster
  Parliament in London. As a consequence Dublin lost much of its glamour and
  many of the gentry moved to London.  Although the administrative capital, the
  city did not develop extensive heavy industry as did Belfast, for instance.
  The population continued to grow, however, and by 1841 it had reached over
  230,000.

  During the Great Famine of 1845-47 the population expanded due to migration
  of people from other badly affected parts of the country.  The population of
  Dublin county was 372,000 in 1841, and by 1851 this had grown to 405,000.
  There were, however, over 75,000 deaths in the city between 1845 and 1850,
  and thousands emigrated through Dublin port.  The number of  natives of the
  county who emigrated was relatively low, less than 4 percent of the
  population,  compared to 18 percent in Tipperary and Clare.  The city's
  population grew only slowly during the remainder of the century but has grown
  rapidly since the foundation of the Irish state.  The current population is
  over I million.


  COUNTY FERMANAGH

  This Ulster county contains the towns of Enniskillen, Kesh, Irvinestown, and
  Lisnaskea.  County Fermanagh was historically the territory of the Maguires
  and was partly in the Kingdom of Oriel.  Other families associated with the
  county include Rooney (or Mulrooney), Muldoon, McKernan, Devine, McDonnell,
  Flanagan, Bannon, Owens, Fee, Corrigan, Hussey, Whelan, Corcoran, and
  Breslin.

  In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the Normans made several unsuccessful
  attempts to  conquer Fermanagh.  The Maguires and the other local chieftains
  allied themselves to the powerful O'Neills of Tyrone and remained independent
  for four centuries.  From the beginning of the fourteenth century the
  Maguires dominated this territory.  In the early, sixteenth century they
  nominally submitted to the English crown, but in practice they retained
  control over the county.

  Towards the end of the sixteenth century the  English began making various
  administrative demands on the county and establishing administrators for
  various purposes.  Accordingly, in 1593 the chief of the Maguires rebelled
  and expelled all the English from the county.  He later joined with 0'Neill
  in the general Ulster rebellion.

  After the defeat of the O'Neills and the emigration of most of the Ulster
  chieftains, Fermanagh was planted along with most of the Ulster counties.
  English and Scottish undertakers were appointed who obtained land in return
  for an "undertaking" to plant a specified number of English or Scottish
  families.  Among the English undertakers were Flowerden, Blennerhassett,
  Archdale, Warde, Barton, Hunings, Wirral, Bogas, Calvert, and Sedborough.
  The Scottish undertakers included Hume, Hamilton, Gibb, Lindsey, Fowler,
  Dunbar, Balfour, Wishart, Moneypenny, Trayle, and Smelholme. Among the other
  families who obtained lands in the county at this time were ffoliot,
  Atkinson, Cole, Gore, Davys, Harrison, and Mistin.  The O'Neills and Maguires
  and some of the other Gaelic families were also granted small portions of
  land.

  Many of the native families either obtained lands in the county or else
  remained as tenants or servants on the planted lands.  Many of those planted
  left again and the general picture was that the plantation was of mixed
  success in this county.

  In 1641 the Maguires again led the county in support of the Catholic revolt
  and many of the new settlers were driven out or, in some cases, killed.
  Following the defeat of the rebellion further lands in the county were
  confiscated and given to planters.  The Brooke family got their lands at this
  time as well as Montgomery, Leonard, Wyatt, and Balfour.

  Following the Williamite wars of the 1690s, the Fermanagh planters began to
  replace the native families with laborers from England and Scotland.  Many of
  these left again, but nevertheless the county did gradually become more
  English and less Irish.

  The 1609 plantation and the subsequent arrivals of laborers and farmers have
  introduced many English and Scottish names to the county. These include
  Johnson, Patterson,  Armstrong, Morrison, Elliott, Graham, Irivine, Thompson,
  Noble, Carson, Forster, Hamilton, and Boyd.

  In the eighteenth century the Penal Laws further deprived Catholics of lands
  and rights.  Although primarily intended to restrict Catholic privileges, the
  laws also adversely affected the rights of Presbyterians.  For this reason
  there was a steady emigration of Presbyterians, the so-called Scots-Irish,
  during this century.  The origins of the inhabitants can, in very general
  terms, be shown by their religion as the natives are generally Catholic, the
  English Protestant, and the Scottish Presbyterian.  In 1861, when religious
  persuasion was first determined in the census, the relative proportions of
  the three were 57, 38, and 2 percent respectively.  Livingstone's history of
  the county gives an analysis of Fermanagh families from the voters list of
  1962.  The families are indicated as British(B), Gaelic (G), Gaelic names
  associated with Fermanagh (GF), or of mixed origin (M).  The twenty-five most
  common families in 1962, in order of their abundance are: Maguire(GF),
  Johnston(B), Armstrong(B), MacManus(GF), Elliott(B), McCaffrey(GF),
  O'Reilly(G), Smith(M), Murphy(G), Graham(B), Irvine(B), Gallagher(G),
  Cassidy(GF), Owens(GF), Beatty(M), Thompson(B), MacBryan/ Breen(GF),
  Noble(B), Duffy(G), Dolan(G), Morris(B), Woods(G), McElroy(GF), Monaghan(GF),
  and Corrigan(GF).


  COUNTY GALWAY

  The county of Galway is on the west  coast and contains the city of Galway
  and the towns of Tuam, Ballinasloe, Athenry, and Loughrea.  The east of the
  county is relatively good farmland while the west, the area known as
  Connemara, is rocky and barren.  In this area, and on the offshore islands,
  particularly the Aran islands, the Irish language is still the everyday
  language.

  Before the redivision of the country into counties, the west of the county
  was the territory of Iar-Connacht.  The major Gaelic families of the county
  were O'Halloran, O'Daly, O'Kelly, O'Flaherty, O'Malley, O'Madden, O'Fallon,
  O'Naughton, O'Muflaly, and OHynes.

  The town of Galway was a prominent trading port from early times.  It was
  also reputed to be one of the landmarks in the ancient division of Ireland
  (in the second century A.D.) into the northerly half, Leath-Cuin, controlled
  by Conn-Cead-Cathac, and the southerly Leath-Mogha, controlled by Eoghan,
  King of Munster. The fortunes of the town from earliest times have been
  documented in Hardiman's History of Galway. The city was destroyed on several
  occasions by local raids, fire, and by Danish Vikings, but was rebuilt.
  After the Norman invasion the whole Kingdom of Connaught, including Galway,
  was granted to Richard de Burgo, or Burke.  However, because of the power of
  the existing chieftains, de Burgo only took control of part of the south of
  the county.  One of the families who arrived with the Burkes were the
  Birminghams.  Another family which settled in the north of the county was the
  Joyces. The part of the county in which they settled is still known as
  Joyce's country.  The de Burgo's fortified the town of Galway and established
  it as a major center trading with Spain and Portugal.  Gradually the Normans
  assimilated with the local people and, apart from the town of Galway itself,
  adopted Irish custom and dress.

  The fourteen major merchant families in the city, known as the "Tribes of
  Galway" were Athy,    Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Font, French,
  Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris, and Skerrett. These families dominated
  Galway town which became a center of commercial activity in the province.  As
  the power of the English receded in the province of Connaught,  the town
  remained a bastion of English customs and language. The county of Galway and
  the other Connaught counties were established in 1584 by Sir Henry Sidney.
  Many of the native and Norman chieftains submitted at this time and promised
  their allegiance to the English crown.

  The Catholics of Galway joined the general rebellion of the Catholic
  Confederacy (see Co.    Kilkenny) in 1641. The city itself was a stronghold
  of the rebels but was finally taken by the Parliamentarians after a
  nine-month siege in 1652.  In the aftermath of this rebellion the town and
  county suffered badly.  It is calculated that over one third of the
  population perished though famine, disease, or at the hands of the victorious
  English parliamentary forces.  In addition, over 1,000 people were taken and
  sold as slaves to the West Indies.

  Although the estates of the leaders of this rebellion were confiscated and
  given to English adventurers and soldiers, many of these properties were
  returned after the restoration of King Charles.

  County Galway was very badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The
  population, which in 1841 was 442,000, had fallen to 322,000 by 1851. Over
  73,000 people died in the county between 1845 and 1850, and approximately 11
  percent of the population emigrated in the succeeding five years. Through
  continued emigration the population fell to 215,000 by 1891 and today is
  approximately 172,000.


  COUNTY KERRY

  The county of Kerry is on the south-western coast of Ireland.  Its major
  towns are Tralee, Listowel, Castleisland, KiIarney, Caherciveen, Dingle, and
  Ballybunion.  Before the division of Ireland into counties, this area formed
  part of the Gaelic territory of Desmond.  The major Gaelic families included
  O'Connor Kerry, O'Driscoll, O'Donoghue, 0'Falvey, O'Shea, O'Kelleher,
  Moriarty, O'Mahoney, and O'Connell.  Following the Norman invasion the county
  was granted to Robert Fitzstephen and Milo de Cogan.  However, because of the
  power of the native chieftains, they were unable to take possession of the
  county.

  The Norman conquest of the more easterly parts of Munster, however, drove the
  McCarthys and O'Sullivans of those parts to Kerry, displacing some of the
  resident families.  Although the chief of the McCarthys nominally submitted
  to Henry II in 1172, the McCarthys and the other chieftains effectively
  retained their lands and control of much of the county.

  Parts of the county did come under the chieftainship of Norman families by
  other means.     Raymond Fitzgerald, ancestor of the present Fitzmaurice
  family, was granted the area around Lixnaw (or Clanmaurice) by one of the
  McCarthys in return for assistance 1 a dispute.

  John Fitzthomas also obtained large parts of Kerry by marriage.  Apart from
  Fitzgerald and   Fitzmaurice, the other families which became established in
  Kerry after the Norman invasion were Cantillon, Stack, Ferriter, Brown,
  Clifford, Cromwell, Hussey, and Trant.  Fitzthomas was an ancestor of the
  Fitzgeralds who were made Earls of Desmond in 1329 and maintained control of
  Desmond for centuries.

  By the mid-fourteenth century the three major families in the county were
  Fitzgerald,   Fitzmaurice, and McCarthy.

  By the late sixteenth century the lands of Kerry and Cork began to attract
  the attention of English "adventurers" who approached the English crown to
  give them title to these lands. A huge scheme of confiscation of Munster
  lands was planned. This alarmed the Irish and Norman chieftains who protested
  against the scheme. Their formal protests about the scheme failed, and in
  1580 the Earl of Desmond rebelled against the English. He was eventually
  defeated after a bloody war which devastated much of Desmond. The people of
  Munster suffered greatly after this rebellion both from the savagery of the
  troops and from the famine which resulted from their destruction of crops and
  property. The power of the Fitzgeralds never recovered after this.  Thousands
  of those made homeless during this rebellion were gathered together and
  transported to the West Indies. After the rebellion the estates of all the
  rebels were confiscated and distributed among English adventurers, in
  particular Blennerhassett, Browne, Herbert, Champion, Holly, Denny, and
  Conway.  Among the settlers who obtained grants from these adventurers were
  the families of Spring, Rice, Morris, and Gunn.

  Following the defeat of the 1641 rebellion further parts of the county were
  granted to English adventurers, in particular Sir William Petty.  Many of the
  settlers brought in at this time (the1670s) left again during the Williamite
  wars when the Irish forces again took control of the county. The names of the
  pre-1641 and post-1641 owners of land are listed in the Book of Survey of
  Distribution and in the Civil Survey.

  The county was relatively badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The
  population was 294,000 in 1841 and had dropped by 19 percent in 1851.  During
  the main years of the famine, 1845-50, around 32,000 people died.
  Furthermore, between 1851 and 1855, 44,000 people, or 17 percent of the
  population, emigrated.

  The eastern part of the county, particularly the northeast, is rich
  agricultural land while the more westerly parts are mountainous.

  The major industries are agriculture, fishing, and tourism.  The lakes of
  Killarney, for instance, have been a tourist attraction since the early
  nineteenth century.


  COUNTY KILDARE

  Kildare is a relatively small inland county in Leinster.  It is forty-two
  miles from north to south and twenty-six miles from east to west, and
  contains the towns of Naas, Newbridge, Maynooth, Kildare, and Athy. The
  county derives its name from Cill-Dara, the Church of Oak, which is said to
  have been built in the fifth century.  In pre-Norman times the county was
  partly the territory of Hy-Kaelan, which was the territory of the O'Byrnes,
  and Hy-Murray, the territory of the O'Tooles.  The Cullens, Dowlings, and
  McKellys were also families of this county.

  During the peak of their power in the tenth century, the Vikings of Dublin
  extended their territory to the northeast of Kildare. The town of Leixlip,
  meaning Salmon Leap in old Norse, derives its name from the Vikings.

  Following the Norman invasion, the county was granted to the Fitzgeralds. The
  O'Byrnes and O'Tooles were displaced into Wicklow where they continued to
  raid the Norman occupied area called the "Pale" (see Co. Wicklow) for
  centuries. Other Norman families who settled in Kildare included Birmingham,
  Sutton, Aylmer, Wogan, Sherlock, White, and Eustace. The Fitzgeralds became a
  major force in lreland in the Middle Ages. Their base was at Maynooth castle
  in the county. The family's power was reduced by an ill-conceived rebellion
  by "Silken Thomas" Fitzgerald in 1536.

  Following the defeat of the rebellion of the Catholic Confederacy of 1641
  (see Co. Kilkenny), Cromwell confiscated the lands of many of the Norman
  families in the county in 1654. Some of these estates were restored by
  Charles 11 in 1662-64.  Following the Williamite war of 1689-91, many of
  these landholders again lost their lands, some of which were planted with
  settlers.

  The county was less badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47 than many
  others.  A   relatively high proportion of the county was in pasture rather
  than in potato crops at this time.  The population in 1841 was 114,000, and
  by 1851 it had fallen to 96,000. Of the difference, about   14,000 died and
  the remainder emigrated. The county is mainly agricultural and is also a
  major center of the horse-racing and bloodstock industry.


  COUNTY KILKENNY

  In the old Gaelic territorial system, this county formed the bulk of the
  Kingdom of Ossory. The major Gaelic families in the county were the Walshes,
  the O'Brennans, and the O'Dunphys. After the Norman invasion a number of
  Norman families settled in Kilkenny and have been associated with the county
  ever since. These include Archer, Grace, Forestal, Comerford, Cantwell,
  Shortall, Wandesford, Rothe, Archdeacon ("Gaelicized" as Cody), and Butler.
  As elsewhere, these Normans became "more Irish than the Irish." The Sweetman
  family, which is of Norse origin, is also associated with the county.

  Kilkenny City was probably founded by the establishment of a monastery there
  in 1052. The    Norman invaders built a large castle on this site in 1195.
  The city acted as the parliamentary seat    for Ireland on many occasions
  from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries.  In 1366 the English controlled
  Parliament passed the infamous "Statutes of Kilkenny' in an attempt to
  prevent the adoption of the Irish life-style by the Normans.  These statutes
  made it treasonable for a Norman to marry an Irishwoman or to adopt the
  dress, language, or customs of the Irish. The native Irish were also
  prohibited from Iiving in walled towns. These statutes failed completely in
  their aims.

  In the early seventeenth century, when English power had greatly receded in
  Ireland, Kilkenny City became the meeting-place of an independent Irish
  government, called the Confederation of Kilkenny, set up in opposition to the
  English-controlled Dublin Parliament. A general rebellion by those
  represented at this parliament, which began in 1641 and lasted until 1650,
  resulted in confiscation of the lands of these rebels and their
  redistribution to English soldiers and adventurers.

  The county has very good agricultural soils and had a generally well
  developed system of  agriculture in the early nineteenth century, including a
  large dairy industry. In the Great Famine, Kilkenny was relatively badly hit.
  The population in 1841 was 202,400 and in 1861 had fallen to 124,500.  There
  were some 27,000 deaths in the county between 1845 and 1850.

  The current population of the county is approximately 71,000. The major towns
  are Kilkenny, Callan, Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown, and Castlecomer.  The
  county is still a major dairying area while Kilkenny City now has many
  industries and is the center of Irish design because of the establishment
  there by the government of the Kilkenny Design Centre. In regard to records,
  the county has a long-established local history society, the Kilkenny
  Archaeological and Historical Society, whose  library is a valuable local
  archives


  COUNTY LAOIS (LEIX)

  This small county is in the midlands of Ireland and contains the towns of
  Portlaoise (formerly Maryborough), Effirk, Portarlington, Abbeyleix,
  Rathdowney, and Durrow. In ancient times the present county was partly in the
  Kingdom of Laois and partly in Ossory. The county was formed by the English
  in 1547 and named Queen's County. Its name was changed back to Laois
  (sometimes also called Leix) in 1922 after the formation of the Irish Free
  State.

  The major families in this area were the Moores and O'Dunnes. Other families
  included the Lawlors, (O')Dowlings, (0')Deevys or Devoys, (0')Dorans,
  McEvoys, (0')Dempseys, (0')Brophys, (0')Deegans,  (0')Tynans, (Mc)Cashins,
  (0')MulhaUs, and  (Mac)Crossons.

  After the Norman conquest the area was granted to the Fitzpatricks.  Although
  the Fitzpatricks maintained control over a small part of the county, the
  O'Moores gradually regained power over much of the present County Laois and
  were undisputed rulers during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
  The tribes of Laois and Offaly continued to raid the English controlled area
  around Dublin during this time. As a result, the English decided to invade
  the counties in 1547.

  After the successful invasion a major fort was built at Portlaoise on the
  site of an O'Moore  stronghold. This was first named Fort Protector and later
  Maryborough. Because of continued  resistance to English rule and attacks on
  the fort, it was decided to clear the counties of natives and bring in
  English settlers. This was begun in1556, making it the first plantation of
  Ireland. The plantation was fiercely resisted by the native tribes and was
  only partially successful. The seven families which were most influential in
  this settlement were those of Cosby, Hartpole, Barrington, Bowen,
  Hetherington, Ruish, and Ovington.

  In the early seventeenth century the families of Piggott, Parnell, Coote,
  Prior, and Pole settled in the county, and later in the century the families
  Vesey, Johnson, Dawson, Staples, and Burrowes were granted lands in the
  county.

  The town of Mountruellick had a considerable Quaker population in the
  eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There was also a large Huguenot
  population in the county, particularly in Portarlington. In1696 this town and
  surrounding area were granted by King William to one of his victorious
  Huguenot generals. A colony of Huguenot soldiers were subsequently planted
  there and developed a thriving town. The county was relatively badly affected
  by the Great Famine of 1845-47. The population was 154,000 in 1841 and had
  dropped by 28 percent in 1851. Over 18,000 people died of disease and
  starvation between 1845 and 1850, and many thousands emigrated. The current
  population of  the county is around 52,000.


  COUNTY LEITRIM

  This Connaught county contains the towns of Dromahaire, Manorhamilton,
  Drumshanbo, Carrick-on-Shannon, and Ballinamore.

  The northern and western parts of the county were once part of the old Gaelic
  kingdom of  Breffni which was ruled by the O'Rourkes. Other families
  associated with this part of the county are the McClancys and O'Meehans. In
  the southerly part of the county the major families are the McRannals (often
  anglicized Reynolds) and McMorrows. The other families of the county are
  McGilheely, O'Gallon, O'Mulvey, McShanley, McColgan, McSharry, McWeeney, and
  McGovern.

  Up to the Middle Ages this county was densely wooded. The woods were
  gradually felled to provide charcoal and timber for local iron mining
  operations. The county is now generally boggy and has a large proportion of
  wetlands and lakes.

  The county was invaded by the Normans in the thirteenth century.  Although
  they succeeded in taking the south of the county, they failed to conquer the
  northern portion. This remained under the control of the O'Rourkes until the
  sixteenth century.

  Large portions of the county were confiscated from their owners in 1620 and
  given to English adventurers, including Villiers and Hamilton, who founded
  the town of Manorhamilton. The objective was to plant the county with English
  settlers, but this was largely unsuccessful. Further confiscations, followed
  the unsuccessful 1641 rebellion of the Catholic Irish, when the Gaelic and
  Norman families of Leitrim joined the Catholic Confederacy (see Co.
  Kilkenny).

  As the Gaelic and Norman families were very predominantly Catholic, and the
  English of the Protestant faith, the proportions of these religions among the
  population can, in very general terms, be used to estimate the origins of the
  inhabitants of the county and the success of the various attempts to "plant"
  the county. When religious affiliation was first determined in the census of
  1861, the respective proportions of Catholic and Protestant were 90 percent
  and 9 percent.

  The county was very badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47. The
  population was 155,000 in 1841, and by 1851 it had fallen to 112,000. Of this
  reduction almost 20,000 people died between 1845 and 1850, and the remainder
  emigrated to the cities or, more usually, abroad.  Because of the poor
  agricultural productivity of the county, it has been a high-emigration county
  ever since these times, and the population is currently around 28,000.


  COUNTY LIMERICK

  Much of this county was part of the old Gaelic Kingdom of Thomond, while
  parts of the west of the county were in the Kingdom of Desmond. The major
  families in the county were the O'Briens, 0'Ryans, O'Donovans, and
  O'Sheehans. Other families in the area included O'Hurley, MacSheehy,
  O'Gorman, O'Scanlan, and O'Halhan.

  In the mid-ninth century the Vikings took control of Limerick city and
  retained it until the eleventh century when they were defeated by the,
  O'Brien chieftain, Brian Boru. From that time it became the seat of the
  O'Briens, rulers of Thomond. Because the Norse people did not use surnames,
  there is little evidence of the Viking heritage among the family names in the
  area. However, one of the few Norse names found in Ireland, Harold, is found
  in Limerick.

  Following the Norman invasion the county was granted to the De Burgos,
  ancestors of the Burkes, and to Fitzwalters and Fitzgeralds. The Norman
  influence is still evident in the names which are now common in Limerick,
  including Fitzgerald, Fitzgibbon, de Lacy, Woulfe, and Wall.

  At the end of the sixteenth century a rebellion by Fitzgerald, the Earl of
  Desmond (see Co. Kerry), led to a very bloody war, which devastated much of
  this area of Munster. Following the defeat of Desmond, his estates, some of
  which were in western Limerick, were granted to various adventurers and were
  planted with English settlers. The Plantation of Munster in 1598, which also
  included parts of Limerick, was largely a failure. Many of the settlers left
  during the O'Neill march through Munster in 1601 and others simply adopted
  Irish customs and assimilated into the native population.  Further
  confiscations, which followed the 1641 and 1688 wars, increased the numbers
  of English landowners but did not greatly increase the numbers of English
  settlers.

  In 1709 families of German settlers from the Rhine Palatinate were brought to
  Limerick and settled around Rathkeale. These people were of the Moravian
  faith and came to be known as Palatines. Of the original 800 families who
  were brought to the county, only 200 (around 1,200 people) remained in
  Ireland. Later in the century, groups of the remaining Palatine families
  moved to other colonies in Adare and in Castleisland in County Kerry. The
  commoner names among these people included Shouldice, Switzer and Cole (see
  Miscellaneous Sources section for further references).

  The county was badly affected by a local famine in 1820 caused by an outbreak
  of potato blight, and by the Great Famine of 1845-47. Almost 17 percent of
  the county's population emigrated between 1851 and 1855, and almost 30,000
  died between 1847 and 1850. The population was 330,000 in 1841, and by 1851
  had fallen by 21 percent. By 1891 it had fallen to around 160,000 and is
  currently around 122,000.

  Limerick is now an important industrial city and port. The other major towns
  in the county include Kilmallock, Newcastle West, Rathkeale, Abbeyfeale, and
  Adare.


  COUNTY LONGFORD

  This Leinster county contains the towns of Longford, Granard, Ballymahon,
  Edgeworthstown, and Ballinamuck. At the beginning of the Christian era, the
  area now forming County Longford was part of the Kingdom of Conmaicne. From
  the ninth to the fifteenth centuries it was known as "Annaly.' The county was
  mainly the territory of the O'Farrells. Other Irish families associated with
  the county are O'Quinns, (Mc) Gilna, Leavy, Mulroy, and (Mac) Gaynor.

  Although Longford was nominally granted to Hugh de Lacy after the Norman
  conquest in the twelfth century, there was little real Norman influence in
  the county because of the power of the O'Farrells. The family of Tuite was
  one of the few to establish a settlement in the county.

  In the sixteenth and early seventeenth century, parts of Longford were
  planted with English settlers including Aungier, Forbes, Newcomen, King,
  Harman, Lane, and  Edgeworth. The Edgeworths were major landowners in the
  county and were very popular because of their efforts on the tenant's behalf.

  In 1641 the O'Farrells joined the rebellion by the Catholic Confederacy (see
  Co. Kilkenny). On its defeat by Cromwell in 1649, they lost their remaining
  estates and influence in the county.

  This largely agricultural county was badly affected by the Great Famine of
  1845-47. The population, which was 115,000 in 1841, had fallen by 29 percent
  in 1851. Over 14,000 Longford people died between 1845 and 1850 of starvation
  and disease, and the remainder emigrated to the cities or, more usually,
  abroad. The county continued to have a high rate of emigration throughout the
  remainder of the century and beyond. The current population is 31,000.


  COUNTY LOUTH

  Louth is the smallest county in Ireland comprising only 200,000 acres.  It
  contains the towns of Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee, Carlingford, and
  Castlebellingham. Before the arrival of the Normans it formed part of the
  Kingdom of Oriel. The territory within the present county of Louth was then
  ruled by the O'Carrolls. Other Gaelic families in the area included McArdle,
  McSorly, (Mc)Barron, and McScanlan. The main town in the county, Drogheda,
  was founded by the Norse Vikings under Turgesius in 911.

  Following the Norman invasion this area was overtaken in 1183 by John de
  Courcey, and the area now forming the county of Louth was immediately settled
  with English farmers. Among these were the families of Verdon, Bellew,
  Taaffe, Dowdall, Peppard, and Plunkett. The county was one of the first four
  established in 1210 by King John of England.

  Louth was part of the "Pale," the English controlled part of Ireland, for
  most of the succeeding centuries and was fortified against attack from the
  surrounding areas. In the rebellion of O'Neill and the Ulster chieftains in
  the 1590s the county was overrun but reverted to English control afterwards.

  In the rebellion of the Catholic Confederacy of 1641 (see Co. Kilkenny),
  Drogheda was one of the rebel strongholds. In 1649 it was besieged by the
  army of Oliver Cromwell who, on its surrender, massacred 2,000 of the
  garrison of the town and transported the few survivors to the Barbadoes.

  The county was less affected than many by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The
  population was 128,000 in 1845 and by 1851 it had fallen to 108,000.  Around
  14,000 people died between 1845 and 1850. Further thousands emigrated in this
  period and in the succeeding decades.

  The county is agriculture-based and also has major brewing, fishing, cement,
  and shipping industries. The current population is around 90,000.


  COUNTY MAYO

  Situated on the northwestern shore of Connaught, County Mayo contains the
  towns of KiRala, Castlebar, Crossmolina, Westport, and Ballina. The main
  Gaelic families in the area were O'Malley, O'Flaherty, McEvilly, O'Henaghan,
  and O'Flannery. Among the Norman families who settled in this county were the
  Burkes, Barretts, Nangles, Costelloes, and Jordans.  Other septs related to
  these Norman families and now found in the county, include the McPhilbins,
  McAndrews, Prendergasts, and Fitzmaurice.

  After the seventeenth-century redistribution of Mayo land to English
  adventurers, the major estate-holders included Browne, Altamont, and Cuffe.
  During the seventeenth century there were a few attempts to settle parts of
  Mayo with people from England or northern Ireland. One such settlement was
  that of the Mullett Peninsula with families from Ulster. Several of these,
  including the Dixons, established themselves in the area. Many families who
  were forced to leave the northern counties because of the sectarian fighting
  of the 1790s also settled in Mayo. These incidents have been relatively well
  documented.

  In 1798 the French landed 1100 men in Mayo under General Humbert to assist
  the rebellion of United Irishmen. This invasion was too late to be effective,
  however, as the main rebellion had been defeated earlier in the year.
  Assisted by local rebels, this army took control of Mayo but was eventually
  defeated at Ballinamuck.

  The land in Mayo is relatively poor. In spite of that the county was one of
  the most densely populated at the beginning of the nineteenth century when
  there were 474 people per square  mile of arable land in the county. This
  dense population was very badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47. The
  population dropped from almost 390,000 in 1841 to 274,000 in 1851. Around
  45,000 people died between 1845 and 1850, and huge numbers emigrated. Between
  1850 and 1855 alone, over 21,000 people emigrated. By 1891 the population had
  dropped  to 219,000 and is currently around 115,000.

  COUNTY MEATH

  This Leinster county contains the towns of Navan, Trim, Kells, Oldcastle, and
  Athboy.

  In the old Irish system of ministration, the present county of Meath was part
  of a larger area of the same name which was the territory of the High King of
  Ireland. The High King's residence was situated on the Hill of Tara which is
  within the present county of Meath.

  The major Irish families in the county were O'Melaghlin or McLoughlin,
  McGogarty, O'Loughnane, Hayes, (O')Kelly, (0')Hennessy, and O'Reilly.

  Following the Norman conquest of Leinster, the county was given to Hugh de
  Lacy, who built an extensive castle on the site of the present town of Trim.
  The Normans also built castles at Navan and Kells. Over the succeeding
  centuries, however, the effective control of the English administration in
  the county waned as the Normans assimilated into the Irish way of life, and
  the native families became more powerful. The area controlled by England
  gradually shrunk to an area around Dublin, the Pale, which included the
  eastern parts of the present County Meath.  It was in this area of rich
  farmland that many Norman families settled.  The main families which settled
  were those of Preston, Plunkett, Cusack, Darcy, Dillon, Nangle, Dowdall,
  Fleming, and Barnewall.

  Some of the native families migrated from the county as a result of the
  Norman conquest, but most remained either as tenants or servants of the
  Normans or on their own lands.

  During the 1641 rebellion most of the Irish and Norman families of the
  county, led by a Preston, rebelled against English rule.  This rebellion was
  defeated and the lands of many of the rebels were confiscated and given to
  soldiers and officers of Cromwell's army.

  Once described as "the great grazing ground" of Ireland, County Meath has an
  abundance of pastureland. Large farms prospered on these lands, but few small
  farmers were able to earn a sufficient living.

  The population of the county dramatically dropped during the 1840s, the
  period of the Great Famine. The population was183,000 in 1841, making Meath
  one of the least densely populated counties in the country (200 people per
  square mile). By 1857 this population had dropped to141,000.  Almost 20,000
  died between 1845 and 1850 from starvation and disease, and further thousands
  emigrated. The population is currently around 96,000.


  COUNTY MONAGHAN

  This Ulster county contains the towns of Monaghan, Clones, Castleblayney, and
  Carrickmacross.

  In the old Gaelic system of land division, Monaghan was part of the Kingdom
  of Oriel. It was also known as McMahon's country after the dominant family in
  the area. The McMahons and their allies, the McKennas and O'Connollys,
  maintained effective domination of the county even after the arrival of the
  Normans in the twelfth century. The county boundaries were not established by
  the English administration until the late sixteenth century.

  After the defeat of the rebellion of O'Neill and the Ulster chieftains in
  1603, the county was not planted like the other counties of Ulster.  The
  lands were instead left in the hands of the native chieftains. In 1641 the
  McMahons and their allies joined the general rebellion of Irish Catholics,
  and following their defeat there was some plantation of the county with
  Scottish and English families.

  Analysis of the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663 shows that the commonest names in
  the county at the time (in descending order) were McMahon, McKenna, O'Duffy,
  O'Connolly, McCabe, McWard, McArdle, McIlmartin, O'Byrne, O'Callan, McCallan,
  O'Kelly, O'Murphy, McNaney, McTreanor, O'Gowan or McGowan, O'Boylan,
  Mcllcoflin, O'Finnegan, O'Cassidy, and McPhilip.

  The McCabes were a Gallowglass, or mercenary, family probably brought into
  the county by the McMahons following the Norman invasion. The O'Byrnes, who
  are relatively numerous in the county, are probably descendants of the
  Kildare or Wicklow O'Byrnes. This family was driven from its Kildare
  territories by the Normans in the late twelfth century.  It is suggested that
  part of this clan may have migrated into Monaghan.

  The major settlers in the county were Scottish farmers brought over from the
  area of   Strathclyde. Common names among these settlers were McAndrew,
  Mackay, Sinclair, Stewart, Buchanan, McKenzie, Davidson, Ferguson, Blackshaw,
  McCaig, Walker, Cameron, Gordon, Patterson, and McCutcheon.

  A general indication of the proportions of the population of Irish or Norman
  extraction, or of English or Scottish descent, can be derived from the
  statistics on religious persuasions of the inhabitants. These groups were,
  respectively, predominantly Catholic, Church of Ireland, or Presbyterian. In
  1861, when the census first determined religion, the respective proportions
  were 73, 14, and 12 percent.

  In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the county became
  increasingly more densely populated. In 1841 there were 428  people per
  square mile, making the county one of the most densely populated in the
  country. The Great Famine of 1845-47 very badly affected the county.  In 1841
  the population was 200,000, but by 1851 it had fallen by 30 percent to
  142,000. Over 25,000 people died in the same decade and a further 30,000
  emigrated.

  The county is currently mainly dependent on agriculture and related industry
  and has a population of around 52,000.


  COUNTY OFFALY

  Located in the midlands of Ireland, this small county contains the towns of
  Tullamore, Birr, Portarlington, Ferbane, and Daingean. In the old Gaelic
  system the county was part of the Kingdom of Ui Failghe, or Offaly. In the
  English redivision of the country into counties it was named King's County in
  1547. The name was changed back to Offaly on the foundation of the Irish
  state in 1922.

  Within the ancient territory the major Gaelic families were the O'Carrolls,
  O'Delaneys, MacCoghlans, O'Molloys, and O'Connors. Although conquered by the
  Normans in the twelfth century, English rule gradually waned in the county.
  In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Offaly and neighbouring Laois were
  among the most rebellious counties in the country. Continued raids by the
  Irish from these counties on the English-controlled area around Dublin
  finally caused the English to invade Laois and Offaly in 1547. The native
  families were driven back, and several garrisons and forts were built. In
  Offaly the O'Connor's fort of Daingean was garrisoned by the English and
  renamed Philipstown (now renamed Daingean). The lands confiscated from the
  native families were granted to officers and settlers.

  However, as resistance to the English garrisons by the native population
  continued, the English authorities decided to clear the counties of the
  native people and bring in settlers from England. This was begun in 1556,
  making it the first plantation of Ireland. Two-thirds of tribal lands were
  confiscated at this time. The plantation was fiercely resisted and only
  partially successful. However, it did result in the introduction of a large
  number of English families to  the area.

  Since the native population is predominantly Catholic, and English settlers
  mainly of the Protestant faith, the proportions of these religions among the
  population can, in very general terms, be used to estimate the origins of the
  inhabitants of the county.  When religious affiliation was first determined
  in the census of 1861, the proportions of Catholic and Protestant in County
  Offaly were 89 and 10 percent respectively.

  The county was badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47. The population,
  which was 147,000 in 1841, fell to 112,000 in 1851. Of this, some 22,000 died
  between 1845 and 1851, and a high proportion emigrated.  The population
  continued to fall for the rest of the century and  beyond and is now around
  58,000.


  COUNTY ROSCOMMON

  This Connaught county contains the towns of Boyle, Roscommon, Strokestown,
  and Castlerea. Under the old Gaelic system the ruling families in this area
  were the O'Connors and McDermotts in the north, and O'Kellys in the south.
  Other names associated with the county include McGreevy, O'Beirne, Duignan,
  O'Gormley, O'Cooney, McAneeny, Hayes, O'Clabby, and McDockery.

  The Norman invasion had little effect on this county due to the power of the
  native inhabitants.

  The boundaries of the county were estabfished in 1565 by Sir Henry Sidney.
  In1641 the Gaelic families joined the Rebellion of the Catholic Confederacy
  but were defeated; their lands were confiscated and granted to English and
  Scottish settlers. In the Cromwellian resettlement of Ireland, the county was
  one of those set aside for occupation by the "delinquent proprietors," i.e.,
  those landowners who had been dispossessed of their land in other parts of
  the country. The number of non-native settlers in the county has therefore
  been very low. As a rough indication of this, the Roman Catholic proportion
  of the population has been over 96 percent since census records began.

  In the Middle Ages the county was densely wooded. Most of these woods were
  gradually cut down and used for charcoal in local iron mining operations
  during this time, and also in an iron works established in the county in
  1788. The county has generally wet and marshy land which is not ideally
  suited to agriculture. The major agricultural produce of the county was
  cattle and sheep, and it was famed for the quality of its cattle in the
  eighteenth century.

  The county suffered relatively badly during the Great Famine of 1845-47.
  There were 13,000 deaths in the county in these three years and further
  thousands emigrated. From a peak of 253,000 in 1841, the population in1851
  had dropped by 80,000. Because of the poor agricultural nature of the area
  and the tradition of  emigration which remained in the county the population
  continued to decrease for the remainder of the century.  In1891 the
  population had fallen to only 114,000 and is currently around 54,000.


  COUNTY SLIGO

  This Connaught county contains the towns of Sligo, Ballyinote, Collooney,
  Ballysodare, and Enniscrone.

  Sligo was the ancestral territory of a branch of the O'Connors, called
  O'Connor Sligo. Other Gaelic families associated with the county include
  O'Dowd, O'Hara, O'Hart, McDonagh, Mac Firbis, and O'Colman. The site of the
  town of Sligo has been of strategic importance since ancient times as all
  traffic on the coastal route between South and North had to ford the river
  here. A fortress which guarded this ford was plundered by Norse pirates as
  early as A.D. 807.

  After the Norman invasion of Connacht in 1235, Sligo was granted to Maurice
  Fitzgerald who effectively founded Sligo town by building a castle there in
  1245 and making it his residence. The Taaffe family was among the Norman
  families who settled in the county. Further settlers were brought into the
  county at various periods, including weavers from the north of Ireland
  brought in by Lord Shelbourne in 1749.

  As the native Irish and Norman population were predominantly Catholic, the
  Scottish usually Presbyterian, and the English of the Protestant faith, the
  proportions of these religions among the population can, in very general
  terms, be used to estimate the origins of the inhabitants of the county. When
  religious affiliation was first determined in the census of 1861, the
  respective proportions of Catholic, Presbyterian, and Protestant in Sligo
  were 90, 8, and 1 percent. Apart from the weaving industry and some mining
  operations, Sligo is basically an agricultural county. The town of Sligo was
  an important port in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly as
  the River Erne and its lake systems facilitated inland trading and
  transport. It was also an important port of emigration. The peak of
  population was  reached in 1841 at 181,000. The Great Famine of 1845-47 badly
  affected the county and the population had dropped by 52,000 in ten years,
  including some 20,000 deaths. By 1901 the population had fallen to 84,000 and
  is currently 56,000.


  COUNTY TIPPERARY

  Tipperary is an inland county with an area ofjust over 1 million acres, 80
  percent of which is arable agricultural land. The county contains the towns
  of Clonmel, Nenagh, Thurles, Roscrea, Tipperary, Cashel, Cahir, Templemore,
  Carrick-on-Suir, and Fethard.

  Historically the county was partly in the old Gaelic territory of Ormond and
  partly in   Thomond. The major Irish families included the O'Fogartys,
  O'Briens, and O'Kennedys. Other names associated with the county are
  O'Moloney, O'Mulryan or Ryan, Meagher or Maher, Hourigan, Hayes, and Gleeson.

  The county was invaded by the Normans in 1172. In 1185 it was granted by King
  John of England to Theobald Walter who was given the title Chief Butler of
  Ireland, from which the family took the surname "Butler." Among the Norman
  names now found in the county are Prendergast, Burke, Purcell, Fitzgerald,
  Everard, St. John, and Grace.

  As elsewhere in the country, the Norman families assimilated into the local
  population and British cultural and administrative influence gradually waned.
  Among the vast majority of the people, English influence was negligible until
  the seventeenth century. Gaelic was the common language of the people, and
  even as late as 1841 around 8 percent of the population spoke Gaelic only.

  In 1641 the Irish and Norman chieftains of Tipperary joined the rebellion of
  the Catholic Confederacy but were defeated by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. The
  lands of those who had rebelled were divided among English adventurers and
  among the soldiers of Cromwell's army. Most of these soldiers had no interest
  in the land and sold it to their officers and others who thereby managed to
  put together large estates in the county. There was little settlement by
  soldiers in the county.


  Although not the worst affected area, Tipperary was relatively badly affected
  by the Great Famine of 1845-47. The population reached a peak of 436,000 in
  1841.  Following the large-scale failure of the potato crop, particularly in
  the years 1845-47, the population declined rapidly. Almost 70,000 people died
  in the county between 1845 and 1850, particularly in the years 1849 and 1850.

  Huge numbers of people are known to have emigrated from the county during the
  nineteenth century. About 190,000 people are estimated to have emigrated from
  Tipperary between 1841 and 1891, particularly in the 1840s, '50s, and '60s.
  In the same period the rural population fell from 364,000 to 134,000 and the
  town population from 71,000 to 39,000.

  County Tipperary is a largely agricultural county with industries in the
  larger towns. It has a current population of 135,000.


  COUNTY TYRONE

  An inland Ulster county, Tyrone contains the towns of Strabane, Omagh,
  CIogher, Dungannon, and Ballygawley. Before the establishment of the present
  county, this area was part of the territory of Tirowen from which the county
  was named. The ruling family in the area was the O'Neills, and other
  important families were O'Quinn, O'Donnelly, O'Hamill, McGurk, MacMurphy,
  O'Hegarty, O'Devlin, O'Lunney, McGilmartin, MacGettigan, MacCloskey,
  MacColgan, O'Mulvenna, MacGilligan, O'Laverty, and MacNamee.

  The Norman invasion had little effect on this area because of the power of
  the O'Neills and the other chieftains. The O'Neills' base was at Dungannon,
  but all trace of their castle has now disappeared. In 1594, as a result of
  various attempts by the English to obtain control of Ulster land, Hugh
  O'Neill, the leader of the Irish in Ulster began a rebellion. With Red Hugh
  O'Donnell of Donegal and the other major families of Ulster, he defeated
  successive armies sent to subdue the rebellion. In 1601 the Spanish sent an
  army to assist the Irish in this war. However, the Spanish army landed in
  Kinsale in County Cork, forcing O'Neill to march the length of the country to
  link up with them. This proved a serious tactical mistake. O'Neill's army was
  forced to abandon this attempt and was subsequently defeated in 1603.

  Shortly afterwards, O'Neill and many of his ally chieftains and their
  families left the country. This so-called "Flight of the Earls" marked the
  final breakdown of the old Gaelic order in Ulster. Most of the O'Neill
  territories and those of his allies were confiscated and divided into six of
  the present Ulster counties. Tyrone was divided up between various English
  and Scottish adventurers who undertook to bring over settlers to their
  estates. The native Irish were also allotted some portions of these lands and
  others remained as laborers on the estates of the new settlers. The "armed
  men" of Ulster were forced to resettle in the province of Connaught.

  The major undertakers and large tenants who arrived in Tyrone during this
  "Ulster Plantation" included Hamilton, Buchanan, Galbraith, Stewart,
  Newcomen, Drummond, Ridgwaie, Lowther, Burleigh, Leigh, Cope, Parsons,
  Sanderson, Lindsey, Caulfield, Ansley, Wingfield, and Chichester.


  In the 1641 rebellion there was severe disturbance in this county. Sir Phelim
  O'Neill led the Catholic Irish in the county and successfully defeated
  several English armies. In 1649, however, the rebellion was finally defeated
  and the lands of those taking part were confiscated.  New proprietors took
  over the remaining lands of the Irish chieftains.

  During the eighteenth century many Ulster Presbyterians, the so-called
  Scots-Irish, left Ireland as a result of the discrimination against them in
  the Penal Laws. These laws had been instituted in the 1690s primarily against
  Catholics. An indication of the origins of Tyrone inhabitants can be
  generally determined from the religious persuasions of its inhabitants. This
  is possible because the native Irish are predominantly Catholic, the
  Scottish, Presbyterian, and the English Protestant (Episcopalian). In 1861,
  when the census first determined the religion of respondents, the relative
  proportions were 57, 22, and 20 percent respectively.

  The county was relatively badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-47.  The
  population, which was 313,000 in 1841, fell to 256,000 by 1851. Of this drop,
  some 28,000 died between 1845 and 1850, and the remainder emigrated to the
  cities or abroad. The population continued to fall throughout the century and
  by 1891 was   171,000.

  In 1921 this county was one of the six which remained within the United
  Kingdom on the establishment of the Irish Free State.


  COUNTY WATERFORD

  Home of the manufacture of the famous Waterford crystal, this coastal Munster
  county contains the city of Waterford and the towns of Dungarvan, Tramore,
  Lismore, and Cappoquin.

  Most of the present county was originally in the Kingdom of Decies. The major
  families were the O'Phelans, McGraths, O'Briens, and O'Keanes.

  The town of Waterford itself was founded by the Danish Vikings in A.D.  853.
  The Danes successfully defended the town against the local inhabitants and
  remained a powerful force in the county until the eleventh century when the
  city was taken by the Normans. However, as the Danes did not use surnames,
  there is little evidence of the Viking heritage in the names now found in the
  county.

  After the Norman invasion the county was granted to Robert de Poer, whose
  family is the ancestors of the Powers. Other Norman names now common in the
  county are Aylward, Wyse, and Wall. Wadding, an Anglo-Saxon name, has also
  been found in Waterford since Norman times.  The city of Waterford became a
  stronghold of the Normans and was second only to Dublin in its importance.

  Following the unsuccessful insurrection of the Earl of Desmond, (see Co.
  Kerry) part of Waterford was confiscated from its owners and planted with
  English settlers in 1583. Many of these left again in 1598 during the war
  with Hugh O'Neill (see Co. Tyrone). In the 1641 rebellion of the Catholic
  Confederacy (see Co. Kilkenny) the city sided with the Irish Catholics and
  successfully withstood a siege by Oliver Cromwell's army.  The city finally
  surrendered the following year following a second siege by Cromwell's army
  led by General Ireton. Neither the 1583 nor the 1650 settlements were very
  significant, however.

  Waterford has been an important port since its establishment and has had
  extensive trading links with many countries. There is, for instance, a long
  established fink with eastern Canada, particularly Newfoundland.
  Considerable emigration to Canada from Waterford took place, and there is
  much evidence of Waterford people travelling to and from eastern Canadian
  ports, even to the extent of families bringing children back to Waterford to
  be baptized. The county suffered considerably in the Great Famine of 1845-47.
  The population in 1841 was 196,000 and by 1851 had fallen 20 percent to
  164,000. Approximately 25,000 people died in the years 1845-50, and the
  remainder emigrated to the cities or, more usually, abroad. Between 1851 and
  1855, for instance, over 28,000 people emigrated from the county. During the
  remainder of the century the population continued to decline through
  emigration, so that by 1891 it was only 98,000. It is currently 89,000.

  The town is still an important port, and also has several major industries: a
  dairy industry which processes the produce of the county's many dairy herds,
  engineering, and the previously mentioned Waterford crystal glass which was
  first manufactured here in 1783.


  COUNTY WESTMEATH

  This Leinster county contains the towns of Mullingar, Athlone, Castlepollard,
  Moate, and Kilbeggan.

  In the old Irish administrative divisions Westmeath was part of the Kingdom
  of Meath. This was the part of the country reserved as the territory of the
  High King. The major Irish families of the county were (Mc)Geoghegans,
  O'Growney, Brennan, O'Coffey, O'Mulleady, O'Malone, O'Curry, O'Daly, McAuley,
  O'Finlan, and McLoughlin.

  After the arrival of the Normans in the late twelfth century this area was
  given to Hugh de Lacy. Other Norman families who obtained lands and settled
  in the county were Nugent, Tyrrell, Petit, Tuite, Delamar, Dalton, Dillon,
  Fitzsimon(ns), Hope, Ware, Ledwich, Dardis, and Gaynor.

  The county was centrally involved in the rebellion of 1641 and was also
  active in the Wilhainite wars. Following these wars there was very extensive
  confiscation of land, and very few of the Irish or Norman families who held
  land before 1641 retained their properties. The major families who obtained
  grants of land were those of Packenhain, Wood, Cooke, Swift, Handcock, Gay,
  Handy, Winter, Levinge, Wilson, Judge, Rochfort, Ogle, Middleton, Burtle, and
  St. George. The families of Fetherston, Chapman, Smith, O'Reilly, Purdon,
  Nagle, Blacquiere, and North later obtained property by purchase.

  In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the county was mainly
  composed of large farms under pasture. The Great Famine of 1845-47 did not
  affect the county as badly as others. In 1845 the population was 141,000.
  In1851 it had fallen by 21 percent to 111,000. Between 1845 and 1850 almost
  16,000 people died, and further thousands emigrated. The population continued
  to decline for the remainder of  the century and beyond and is currently
  around 63,000.


  COUNTY WEXFORD

  Located in the southeastern corner of Ireland, County Wexford contains the
  towns of Wexford, Enniscorthy, New Ross, and Gorey. The county was
  traditionally the territory of the McMurroughs, Kavanaghs, and Kinsellas.
  Other Irish families in the county included O'Day, O'Leary, Murphy, O'Byrne,
  O'Dugan, and Bolger.

  A settlement on the site of Wexford town was shown on the maps drawn by
  Ptolemy in the second century A.D. The modern town of Wexford was founded and
  named (Waesfjord) by the Norse Vikings as a trading settlement in the ninth
  or tenth century and became a large town and a major port. Following the
  Norman invasion the Norse were driven from Wexford town to the area around
  Rosslare where they gradually assimilated into the local population. However,
  because the Norse did not use surnames, there is little evidence of their
  heritage in the family names of the county.

  It was in County Wexford that the first Normans, led by Robert Fitzstephen,
  landed in 1169.  Evidence of their establishment in Wexford can be seen in
  the many Norman names now common in the county. These include Sinnott,
  Esmond, Stafford, Codd, Furlong, Wadding, Hore, and Devereux. The name
  Meyler, of Welsh origin, is also found in the county since Norman times.
  These Norman invaders gradually assimilated into the native population except
  in the baronies of Bargy and Forth where, cut off from the rest of the
  county, they developed a distinct culture and a dialect, called Yola, which
  is a mixture of old English and Irish. This survived until the nineteenth
  century.

  In 1610 there was a small plantation of the county in which part of the land
  of the Mc-Murroughs in the northern part of the county was confiscated and
  given to English settlers. The McMurroughs, in return, got fall title to the
  remainder of their lands. As a result of local protests over this plantation,
  many local families were transported to Virginia. The records of contemporary
  Virginia settlements show many Murphy, Bolger, Kavanagh, and Byrne families.
  In 1641, Wexford joined the rebellion of the "Confederacy" of Irish Catholics
  (see Co. Kilkenny) and Wexford town became one of the major centers. In 1649
  Oliver Cromwell besieged Wexford and, on its surrender, massacred the
  inhabitants. The lands of the rebel chieftains were confiscated and many were
  transported to the West Indies, or ordered to move west of the Shannon. Their
  lands were given either to those loyal to the English Parliament or as
  payment to Cromwell's soldiers and officers.

  In 1661 many hundreds of English families were brought into Enniscorthy to
  man the iron-works which were growing rapidly in that town. The county was
  not extensively involved in the Wifliamite/Jacobite conflict of the 1690s.

  The county was a major center of the 1798 rebellion of the United Irishmen. A
  huge army of Wexfordmen, incited by the burning of a church at Boolavogue,
  took Wexford and Enniscorthy and controlled the entire county. The insurgents
  were finally defeated at Vinegar Hill near Enniscorthy.

  The county has always been noted for its prosperous farms and industrious
  farmers. Perhaps for this reason it was less affected than many others by the
  Great Famine of 1845-47. The rural population density in 1841 was one of the
  lowest in the country at 217 persons per square mile.  The total population
  in 1841 was 202,000, and ten years later it had fallen to 180,000. There was
  considerable emigration, particularly from the north of the county. As
  elsewhere, emigration continued throughout the nineteenth century. The
  population by 1891 was 112,000 and is currently around 100,000.

  Wexford is commonly regarded as an ethnically distinct part of the country
  because of the blend of Irish, Norse, and Norman blood.


  COUNTY WICKLOW

  This scenic, wooded Leinster coastal county contains the towns of Wicklow,
  Bray, Rathnew, Arklow, Rathdrum, Enniskerry, Greystones, and Baltinglass.
  Because of its scenery and fine woodlands it is known as the "Garden of
  Ireland" and has been a popular resort area since the eighteenth century. The
  county has a wide coastal strip of fertile land, and the inland parts are
  mountainous.

  In pre-Norman times this county was the territory of the O'Byrnes and
  O'Tooles. The families of O'Cullen, O'Kelly, O'Teige (Tighe), (0')Gahan, and
  McKeogh (or Kehoe) are also associated with the county. There were a number
  of Viking settlements on the Wicklow coast, including the towns of Arklow and
  Wicklow whose names are of Danish origin. The family  name of Doyle, which is
  common in the county (and elsewhere in Leinster), is also of Scandinavian
  origin.

  After the Norman invasion the coastal parts of the county came under the
  control of various Norman adventurers. These included the families of
  Archbold, Cosgrave, and Eustace. Wicklow town itself was granted to Maurice
  Fitzgerald who fortified it against the constant attacks from the O'Brynes
  and O'Tooles who retained control of the more extensive mountaneous parts of
  the county.

  These families continued to rule most of  Wicklow for many centuries
  afterwards and  made constant raids on the city of Dublin and on the Norman
  settlements in Wicklow.  Their  power was severely curtailed after the
  rebellion of the Irish Catholics in 1641 when Cromwell  took every fort and
  stronghold in the county. However, the mountains of Wicklow continued to
  provide refuge for rebels until after the 1798 rebellion when the so-called
  Military Road was built through the heart of the mountains to provide
  military access.

  During the Great Famine of 1845-47 the county was not as badly affected as
  others.  Nevertheless, the population dropped by over 20 percent between 1841
  (126,000) and 1851 (99,000). Almost 13,000 people died in the county between
  1845 and 1850.

  The north of Wicklow and particularly the towns of Bray, Greystones, and
  Enniskerry have become increasingly populated during the last  century. These
  towns are now large commuter areas for the city of Dublin. The population of
  the county is currently over 90,000.