Counties of Ireland

Ireland has many parts called counties.

Long ago, there were thirty-two counties. Now, they are split up. Six counties are in Northern Ireland. The rest are in the Republic of Ireland.

In the past, kings ruled small lands. These lands were called kingdoms. Later, new rules made the counties.

Some counties are very big. Other places are small cities. People use these areas to help run the land.

It is fun to learn about these places.

Ireland is divided into areas called counties.

These areas help people run the land. Long ago, there were thirty-two traditional counties. In 1921, the island was split. Six counties became part of Northern Ireland. The rest are in the Republic of Ireland. In the Republic, there are 26 counties. There are also three cities and two city-counties.

Before counties, Ireland had many small kingdoms. These were ruled by local kings. Later, the Normans arrived in Ireland. They created new ways to rule. They made large areas called lordships. Some of these were like counties. They were ruled by powerful lords. Over time, these lordships changed. They were split into smaller parts. This led to the modern county system. In the 1500s, the kings of England helped shape the land. They turned many districts into the counties we know today. You can see these areas on a map. They help show where one place ends and another begins.

Ireland is an island divided into many different areas. These areas are called counties. They help people organize how the land is run. For a long time, people talked about thirty-two traditional counties. In 1921, the island was split into two parts. Six of those traditional counties became part of Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, there are now 26 counties. There are also three cities and two areas that are both a city and a county.

Before counties existed, Ireland was a patchwork of small kingdoms. These kingdoms were ruled by local kings called rí túaithe. There were about 150 of these small units. Some kings ruled over other kings. These bigger leaders were called over-kings. There were usually five of these large areas. They were known as the fifths. These areas were Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, Munster, and Mide.

New ways of ruling arrived with the Normans in 1169. This was a time of big changes for the island. King Henry II of England became involved in 1172. He divided the land into large areas called lordships. These lordships were like special counties. They were given to powerful lords. These lords had almost as much power as a king. They could make their own rules in their lands. This happened because the English king could not control everything from far away.

These large lordships were later split into smaller pieces. For example, the lordship of Leinster was divided into five parts. These included Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, and Wexford. Other areas like Munster were also split into counties. These included Cork, Limerick, Kerry, and Tipperary. In the 1500s, the Tudor kings helped shape the counties even more. They turned many local districts into the counties we recognize today. In 1543, the area of Meath was even split into two. This created Meath and Westmeath.

Today, the word "county" is used in many ways. In Ireland, people usually say the word "County" before the name. You might hear someone say "County Roscommon." This is different from how people say it in the United States. In some places, like Dublin, people might just use the name alone. For example, many people just say "Fingal" instead of "County Fingal." Even though the rules for local government have changed, these names still matter. They help people know exactly where they are on the island.

The counties of Ireland are historic administrative divisions used to organize the island. These divisions have changed many times over hundreds of years. Today, the term "county" can mean different things depending on the context. In common usage, people often refer to the 32 traditional counties. These existed before 1838 and remain a major part of Irish identity. Currently, 26 of these traditional counties are located in the Republic of Ireland. In 1921, the partition of Ireland moved six traditional counties into Northern Ireland.

Before the modern county system, Ireland had a different political structure. During the 6th century, the island was a patchwork of small kingdoms. These units were called rí túaithe. A rí túaithe was a local petty king who ruled an autonomous group. There were approximately 150 of these small units across the island. Some kings held more power than others. These were known as over-kings, or ruiri. There were often as many as 20 ruiri at any one time. Above them were the rí ruirech, or kings of over-kings. Usually, only five such leaders existed at once. These five large areas were called the fifths. They were Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, Munster, and Mide.

The arrival of the Cambro-Normans in 1169 changed the geography of power. Following the invasion, King Henry II of England became involved in 1172. Because the English crown had limited authority in Ireland, Henry II created lordships. These were effectively palatine counties. In a palatine county, the lord held authority similar to a king. The king's legal orders, or writs, had no effect there except for errors. These lordships were disjoined from the direct control of the crown. At least three major grants were equivalent to palatine counties. These included Leinster to Richard de Clare, Meath to Walter de Lacy, and Ulster to John de Courcy. Other grants included the liberties of Connaught and Tipperary.

Over time, these large lordships were subdivided into smaller units. The division of Leinster and Munster into counties is often attributed to King John. In Leinster, this created counties such as Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Wexford, and Waterford. In Munster, it created Cork, Limerick, Kerry, and Tipperary. These areas may not have had administrative purposes until late in King John's reign. In these palatine areas, the most important official was the seneschal. In areas under direct Crown control, the official was called a sheriff. Some lands were known as a County of the Cross. These were church lands where the sovereign's sheriff held power. Only Tipperary survived as a County of the Cross into the Stuart era.

The Tudor dynasty brought further changes to the county system. In 1541, Henry VIII declared himself King of Ireland. He worked to turn Irish chiefs into feudal subjects of the crown. He divided land into districts that eventually became modern counties. Boundaries were not always clear during this period. For example, in 1543, the area of Meath was split into Meath and Westmeath. In 1545, the Byrnes and O'Tooles requested that their district become County Wicklow. However, this request was ignored by the Lord Deputy. The foundation of the modern counties was largely completed under the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Today, the way people use the word "county" varies by location. In Ireland, the word "county" almost always comes before the name. A person would say "County Roscommon" rather than "Roscommon County." The abbreviation "Co." is also frequently used, such as "Co. Roscommon." Some old names have changed, such as King's County becoming County Offaly. In the Republic of Ireland, the local government structure is complex. There are 26 counties, 3 cities, and 2 areas that are both a city and a county. In some places like Dublin, new counties like Fingal often drop the word "county" entirely. People might simply refer to the area as "Fingal."

While the counties are no longer the only way to organize the land, they remain significant. In Northern Ireland, counties stopped being used for local government in 1973. Instead, districts are used for those administrative tasks. However, the concept of the provinces still holds weight in other areas. Clusters of counties are often grouped into the four provinces for sporting events. The Gaelic Athletic Association uses provincial councils and championships. Professional rugby teams in Ireland also play under the names of the provinces. This shows how ancient divisions continue to influence modern Irish life.