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Archiver > IRL-WESTMEATH > 2007-01 > 1169489933


From: Eilís OHara <>
Subject: Re: [IRL-WESTMEATH] seaching in seanraud
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:18:53 +0000 (GMT)
In-Reply-To: <20070122000942.OFQY14201.outaamta02.mail.tds.net@sdc3000>


Hello Dorothea,

Townlands are the smallest geographic division in Ireland. Townland names are even used today to find people's houses. All townlands were then "organised" into Civil Parishes. That was done by the British Government for administrative purposes. The Civil Parish boundaries were generally the same as the Church of Ireland (Anglican) parishes. The Church of Ireland (Anglican) was the official or "state" church in Ireland until 1871.

The Civil Parish boundaries generally weren't the same as the RC parish boundaries. Although you'll find some that are. But as a general rule not. You can also find Church of Ireland and RC Parishes with the same names. So for Bunnihinly The St. Mary's Civil Parish that Bunnahinly is in the very eastern part of the county on the County Meath border. It's often confused with St. Mary's Civil Parish - Athlone which is on the other side of the county on the western border. St. Mary's Civil Parish is Collinstown RC parish. Fortunately enough, Collinstown RC Parish registers have been microfilmed and available on order through a LDS Family History Centre. It's film #0926165 item 3-4 but verify that number through LDS before you order the film. The registers go back to 1807 and forward to 1880 for baptisms with some gaps, and marriages from 1784 to 1880 with some gaps. There are even burial records in the registers.

Baronies were the largest subdivisions in the counties. Those were divisions mostly by the old septs as their geographic areas and areas they'd control. The Baronies were later used by the English Aristocracy in Ireland for the areas they then controlled and which were associated with their titles for the House of Lords. For Church records purposes, they don't have any significance.

Regards.
Eilis O'Hara .



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