Chalmers Family Cork

Civil Divisions

Beginning with the smallest to largest.

1. Townland (Maps)- This is the smallest unit of administration in Ireland and probably the oldest. It is not clear how they began. Boundaries tend to go with the topography of the area. Average size 350 acres.

Number: There are 5429 Townlands in Cork

Use: used in Tithe Applotment Books and Griffths Valuations

2. The Civil Parish (Maps)- This unit has its origin in very early church history. When the Protestant Faith became the state religion it took over the civil parish as its base unit and this became the guide to tax collecting and census enumeration.

Number: There are 253 Civil parishes in Cork.

Use: Protestant parishes today are generally a combination of several civil parishes.

3. Barony (Maps) - Again ancient in origin. Purpose not certain.

Possibly a) Early Irish Kingdoms, b)created by Normans -area ruled by a Baron.

Number: in Cork 23.

Use: Collection of Taxes in 1800s,Census Applotment Books and Griffiths.

4. Poor Law Union (Maps)- These were created in 1838 as a means of organizing the

Workhouse system for the relief of the Poor.

Parishes,Baronies were often split between Unions and sometimes Counties.

Townlands were not split.

Electoral Divisions The Unions were divided into these, consisting of a number of Townlands for the purpose of electing the Board of Guardians of Work Houses by ratepayers. This unit in time, became the District Electoral Division.

Dispensary Districts were created in 1851, and consisted of a number of Electoral divisions.

These became Registrar's Districts in 1864, the start of Civil registration in Ireland.

Number: There are 15 Unions in Cork, 3 others are shared with Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford.

Use: As indicated above but also used today for national Elections and the

Registration of BMD.

Back to: Cork