Civil parishes in Ireland
Encyclopedia
The parish
was once an ecclesiastical unit of territory based on early Christian and monastic settlements. It came into existence in Ireland in the 12th and 13th centuries and was continued by the Church of Ireland
, the Established church, from the time of the Tudor conquest. It was later adopted as the fourth - and lowest - level of civil administrative area after the barony
, county
and national government.
The boundaries of the civil parishes originally coincided with ecclesiastical parishes of the Church of Ireland. While the boundaries of the parishes of the Church of Ireland changed following the disestablishment of the church in 1869, this did not affect the boundaries of the civil parishes
. The parishes of the Catholic Church in Ireland are generally unrelated to civil parishes.
Parishes were delineated after the Down Survey
as an intermediate subdivision, with multiple townland
s per parish and multiple parishes per barony. The civil parishes had some use in local taxation and were included on the nineteenth century maps of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. For poor law
purposes District Electoral Divisions replaced the civil parishes in the mid-nineteenth century.
Civil parishes have not been formally abolished in either Northern Ireland
or the Republic of Ireland
. One example where the parish is still referenced in Republic of Ireland law is the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1988, which allows "any person resident in the parish in which the club premises are situated" to object to the granting of an alcohol licence to a club.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was once an ecclesiastical unit of territory based on early Christian and monastic settlements. It came into existence in Ireland in the 12th and 13th centuries and was continued by the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, the Established church, from the time of the Tudor conquest. It was later adopted as the fourth - and lowest - level of civil administrative area after the barony
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
, county
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
and national government.
The boundaries of the civil parishes originally coincided with ecclesiastical parishes of the Church of Ireland. While the boundaries of the parishes of the Church of Ireland changed following the disestablishment of the church in 1869, this did not affect the boundaries of the civil parishes
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
. The parishes of the Catholic Church in Ireland are generally unrelated to civil parishes.
Parishes were delineated after the Down Survey
Down Survey
The Down Survey, also known as the Civil Survey, refers to the mapping of Ireland carried out by William Petty, English scientist in 1655 and 1656....
as an intermediate subdivision, with multiple townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s per parish and multiple parishes per barony. The civil parishes had some use in local taxation and were included on the nineteenth century maps of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. For poor law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
purposes District Electoral Divisions replaced the civil parishes in the mid-nineteenth century.
Civil parishes have not been formally abolished in either Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
or the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. One example where the parish is still referenced in Republic of Ireland law is the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1988, which allows "any person resident in the parish in which the club premises are situated" to object to the granting of an alcohol licence to a club.