Counties of Ireland

The Irish counties are administrative subdivisions of the Ireland.

The organization of the island in counties goes back to the occupation of Ireland by the Normands, worms of 12th century. Their number, 32, and their limits were officialized by the British government at the 19th century to manage the local government.

Their number evolved/moved since. At the time of the partition of Ireland in 1921, the Irish Republic was composed of 26 counties, and the Northern Ireland of 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster.

In Northern Ireland, the 6 counties were replaced in 1973 by 26 local councils or districts .

Into Irish Republic, 2 of the 26 original counties were divided what makes today a total of 29 “administrative divisions”:

  • the county of Dublin at summer divided into three (Dublin-South, Fingal and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown) since 1994;
  • the county of Tipperary is divided into two administrations (North-Tipperary and South-Tipperary).

The towns of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny, having a statute of cities ( cities ), are managed separately of their county.

The 32 counties of origin are always usually used by the sporting organizations, in particular the athletic Association Gaelic.

Significance and names in Gaelic

The 32 Counties of Ireland ( contaetha - singular: contae ):

  • County of Antrim - Aontroim/Co. Aontroma • mean “Firm recluse”

  • Comté of Armagh - Ard Mhacha/Co. Ard Mhacha • mean “High Chewed”
  • Comté of Carlow - Ceatharlach/Co. Cheatharlaigh • mean “Four Lakes”
  • Comté of Cavan - Year Cabhán/Co. year Chabháin • mean “the hollow”
  • Comté of Clare - Year Clár/Co. year Chláir • mean “Ground planes”
  • Comté of Cork - Corcaigh/Co. Chorcaí • mean “Marsh”
  • Comté of Donegal - Dún Na nGall/Co. Dhún Na nGall • extremely mean “foreigners”
  • Comté of Down - Year Dún/Co. year Dúin • mean “the Fort”
  • Comté of Dublin - Áth Cliath/Co. Átha Cliath • mean “city of the ford” - Subdivided since 1994 in:
  • Comté of Fermanagh - Fear Manach/Co. Fhear Manach • mean “Monachéens”
  • Comté of Galway - Gaillimh/Co. Na Gaillimhe • according to Gailleamh
  • County of Kerry - Ciarraí/Co. Chiarraí • according to Ciar
  • County of Kildare - Dara Lash/Co. Chill Dara • mean “Church with the oak”
  • Comté of Kilkenny - Chainnigh Lash/Co. Chill Chainnigh • mean “Church of Canice”
  • Comté of Laois - Laois/Co. Laoise • mean “Church”
  • Comté of Leitrim - Liatroim/Co. Liatroma • mean “gray Mounts”
  • Comté of Limerick - Luimneach/Co. Luimnigh • mean “the desert”
  • Comté of Londonderry - Doire/Co. Dhoire • mean “Châtaigner”
  • Comté of Longford - Longfort/Co. Longfoirt • mean “Fortress”
  • Comté of Louth - Lú/Co. Lú • mean “Tiny”
  • Comté of Mayo - Maigh Eo/Co. Mhaigh Eo • mean “Flat yews”
  • Comté of Meath - Year Mhí/Co. Na Mí • mean “Medium”
  • Comté of Monaghan - Muineachán/Co. Mhuineacháin • mean “At Thickets”
  • Comté of Offaly - Uibh Fhailí/Co. Uibh Fhailí • mean “Downward of Ros of the rings”
  • Comté of Roscommon - Ros Comáin/Co. Ros Comáin • mean “Wood of Corman”
  • Comté of Sligo - Sligeach/Co. Shligigh • mean “River with the shells”
  • Comté of Tipperary - Tiobraid Árainn/Co. Thiobraid Árainn • mean “With the well of Macaw”
  • Comté of Tyrone - Tír Eoghain/Co. Thír Eoghain • mean “At Eoghan”
  • Comté of Waterford - Láirge Port/Co. Phort Láirge • Waterford comes from the Viking “Vadre fjord” meaning “windy Fjord”
  • Comté of Westmeath - Year Iarmhí/Co. Na hIarmhí • Western part of the old man Meath
  • County of Wexford - Garman Log/Co. Garman log • Wexford comes from the Viking “Weiss fjord”, meaning “white fjord”
  • Comté of Wicklow - Mhantáin Lash/Co. Chill Mhantáin • mean “Church of Mantan”

Population

Population of the counties of Ireland, raised at the time of the census of 2006.

References

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