Here is an account of the boundaries of Fear Ceall, being the three baronies of Eglish, Ballyboy and Ballycowen forming also that part of the present day County of Offaly which is in the diocese of Meath and the ancient Kingdom of Meath.

Of the extent of Feara Ceall.

Previously to the establishment of the Territory of Dealbhna Eathra, Feara-Ceall was bounded on the north by the River Brosnagh, which divided it from Teffia; on the northeast by Kinel-Fiach; on the east by Offaly; on southeast by Doohy-Regan and on the south by Ely, afterwards called Ely O'Carroll. But after the establishment of the Territory of Dealbhna Eathra, that part of the Barony of Garry Castle lying south of the River Brosnagh was cut off it.

The name of this territory is still preserved in the Barony of Fercall, which sometimes goes by the alias name of Eglish from a castle of that name, and though its retaining the name is sufficient to prove that this Barony was a part of the ancient Territory of Feara Ceall, still the Abbe Mageoghegan does not place the Barony of Fercall in the Territory of Feara Ceall but in that of Ely O'Carroll and Archdall, who was able to decide nothing, places this Barony one time in Ely O'Carroll and another time in Feara Ceall. I shall copy his words:-

"Ely O'Carrol was first called Ely-Riogh-Dearg i.e., Ely the Royal, comprehending the Baronies of Clonlisk and Ballybritt and perhaps Eglish, King's County. It formerly belonged to Munster and was O'Carroll's Country." - Nomen. Hib.

And again:-

"Feara Reall ) O'Molloy's Country, King's Co. Fear Ceall ) Baronies of Ballycowan and Ballyboy; perhaps also ye B. of Fercall, al. Eglish." - Nomencl. Hib.

Is it not curious if the Barony which remains the name of the territory should not be in the territory whose name it retains?

But how we prove that the Barony of Fearcall, alias Eglish, was not in Ely O'Carroll? Very easily, thus: Feara Ceall was in Meath but Ely O'Carroll was in Munster. (Ely formerly be longed to Munster and Fercal to Meath - Tr. Thau., p. 349) Ancient Meath extended southwards to the River of Birr.


O Loch Bodeirg go Biorra
O'n tSionnain soir go fairge. - Keating.

Therefore, as no part of Ely O'Carroll was in Meath, it comprised no part of the Barony of Eglish, which lies to the north of the River of Birr and therefore within the limits of ancient Meath.

(2). The Church of Drumcullen was in Feara Ceall (Usher) and on the very boundary of ancient Meath (Keating). Now the Church of Drumcullen is near the southern boundary of the Barony of Eglish, therefore the Barony of Eglish is not in Ely O'Carroll.

(3). The Leabhar Breac of the Mac Egans places Kinitty on the frontiers of Ely and Ferkell. Now, Kinnitty is near the south boundary of the Barony of Eglish (but in the Barony of Ballybrit). The two territories then met near Kinnity and therefore the Barony of Eglish could not have been in Ely O'Carroll. (See Sketch, pp. 24, 25).

Finan camm Chindettig i ccoicrich (in confinibus) h-Eli agus Fercell. - Leabhar Breac, fol.9.

Another very curious corroboration of this is afforded by the extent of the Diocese of Meath, which is exactly that of the ancient Kingdom of Meath in this direction, that is, the Diocese of Meath comprehends that part of the King's County which was included in the ancient Kingdom of Meath. It runs southwards to the Abhainn Chara or River of Birr and so as to include the entire of the Parish of Drumcullen, which was on the boundary of ancient Meath and Munster.

Another exceedingly curious fact is that the part of the King's County lying south of Birr, which was anciently in Ely O'Carroll and in Munster, is now in the Diocese of Killaloe. Hence we see that the ancient territorial boundaries are preserved by the ecclesiastical divisions. Thus, the boundary of the Diocese of Kildare with that of Meath, preserves the boundary of Offaly with Feara Ceall and the boundary of the Diocese of Meath with that of Killaloe (Laonensis) preserves the boundary of ancient Meath with Munster, and of Feara Ceall, which was the most southern territory in ancient Meath, with Ely O'Carroll, which was the most northern territory in ancient Munster.

(5). But the most irrefragable argument to prove that the Barony of Eglish was in Feara Ceall is that Dr. Molloy holds a part of it to this day as a remnant of the Principality of hi s ancestors, and John O'Molloy, the Sugaun chief, held Mount Henry in the Parish of Eglish till about 30 years since.

We have seen that O'Molloy's Country of Feara-Ceall extended southwards to near Kinitty, to Drumcullen and to the River of Birr, where it met Ely O'Carroll and that, therefore, it included the Barony of Eglish or Fercall. It now remains to be proved how far it extended to the north, east and west.

Colgan informs us that the Monastery of Durrow lies in that district of Meath commonly called Fera-Keall. See Triad. Thau., p.506.

He tells us elsewhere, however that Durrow was on the confines of Fera-Kellia and Ely (Tr. Thau., p. 349) but this is so outrageous a blunder that it must be attributed to a mere slip of his memory or to an error of the press.

In note (26) on the 3rd Chap of Lib. I, of Adamnan's Life of Colombkille (Triad. Th., p. 339.) he tells us that Dair-Mag or Durrow "lies on the southern district of Meath commonly called Fera-Kaill."

Colgan, O'Flaherty and the Annals of Tighernach place the Plain of Moylena in Fera Ceall. See Ogygia Transl. II, pp. 211, 212.

See also Mageoghegan's Translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise, at the year 1013.

"A.D. 1013. Murtagh O'Carry, Calma took Molloye O'Moylemoyn, Prince of Ferkall, from out the Church of Dorrowe and killed him at Moylena, adjoining to Durrowe."

I have shewn in a former letter that Moylena is the name of a district in the Barony of Ballycowan coextensive with the Parish of Kilbride, and that Offaly in Leinster met Fera-Keall in Meath here, all the Parish of Moylena being in Fera Keall in Meath and all the Barony of Lower Philipstown being in Offaly in Leinster. I have also shewn that the Diocese of Kildare meets the Diocese of Meath here.