A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland [Two Volumes]

This work contains every fact of importance tending to illustrate the local history of Ireland. Arranged alphabetically by place (village, parish, town, etc.), it provides a faithful description of all Irish localities as they existed at the time of publication (1837). It shows, for example, exactly where a particular civil parish was located in relation to the nearest town or towns, the barony, county, and province in which it was situated, its principal landowners, the diocese in which it was situated, and-of great importance-the Roman Catholic district in which the parish was located and the names of corresponding Catholic parishes.

This monumental work gives a vivid picture of places of origin as they existed 160 years ago, putting the researcher directly in touch with the geography, the history, and the ecclesiastical setting of virtually every place that existed in Ireland in 1837, the year before the creation of the Irish Poor Law Unions. In addition, Lewis’s gazetteer is augmented with engravings of the arms and seals of the various towns and boroughs in Ireland, an appendix showing the boundaries of the cities and boroughs, and a list of nearly 10,000 subscribers to the original publication, in effect a list of the Irish gentry of 1837. For anyone with an interest in the land of their Irish ancestors, this book is a must.