Kells Upper

Kells Upper or Upper Kells (Irish: Ceanannas Uachtarach) is a historical barony in western County Meath, Ireland.

Kells Upper Ceanannas Uachtarach (Irish)
Barony
Dunes on the coast at Mosney
Barony map of County Meath, 1900; Kells Upper is in the west, coloured yellow.
Kells Upper
Coordinates: 53°43′N 6°53′W
Sovereign state	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Meath
Area
• Total	200.5 km2 (77.4 sq mi)

Baronies were mainly cadastral rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898.^[1]

History

Prior to the Norman invasion of Ireland, the Kells Upper area was part of the territory of the Ciannachta. The barony of Kells existed before 1542 in the Lordship of Meath; it took its name from the town of Kells ^[2][3] Kells was divided into Lower (northern) and Upper (southern) halves by 1807.^[4]

Geography

Kells Upper is in the east of the county, to the south of the River Boyne, and runs up to Meath's short coastline on Drogheda Bay.^[5]

List of settlements

Settlements within the historical barony of Kells Upper include:^[6]

• Bellewstown
• Carnaross
• Crossakiel
• Donaghpatrick
• Kilskeer
• Julianstown
• Stamullen