Editing Provinces of Ireland (section)

==History==
[[File:Ireland early peoples and politics.gif|thumb|Early medieval {{lang|ga|cóiceda}} (over-kingdoms) of Ireland, {{Circa|800}}]]
The origins of the provinces of Ireland can be traced to the medieval {{lang|ga|cóiceda}} (literally "fifths") or "over-kingdoms" of Ireland. There were theoretically five such over-kingdoms; however, in reality during the historical period there were always more.<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/><ref name="IrishKings"/> At the start of the 9th century the following are listed: [[Airgíalla]], [[Connachta]], [[Laigin]], [[Northern Uí Néill]] ([[Ailech]]), [[Southern Uí Néill]] ([[Kingdom of Meath|Mide]]), [[Munster|Mumu]], and [[Ulaid]].<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/><ref name="IrishKings"/> These seven over-kingdoms are again listed in the 12th-century {{lang|ga|Lebor na Cert}}.<ref name="Koch"/>

===Structure===
Each over-kingdom was divided into smaller territorial units, the definition of which, whilst not consistent in Irish law tracts, followed a pattern of different grades.<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/> In theory in the early medieval period:
*A province was ruled by a "king of over-kings", known as a {{lang|ga|rí ruírech}}. This was the highest rank allowed for in Irish law tracts despite claims by some dynasties to the symbolic title of {{lang|ga|rí Temro}} (king of Tara), also known as the {{lang|ga|ard rí}} ([[High King of Ireland]]);<ref name="Koch"/><ref name="Clontarf8-10"/> The term {{lang|ga|rí ruírech}} was replaced at a later date by the term {{lang|ga|rí cóicid}}, "king of a fifth".<ref name="Koch"/>
*Each province was made up of several petty-kingdoms that corresponded roughly to the size of modern [[Counties of Ireland|Irish counties]] or dioceses, and were ruled by an overking known as a {{lang|ga|ruirí}};<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/>
*Each of these petty-kingdoms was further subdivided into smaller petty-kingdoms known as a {{lang|ga|[[túath]]}} (a group of people), equating at their largest to the size of an [[Baronies of Ireland|Irish barony]].<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/> These túath were ruled by a king, or {{lang|ga|rí}}, and were also known as a {{lang|ga|rí túaithe}}, or "king of the people".<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/> By the 10th century the rulers of a {{lang|ga|túath}} were no longer assumed to be kings but became referred to as {{lang|ga|tigern}} (a lord) or {{lang|ga|toísech}} (a leader) instead.<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/>
This pyramid structure, however, by the later medieval period, had little validity.<ref name="Clontarf8-10"/>

Paul MacCotter proposes the following structure of lordship in the 12th century: High-king of Ireland; semi-provincial king, such as Connacht, Ulaid, [[Desmumu]]; regional king, such as [[Dál Fiatach]] and [[Uí Fhiachrach Aidni]]; local king or king of a {{lang|ga|[[trícha cét]]}}, such as [[Leth Cathail]] or Cenél Guaire; and {{lang|ga|taísig túaithe}} at the bottom.<ref name="MacCotter46"/>

===Early medieval period===
[[File:Ireland900.png|thumb|Ireland's over-kingdoms {{circa|900 AD}}]]
The kingdom of [[Osraige]], which had its genealogy traced back by early Irish genealogists to the Laigin, was part of Mumu from the 6th to 8th century and ruled by the [[Corcu Loígde]] dynasty.<ref name="DuffyMedieval358"/> By the 7th century Osraige had lost their dependence on the Corcu Loígde,<ref name="DuffyMedieval358"/> with the restoration of the local [[Dál Birn]] dynasty. Osraige remained part of Mumu until 859 when [[Máel Sechnaill I]], king of the [[Uí Néill]], forced Mumu to surrender it to his overlordship.<ref name="DuffyMedieval358"/><ref name="Clontarf19"/> After this situation ended it became an independent kingdom which gradually moved towards the Laigin sphere of influence as they sought to claim the Laigin kingship.<ref name="DuffyMedieval358"/> It was during the 9th century that Osraige, ruled by [[Cerball mac Dúnlainge]], became a major political player.<ref name="DuffyMedieval74"/>

Airgíalla had come under the dominance of the Ulaid;<ref name="Clontarf21"/> however, [[Niall Caille]], the son of [[Áed Oirdnide]], brought it under the hegemony of the Northern Uí Néill after defeating the combined forces of the Airgíalla and Ulaid at the battle of Leth Cam in 827.<ref name="Bardonpg14"/><ref name="DuffyMedieval490"/><ref name="Clontarf24"/><ref name="DuffyMedieval12"/>

===Later medieval period===
After a period of dynastic infighting in the early 12th century, Osraige fragmented and after a heavy defeat at the hands of High-King [[Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn]] became part of Laigin. In 1169, the king of Osraige, [[Mac Giolla Phádraig dynasty|Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic]], hired the Norman knight [[Maurice de Prendergast]] to resist the Laigin king, [[Diarmait Mac Murchada]], who had also recruited Norman aid.<ref name="DuffyMedieval32"/>

In 1118, the king of Connacht, [[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]], aided the [[Mac Cárthaigh]] of south Munster in a rebellion against the ruling [[Uí Briain]] dynasty.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> This resulted in the division of Mumu into two: {{lang|ga|Tuadmumu}} ([[Thomond]], meaning "north Munster") to the north under the Uí Briain; and {{lang|ga|Desmumu}} ([[Kingdom of Desmond|Desmond]], meaning "south Munster") to the south under the Mac Cárthaigh.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> Ua Conchobair would then conquer the heartland of the Uí Briain situated around modern [[County Clare]] and make it part of Connacht.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> This was to force them to accept [[Cormac Mac Carthaig]], king of Desmumu, as the king of Mumu.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> Despite Ua Conchobair's aid, Mac Carthaig and the Uí Briain would form an alliance to campaign against Connacht's hegemony, and by 1138 ended the threat from that kingdom.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> The following decades would see Mumu united and repartitioned several times as the Uí Briain and Mac Cárthaigh vied for complete control.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> In 1168, the king of Connacht, [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair]], ensured Mumu remained divided.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> After [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], [[king of England]], landed in Ireland in 1171, the Mac Cárthaigh submitted to him to prevent an Uí Briain invasion.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> The Uí Briain eventually followed suit in submitting to Henry II.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/> The eagerness of these submissions encouraged Henry II to revive the papal grant, [[Laudabiliter]], for Ireland.<ref name="DuffyMedieval458"/>

===Norman Ireland===
Osraige would be amongst the first Irish kingdoms to fall following the [[Norman invasion of Ireland]] in 1170, and was soon afterwards split from Leinster and made part of the royal demesne lands of Waterford.<ref name="DuffyMedieval358"/>

In the years following the invasion, the kingdoms of Connacht, Desmumu, Laigin, Mide, Tuadmumu, and Ulaid formed the basis for the Norman liberties of Connacht, Desmond, Leinster, Meath, Thomond and Ulster respectively.<ref name="Falkiner"/><ref name="MacCotter186"/> These liberties were later subdivided into smaller ones that became the basis for the counties of Ireland.<ref name="Falkiner"/>

The Northern Uí Néill remained outside of Norman control, eventually absorbing the greater part of Airgíalla, which had by the end of the 12th century lost its eastern territory (afterwards known as "English Oriel" and later as Louth) to the Normans.<ref name="Clontarf24"/> Airgíalla would eventually no longer be reckoned an over-kingdom; however, it survived in present-day County Monaghan for as long as the Gaelic order survived,<ref name="Connolly12"/> with the last king of Airgíalla being [[Hugh Roe McMahon]], who reigned from 1589 until his execution in September/October 1590.

With the collapse of English control in Ireland following the [[Bruce campaign in Ireland]] in 1315, and the subsequent collapse of the [[Earldom of Ulster]], the Gaelic order had a resurgence and the Clandeboye O'Neills of the Northern Uí Néill stepped into the power vacuum in Ulster bringing it under the sovereignty of the [[O'Neill dynasty|O'Neills]] of Tyrone. After this they claimed for the first time the title of  {{lang|ga|rí Ulad}}, "king of Ulster", amalgamating their territory into one united province. This reduced the number of provinces to five—Connact, Leinster, Meath, Munster, and Ulster.

===Tudor period===
[[File:1716 Homann Map of Ireland - Geographicus - Ireland-homann-1716.jpg|thumb|[[Johann Homann]]'s 1716 map of Ireland. He incorrectly places [[County Clare]] in Connacht; it had actually been returned to Munster in the immediate years after 1660.]]
During the reign of [[Mary I of England|Mary I]] (1553–1558), the [[Lord Deputy of Ireland]], [[Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex]], sought to divide Ireland into six parts—Connacht, Leinster, Meath, Nether Munster, Ulster, and Upper Munster.<ref name="Falkiner"/> His administrative reign in Ireland, however, was cut short; and even with his reappointment by [[Elizabeth I]] (1558–1603) this plan was never implemented.<ref name="Falkiner"/>

Sir [[Henry Sidney]] during his three tenures as Lord Deputy created two presidencies headed by a Lord President to administer [[Lord President of Connaught|Connacht]] and [[Lord President of Munster|Munster]].<ref name="Falkiner"/> In an attempt to reduce the importance of the province of Munster, Sydney, using the [[River Shannon]] as a natural boundary took Thomond and made it into the [[County Clare|county of Clare]] as part of the presidency of Connaught in 1569.<ref name="Falkiner"/> Around 1600 near the end of Elizabeth's reign, Clare was made an entirely distinct presidency of its own under the [[Earl of Thomond|Earls of Thomond]] and would not return to being part of Munster until after the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]] in 1660.<ref name="Falkiner"/>

The exact boundaries of the provinces of Ireland during the Tudor period changed several times, usually as a result of the creation of new counties:
*County Clare upon its creation in 1569 was transferred from Munster to Connacht, and was only restored to Munster after 1660.<ref name="Falkiner"/>
*[[County Longford]] upon its creation in 1583 was transferred from Leinster to Connacht.<ref name="Falkiner"/><ref name="Crawford"/>
*[[County Cavan]] was created in 1584 and transferred from Connacht to Ulster.<ref name="roche"/>
*[[County Louth]], which had long been part of [[The Pale]], was transferred from Ulster to Leinster.<ref name="Falkiner"/>

It would not be until the reign of Elizabeth's successor, [[James VI and I|James I]], that Meath by 1610 would cease to be considered a province and that the provincial borders would be permanently set.<ref name="Falkiner"/>