Túath, Manor and Parish: Kingdom of Fir Maige, Cantred of Fermoy

The formation of parishes in medieval Ireland, their origin and date, and their relationship toother spatial entities (manor, cantred, túath, lordship, lineage and earlier church estates) are matters that must be tackled by detailed local studies and reconstructions. Críchad in Chaílli, a twelfth-century topographical tract, provides uniquely detailed information on the local kingdom of Fir Maige in Munster, its subdivisions, its lineages, and its churches. This local study of an area that has relatively rich records addresses much wider questions: the túath and how it relates to lineage, parish, and manor; theinteraction of these institutions, and the enduring nature of early medieval spatial entities.