Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions of counties and were used the administration of justice and the raising of revenue. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they have been administratively obsolete since 1898. However, they continue to be used in land registration and in specification, such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown.
Modern times
When County Tipperary was split into North and South Ridings in 1836, Clanwilliam was allocated to the south riding. However, the neighbouring barony of Kilnamanagh was split into Upper and Lower half-baronies, being allocated to the north and south ridings respectively.[1]
This table[2] lists an historical geographical sub-division of the barony known as the civil parish (not to be confused with an Ecclesiastical parish).