Tirawley (Irish: Tír Amhlaidh), archaically known as Tyrawley, is a barony extending southward from the north coast of County Mayo, Ireland. It was created during the shiring of County Mayo out of the Gaelic túath or territory of Tír Amhlaidh, from which it takes its name. The title Baron Tyrawley was created twice, in 1706 and 1797. In the 19th century, the writer Caesar Otway (1780–1842) wrote Sketches of Erris and Tyrawley, an account of life in North Mayo just prior to the Irish Famine of 1845-1847. Downpatrick Head and the Ceide Fields are located on the north coast of the barony. The town of Killala is on its east coast, where it looks across the bay at Enniscrone, County Sligo. The historical barony of Tirawley also includes:

Etymology

The etymology of 'Tirawley' (Tír Amhlaidh) in Irish derives from its constituent parts, ' Tír ' and ' Amhlaidh '. The term ' Tír ' comes from Old Irish ' tír ', meaning “dry land” as opposed to a lake or sea, sharing etymological roots with the English word 'thirst' and the Latin ' terra ', both indicating dryness or land. ' Amhlaidh ', on the other hand, is derived from Old Irish ' Amlaíb ', which originates from the Old Norse name ' Óláfr '. In Irish, ' Amhlaidh ' is a male given name equivalent to 'Olaf' in English. Thus, 'Tír Amhlaidh ' combines these elements to mean 'Land of Olaf' in English, signifying a territory associated with or named after an individual named Olaf.

Annalistic references