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.
The present city of Cork takes in both baronies.