Ossory

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historic county in southeastern Ireland known for its medieval heritage and former kingdom status; an ancient Irish territory noted for its unique cultural and political significance; a former kingdom and administrative region recognized for its historical boundaries and traditions
2. A former political division and medieval kingdom situated in Ireland with notable historical importance; an area once governed by Irish chieftains and recognized in old Irish annals; a region remembered for its legacy in Irish history and territorial definition
3. A traditional Irish territory once ruled by local kings, located in what is now modern Ireland; a county with roots in early Irish history and distinct cultural identity; a historical region distinguished by its role in the political landscape of medieval Ireland

Etymology: Ossory is a proper noun, the name of an early Irish kingdom centred on the area now roughly covered by County Kilkenny and parts of Laois and Offaly. Its name is usually given as Osraige in Irish, and the kingdom's people were the Osraige, a name often connected with an ancient tribal or dynastic label. The English form "Ossory" is an anglicisation of that Irish name, and the Irish-language version survives in the Gaelic-language place names and church records of the region. The kingdom's most lasting legacy is religious. Ossory became a bishopric, and its diocese, the Diocese of Ossory, was among the early Irish dioceses; its cathedral at Kilkenny, St Canice's, preserves the name. The kingdom's territory later formed the basis of administrative units, so the name persisted long after the Osraige lost their independence to the more powerful kingdoms around them.

Synonyms: ossary, bone house