Bear (barony)

Bear (or Bere; Irish: Béarra) is the westernmost barony in County Cork in Ireland. It comprises the western tip and southern part of the eponymous Beara peninsula, the north of which is part of the County Kerry barony of Glanarought. The barony of Bear is bounded by Glanarought to the north, the Cork barony of Bantry to the north-east, Bantry Bay to the south, and the Kenmare River to the north-west.

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 barony includes the whole of three civil parishes (Kilcatherine, Killaconenagh, Kilnamanagh) and part of a fourth (Kilcaskan). It induces the town of Castletownbere and settlements of Allihies, Eyeries, Ardgroom, Adrigole, Garnish Island, Glengarriff, Urhin, Rerrin, Rossmackowen, and Trafrask. Natural features include Hungry Hill,Dursey Island off the west end of the peninsula, and Bere Island opposite Castletownbere.

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