Diocese · there are two completely different sets of dioceses, Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic · a diocese is an area made up of a group of parishes presided over by a bishop · boundaries do not conform to county boundaries, nor do their boundaries conform to one another Parish · there are four types: Christian medieval, civil, Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic · parish boundaries have changed over the centuries · parishes are sometimes crossed by county or barony lines (one parish in Cork is split among four baronies) · civil parishes most closely approximate Church of Ireland parishes, over 2,500 · Roman Catholic parishes changed frequently through the 19th century Townland · smallest land division, does not have a government · over 64,000, vary greatly in size, from less than 10 acres to several thousand acres · term has no relation to a town or city · names of various origins; family, Gaelic, topographical, Norman, English, ecclesiastical, etc. · official spelling and boundary decided during mapping of 1830s, both have changed over time How to find your land divisions, other than the sources I mention at the beginning of this topic: Online: http://www.seanruad.com http://scripts.ireland.com/ancestor/placenames/index.cfm Both of the above sites are based on the book: General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland, which is from the 1851 Ireland census. You can find the book on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0806310529/connorsgeneal-20/002-2610133-5827264? Other souces: Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 by Samuel Lewis This can be found in book form and on cd. Townland index of 1871, like the 1851 townland index book but not in book form, also lists electorial divisions. On LDS Family History Library film and fiches: film # 476999 fiche #s 6020345-6020353 Ordnance Survey Maps, 6" to a mile: Found on LDS Family History fiche, by county. Also can check out modern Discovery Maps found at: https://www.mapsworldwide.com/mwwlive/ireland_map_index.asp?aid=11623 -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by ZoneAlarm AntiVirus