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County Kerry

Known as "the kingdom" to its inhabitants, Kerry is one of the most singular places in Ireland, with rich farmlands in the north of the county and astonishingly beautiful mountains, Atlantic islands and peninsulas in the south.

The Ciarrai, from whom the name of the county derives, invaded and occupied the region in early historical times. They claimed descent from Ciar, son of Fergus, a legendary king of Ulster. In the middle ages Kerry was divided between the kingdoms of Thomond in the north and Desmond in the south, dominated by the O'Briens and the McCarthys respectively. It was later dominated by the Norman Fitzgeralds.

Contrary to popular belief, Kerry did not suffer as badly as most other counties in the Great Famine, with a drop in population of 19% between 1841 and 1851. Most of the emigration from the county took place in the later decades of the nineteenth century and in the twentieth century; in the 125 years from 1841 to 1966, the population fell by 58%.

Surnames associated with the county include Fitzmaurice, O'Donoghue, O'Leary, Stack, Tangney, Teahon, McElligot, O'Connell and Sugrue.