Owning was also known as Bewley from Norman-French words beau lieu meaning beautiful place. The other name is of some antiquity and it means the grandsons of Owen the Fair-Headed, Uíbh Eoghain Fhinn. This was the name of a ruling family's territory, which stretched into County Tipperary as far as Slievenamon at least. The chief family became known as the Neales or O' Neills and their surname appea
rs in Ballyneale outside Carrick-on-Suir, where they were still living until 1654. They had been dispossessed of most of their lands after 1185 but continued living in what became six townlands later. The ruins of a medieval church are in the village across the road from the modern Catholic Church. One gable end was actually used as a handball alley at one time. There is also a portal tomb in Owning townland just as there is nearby south-east in Ballyhenebery. This bears witness to the early settlement, if not the first one in this area some thousands of years ago. The principal Anglo-Norman settlers and their descendants, who lived in the district, were the Walsh families. They owned land from Owning eastwards to Ballyhale and were known as Lords of the Mountain and for centuries the area was renowned for dairy farming. This continued to be the case in the 18th century during the first years of intensive commercial farming, when excellent butter was produced in the area, which was sold at the butter markets. It was said that farmers from this district were the last to store butter in streams until the cows were dry in the winter and then sold it when butter was very scarce and the price was favourable. The son of the Lord of the mountain in 1614, Edmund Walsh, recieved a grant of land in Owning, Kilmanahan, Springfield and part of Fanningstown from his father, Walter of Ballyhale. Edmund's lands which were inherited by his son Peter, were confiscated because he was "a gentleman and irish papist" in 1653. He was still in Owning in 1691, because he survived this forfeiture and also when he was outlawed for not supporting King William of Orange in 1691. He died on Christmas Eve in 1713 and is buried within the old church ruins in the village. The oldest building to be seen in Owning village are the ruins of this old church, which was the medieval parish church of the area.
