"Upper" in townland parlance

[Sinann]

Yes, that where I got them

[HughC]

Very odd: I wonder whether the boundaries changed at some time.

[Sinann]

There is no point in trying to apply logic to townlands, they are just too old. The reasoning behind them is lost in the mists of time.
Look at how many begin with Dun.  A Dun is medieval and Rath.

[Ghostwheel]

I kind of like the idea that if you were navigating in a mountainous or hilly place, you'd look at the peaks.

My theory is that some of this terminology would have different meaning depending somewhat on the county.  With a place like Kerry or Wicklow being different from your generally flatter terrain.

For instance, there is a mountain in Scotland called Ben More. It is taller than any more Southern mountain in Britain.  There is also another Ben More in Scotland.  It is the highest one on the isle of Mull.