While it is the western part of the county, it would not be considered to be part of the area informally known as West Cork because it lies north of the river Lee. Neither would it be thought part of the Golden Vale, unlike the rich pasture towns to the north of the Boggeragh mountains (e.g. Charleville). The mountainous terrain and poor quality of the land has instead made it a virtual enclave within the county, best expressed in the old Gaelic tuatha of Muskerry. As the tuatha was relatively less desirable from an economic viewpoint, it may explain why the Gaelic way of life persisted into the 20th century and why Muskerry attained Gaeltacht status.