Irece

The land now called Irecê formed part of the interior of Bahia, far from the plantation towns of the coast. Its early colonial history belongs to the extensive landholding associated with Antônio Guedes de Brito. A royal sesmaria grant included this district together with a much larger area, so the history of the estate should not be mistaken for the founding of a compact town.

A documented local turning point came on 21 February 1807. The Count and Countess of Ponte separated an estate called Barra de São Rafael and sold it to Filipe Alves Ferreira and Antônio Teixeira Alves. Within this property lay Lagoa das Caraíbas, also known as Brejo das Caraíbas, where the later town developed. The name Irecê was adopted much later. Before 1837, therefore, the locality is most securely described through older water-place names and the division and transfer of landed property, rather than through the institutions of the modern municipality.