thumb|upright=1.7|Map of [[Rathlin Island with townlands]]

A townland (; Ulster-Scots: toonlann) is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and most have Irish-derived names. Townlands cover the whole island of Ireland, and the total number of inhabited townlands in Ireland was 60,679 in 1911. The total number recognised by the Placenames Database of Ireland as of 2014 was 61,098, including uninhabited townlands.

Etymology

The term "townland" in English is derived from the Old English word tūn, denoting an enclosure. The term describes the smallest unit of land division in Ireland, based on various forms of Gaelic land division, many of which had their own names.

The term baile, anglicised as "bally", is the most dominant element used in Irish townland names. and represented an area of pastoral economic value.

In Ulster, the ballybetagh was the territorial unit controlled by an Irish sept, typically containing around 16 townlands. Fragmentation of ballybetaghs resulted in units consisting of four, eight, and twelve townlands. One of these fragmented units, the "quarter", representing a quarter of a ballybetagh, was the universal land denomination recorded in the survey of County Donegal conducted in 1608. In the early 17th century 20 per cent of the total area of western Ulster was under the control of the church. These "termonn" lands consisted likewise of ballybetaghs and ballyboes, but were held by erenaghs instead of sept leaders. The Cunningham acre is given as intermediate between the Irish and English acres.

"Sub-townlands" () are also recorded in some areas, smaller divisions of a townland with their own traditional names.

Size and value

In Ireland, a townland is generally the smallest or lowest-level unit of land, though a few large townlands are further divided into hundreds. but they vary widely in size. William Reeves's 1861 survey states that the smallest was Old Church Yard, near Carrickmore, in the parish of Termonmagurk, County Tyrone, at and the largest, at , was and is Fionnán (also called Finnaun) in the parish of Killanin, County Galway. In fact, the townland of Clonskeagh in the barony of Uppercross (abutting the main Clonskeagh townland in the barony of Dublin) was only although the area is now urbanised, so that the townlands are unused and their boundaries are uncertain.

The ballyboe, a townland unit used in Ulster, was described in 1608 as containing 60 acres of arable land, meadow, and pasture. However, this was misleading, as the size of townlands under the Gaelic system varied depending upon their quality, situation and economic potential.

Historical use

Until the 19th century most townlands were owned by single landlords and occupied by multiple tenants. The cess, used to fund roadworks and other local expenses, was charged at the same rate on each townland in a barony, regardless of its size and productive capacity. Thus, occupiers in a small or poor townland suffered in comparison to those of larger or more fertile townlands. This was reformed by Griffith's Valuation.

It was in the 1600s that they were mapped and defined by the English administration for the purpose of confiscating land and apportioning it to investors or planters from Britain. Slight adjustments are still made. There were 60,679 in 1911, compared to 60,462 townlands in 1901.

Explanatory footnotes

References

General and cited references

Citations

Further reading

;All island:

  • GeoHive Mapviewer: select Basemap Gallery>MapGenie 6 Inch or 25 Inch for old Ordnance Survey of Ireland maps
  • Logainm.ie (Placenames Database of Ireland) search/browse by parish/barony/county, English and Irish names
  • IreAtlas townland database (John Broderick) searchable database derived from the Index to the 1851 Census
  • Townland indexes to pre-1921 censuses, digitised from command papers: 1861 index (to 1841/1851 censuses); 1871 index, 1881 supplement, 1891 supplement 1901 index, 1911 supplement
  • 1911 Census details (National Archives of Ireland) Arranged by County>DED>Townland>Household
  • Townland data from OpenStreetMap Townlands, Baronies and Civil Parishes are being added to OpenStreetMap, making them available as a modern geo format. This is a list of the townlands mapped in OpenStreetMap

;Republic:

  • Irish Townland and Historical Map Viewer (Tailte Éireann) has various basemaps showing townland boundaries, and a togglable townland layer at higher zoom levels
  • Categories of Disadvantaged Areas Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Excel spreadsheet (per county) giving area in hectares, electoral division, and agricultural category of each townland

;Northern Ireland:

  • Northern Ireland Place-Name Project Searchable using both maps and lists, with information about placename origins
  • Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland:
  • Mapviewer (includes layers with current and historical townland borders and names)
  • Townland indexes to censuses: 1926 index; 1937 supplement

;By county:

  • Parishes of County Mayo (Mayo County Library) list of townlands by parish, with maps and other data
  • Index of Townlands of County Kildare (Kildare Council Library's local studies department) IreAtlas data updated to 1911