Túath (pluraltúatha) is theOld Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit ofGaelic Ireland.Túath can refer to both a geographical territory as well the people who lived in that territory.[1] The smallesttúath controlled by a king was about the size of a later Irish barony (about 177sq miles) and kings with greater power would have two or moretúatha under their control, according toA Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland.[2]
In ancient Irish terms, a household was reckoned at about 30 people per dwelling. Atrícha cét ("thirty hundreds"), was an area comprising 100 dwellings or, roughly, 3,000 people. Atúath consisted of a number of alliedtrícha céta, and therefore referred to no fewer than 6,000 people. Probably a more accurate number for atúath would be no fewer than 9,000 people.[3]
Eachtúath was a self-contained unit, with its own executive, assembly, courts system and defence force.Túatha were grouped together intoconfederations for mutual defence. There was a hierarchy oftúatha statuses, depending on geographical position and connection to the ruling dynasties of the region.[4] The organisation oftúatha is covered to a great extent within theBrehon laws, Irish laws written down in the 7th century, also known as theFénechas.[5]
The old Irish political system was altered during and after theElizabethan conquest, being gradually replaced by a system ofbaronies andcounties under the new colonial system. Due to a loss of knowledge, there has been some confusion regarding old territorial units in Ireland, mainly betweentrícha céta andtúatha, which in some cases seem to be overlapping units, and in others, different measurements altogether.[6] Thetrícha céta were primarily for reckoning military units; specifically, the number of fighting forces a particular population could rally.[3] Some scholars equate thetúath with the modern parish, whereas others equate it with the barony. This partly depends on how the territory was first incorporated into the county system. In cases wheresurrender and regrant was the method, the match between the oldtúath and the modern barony is reasonably equivalent. Whereas in cases likeUlster, which involved large scale colonisation and confiscation of land, the shape of the original divisions is not always clear or recoverable.[6]
It has been suggested that the baronies are, for the most part, divided along the boundaries of the ancienttúatha, as many bog bodies and offerings, such asbog butter, are primarily found along present-day baronial boundaries.[7] This implies that the territorial divisions of the petty kingdoms of Ireland have been more or less the same since at least the Iron Age.
Túath in Old Irish means both "the people", "country, territory", and "territory, petty kingdom, the political and jurisdictional unit of ancient Ireland".[1] The word possibly derives fromProto-Celtic *toutā ("tribe, tribal homeland"; cognate roots may be found in the Gaulish god nameToutatis), which is perhaps fromProto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂ ("tribesman, tribal citizen").[8][9] InModern Irish it is spelledtuath, without thefada accent, and is usually used to refer to "rural districts" or "the country" (as in "the countryside", in contradistinction to "the city"); however the historical meaning is still understood and employed, as well.[10]
