Baile: settlement and landholding in medieval Ireland

This paper examines the use of the term 'baile' in Irish sources since the twelfth century. It is shown that the core meaning of the word is 'occupied space', whether by a habitation site (farmstead, village, town, etc.) or agricultural land (farm, townland, ballybetagh). The baile existed simultaneously at these different levels as part of a wider system of landholding, evaluation and taxation.