trícha cét

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

The {{lang|ga|tríocha céad}}, also known as {{lang|ga|trícha cét}}, meaning "thirty hundreds", was a unit of land-holding in eleventh and twelfth century Ireland.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180809005157/http://www.placenamesni.org/landunits.php Place Names NI] - Land units{{sfn|MacCotter|2008|p=13}} The term appears to relate to the number of troops an area could raise.

Background

Described as a "spatial unit of royal tenure, taxation, local government, and military levy", {{lang|ga|the trícha cét}} largely corresponded to a local petty kingdom ruled by a petty king.{{sfn|MacCotter|2008|p=22}} A minority, however, were ruled by a {{lang|ga|taisaig}} (leader) or an {{lang|ga|airríg}} (governor), appointed by a superior kings.{{sfn|MacCotter|2008|p=22}}

In the province of Ulster, a {{lang|ga|tríocha céad}} was subdivided into roughly twenty-eight {{lang|ga|baile biadhtaigh}}, meaning "lands of a food-provider", and around 463 {{lang|ga|seisrigh}}, meaning "six-horse plough-teams".

During the eleventh century, the system became established across the island, a refinement on a pre-existing system.{{sfn|MacCotter|2008|p=22}}

See also

References

=Notes=

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=Sources=

  • {{cite book|last=MacCotter|first=Paul|title=Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions|publisher=Four Courts Press|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84682-098-4}}