With minor revisions and corrections.
First published 1997.
The Irish law texts of the seventh and eighth centuries AD are our principal written source of information on pre-Norman farming in Ireland. This book summarizes the information provided by these texts, and compares it with the evidence of other texts - both in Irish and Latin - and with the findings of archaeology. Also included are editions of some important legal passages connected with farming which have not hitherto been translated. This book should appeal to students of early Irish law, as well as to geographers, social historians, archaeologists, and those with a general interest in the history of Irish farming.
Author(s): Fergus Kelly
Series: Early Irish Law Series, 4
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 772
City: Dublin
List of figures xiv
List of plates xv
Preface xvi
Abbreviations xviii
Introduction 1
Physical description of Ireland 1
Climate 2
The human impact in prehistoric times 3
Archaeological information in the historical period 5
The evidence of the written sources 6
Terminology 15
Illustrations relating to farming, etc. 16
Medieval European farming 19
Anglo-Norman farming in Ireland 20
Modern farming 24
1. Livestock (I): Cattle 27
Types and Breeds 29
Cattle-management 37
The diet of cattle 42
Training and use of oxen 48
Bulls 49
Slaughter 51
Cattle-products 52
Cattle prices and values 57
2. Livestock (II) 67
Sheep 67
Goats 77
Pigs 79
Horses 38
3 Livestock (III) 102
Hens 102
Geese 105
Ducks 107
Doves 107
Peafowl 108
Bees 108
Dogs 114
Cats 121
Other pets and captives 124
Later introductions 131
4. Offences by domestic animals 134
Grazing-trespass 135
Damage to crops 140
Rooting-trespass 142
Defecation 143
Theft of food 145
Flying-trespass 145
Offences against persons 147
5. Offences against domestic animals 158
Killing 158
Injury 102
'Cechrad' and 'Salchad' 104
Arson 104
Theft 105
Unauthorized use 109
Opening sheds, etc. 170
Illegal distraint 170
Bewitching 174
Bestiality 175
Offences against animals by other animals 170
6. Accidents, diseases, etc. 182
Accidents to livestock 182
Predators 185
Diseases and defects of livestock 192
Cattle-diseases and defects 194
Sheep-diseases and defects 205
Goat-diseases 207
Pig-diseases 208
Horse-diseases and defects 209
Poultry-diseases 213
Bee-diseases 214
Dog-disease 215
Cat-disease 215
Treatment of injury and disease in livestock 216
7. Crops (I): Cereals 219
Types of cereals 219
Cereal-cultivation 229
Cereal-harvesting 237
Cereal-processing 240
8. Crops (II) 248
Pulses 248
Vegetables and herbs 250
Fruit 259
Dye-plants 263
Flax 269
Ornamental flowers 270
9. Hunting and gathering 272
Hunting of deer 272
Hunting of wild pig 281
Hunting of other land mammals 282
Hunting of marine mammals 282
Fishing 285
Fowling 298
Gathering 301
10. Diet and Cooking 316
Types of diet 316
Food-production and consumption 319
Cooking methods and utensils 322
Milk and milk-products 323
Grain-products 330
Meat 330
Vegetables and fruit 339
Salt 340
Pepper 342
Restricted diets 343
Food for invalids 343
The diet of women and children 351
Taboo foods 352
Hunger and famine 354
Feasting 357
11. Farm Lay-out 300
Farmhouse 301
Farmyard 363
Garden 303
Fields and greens 308
Walls and fences 372
Gates and shies 378
Trees and woodland 379
Roads 390
Land-values 394
12. Land-tenure 398
Land-tenure and its limitations 399
Kin-land 402
Royal land 403
Church-land 404
Common land 406
Water 408
Boundary-marks 409
Land-acquisition 411
Farm-size 421
Rent of land 423
Landless people 423
Land-tenure in later Gaelic Ireland 428
Offences against land 431
13. Farm labour 438
Slaves 438
Semi-freemen 440
Servants 442
Freemen 445
Women 448
Children 451
Clergy and monastic clients 452
Rest, holy days, festivals, etc. 455
14. Tools and Technology 463
Cultivation 465
Mining, excavation, turf-cutting, etc. 479
Harvesting and processing of cereals 480
Wood-cutting 485
Fencing and wall-construction 492
Animal restraints, goads, etc. 493
Butchering, etc. 496
Transport technology 496
Ropes 499
Other farm tools 500
Appendix A. The texts 503
Text 1. Defects of cows and sheep 506
Text 506
Translation 507
Discussion 508
Text 2. Livestock not to be distrained 521
Text 522
Translation 523
Discussion 523
Text 3. Value of cattle, sheep and pigs 533
Text 533
Translation 531
Discussion 535
Text 4. Roads and tracks 537
Text 538
Translation 538
Discussion 539
Text 5. Calves with two mothers 545
Text (H 3. 18) 545
Translation 547
Text (Egerton 88) 547
Discussion 548
Text 6. Land-values 552
Text 552
Translation 552
Discussion 552
Text 7. Horse-qualities 555
Text 555
Translation 555
Discussion 556
Appendix B. Units of measurement 560
(1) Length 560
(2) Sea-measures 569
(3) Square and cubic area 571
(4) Liquid capacity 575
(5) Dry capacity 581
(6) Weight 583
(7) Units of value 587
Index 1. Irish index 601
Index 2. Scottish Gaelic and Manx index 658
Index 3. Anglicized forms of Irish and Scottish Gaelic terms 660
Index 4. Welsh, Breton and Cornish index 662
Index 5. Latin index 665
Index 6. General index 674
Bibliography 719
Published sources 719
Unpublished sources 751
Addenda and corrigenda 752
