Townland

A townland or bally (Irish: Baile Fearainn) is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin, pre-dating the Normans, with most townlands believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and many retaining their Irish Gaelic names. Some townland names and boundaries however derive from Norman manors, plantation divisions, or later creations of the Ordnance Survey. There are currently 61,402 named townlands in Ireland, covering the whole island.