Charlie
Member
Anyone not used to Irish research can become confused with the use of the term 'townland'. Irish genealogical sources often quote county, barony, parish and townland names. The townland is the smallest geographical area and covers up to about 100 acres. It would equate, more or less, with the concept of neighbourhood in urban areas. Some townlands may be quite densely populated but the average population density in rural Ireland in 2012 was only 26 person per sq km (1 sq km = 247 acres).
Using the correct townland in researching the Census or Griffiths Valuation can help pinpoint the family being researched, however, it is still possible to find several families with the same surname in a particular townland who may be related many generations back, so caution is still required.
An excellent source for townlands is the Townland Index Watch out for alternative spellings. There will also be duplicate names in townlands, partly because they're often derived from simple descriptions, in Irish, of landscape features or land ownership. For example, there are several townlands called Ballyboe in County Donegal because it describes the size of a field large enough to graze one cow!
Using the correct townland in researching the Census or Griffiths Valuation can help pinpoint the family being researched, however, it is still possible to find several families with the same surname in a particular townland who may be related many generations back, so caution is still required.
An excellent source for townlands is the Townland Index Watch out for alternative spellings. There will also be duplicate names in townlands, partly because they're often derived from simple descriptions, in Irish, of landscape features or land ownership. For example, there are several townlands called Ballyboe in County Donegal because it describes the size of a field large enough to graze one cow!
