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Walk with me over the crest of a wooded Irish hill of 2000 years ago on a soft summer morn. A small valley stretches out before us, mottled with fenced fields, five or six scattered dwelling enclosures and occasional small stands of trees. As we stop to take in the view, we can notice a pattern to the central dwellings and their surroundings.
The central enclosures are separated by maybe a quarter of a mile. From them, fenced areas radiate outward like the spokes of a great wheel. If we focus on one particular farm, we would likely be impressed with the organization and apparent efficiency of its operation. In the center is the expected circular bank and ditch with diameter averaging 125 to 150 feet. The area within the circle is the Les (lehs) which contains several structures, including house, storage structures and small livestock pens.
The largest structure was the Leg Mor or dwelling. Typical for the average farmer (Boaire), it was circular and with a diameter of about 27 feet. In structure the exterior walls were inner and outer wattles, with room for insulating material between. At some sights, the insulating material above the lintels seems to have been feathers. Generally, the dwelling had two exterior entrances. One was a full door while the second was a cleth, or hurdle. The conical roof was thatched. Internally, the dwelling was divided between a sleeping area and an open paved living area. The "paving" is a simple packed smooth earthen floor, sometimes with inlaid flat stones, as can still be found in many of the picturesque cottages dating from 19th century Ireland. Near the center of the dwelling in  the paved area is the "fireplace," used for heating and cooking when weather conditions prevented the out-of-door preparation of meals. Close by the Leg Mor was the Cuile or larder. In some cases, this might be an add-on to one side of the house. In others, the cuile stood alone, but nearby for ease of access.
The next largest structure within the les was the airche. Generally it was approximately two-thirds the size of the dwelling (17-19 feet). Of similar structure to the dwelling it was also conical with wattled walls and thatched roof. It served as storage for precious food stuffs and farm implements. Somewhere close-by was a corróg, a pit with a removable cover for storage of perishables such as milk, cheese and butter. Other structures inside the embankment included the pig sty (fóil muc), a calf-pen (lías laég) and a lamb pen (lías cáerach). 
Curiously to some, archeologists have found little evidence of animal waste within the les. However, some of the early tracts and some good old common sense tell us why. First, the Irish farmer was generally fastidious. It was considered slothful for a farmer to have animal dung in the les. Now of course, young lambs and calves must be closely guarded. The les provided the necessary security and because of its close proximity to the dwelling, close watch of both family and guard dog was available. Secondly, the Irish farmers were quite knowledgeable in soil husbandry and understood the benefits of manure enrichment of soil. Consequently, animal droppings were frequently gathered and scattered where it would do the most good - on garden and crop field. The bank and ditch itself was sometimes further enhanced by the planting of blackthorn (draighean) on top of the bank. Even without the Irish "barbed wire," the bank and ditch was quite formidable when properly maintained. The outer ditch was three feet deep with a bottom of one foot in width, resulting in very steep sides. The soil removed in the digging of the ditch was placed immediately inside the ditch in the form of a wall, itself three foot in height. Sufficient to deter most would-be marauders as well as wandering live-stock. Outside the "ring" of the les stood the airles, alternately airlise, (literally "in front of the les"). Terrain permitting, this area was circular and surrounded the les by a "spear cast," or approximately 60 plus feet. Within the airles were neatly divided areas for cultivation, including gardens, limited grazing, grain drying kiln and grain storage. For those of social stature, including large farmer and elected rulers, there also was an assembly green that served as the site for conferences, festivals and other assembly.. Beyond the airles were the larger fields for grazing livestock and cultivated crops such as oats, barley, wheat and corn. Most, if not all, fields were solidly fenced in some way or another. In areas with considerable stone, the fences were built with the stones removed from the field to enable easier plowing. In the fortunate case where stones were not available, fences were generally built of posts stakes and rods as shown in the illustration. In all cases, four feet seemed the general height. Various tracts tell us that the average farmer held possession of land commensurate with the size of his herds and flocks. The average bóaire possessed 14 cows, 2 oxen for plowing, 7 sheep, and similar number of pigs and perhaps one or two small horses for pulling carts. To support this number of livestock for both grazing and supplementary feeds, food crops for the family (including garden), etc. The texts say the boaire should have 14 cumals of land. However, the question of the exact size of a cumal is in considerable doubt. Though Crith Gablach (a legal text) indicates a cumal as being 144 feet by 76 feet in dimension, the same document also states that a cumal is the amount of land required to feed one cow throughout the year. Year round grazing by hungry cattle takes a great toll on the vegetation. In this country, it requires 3 to five acres (depending on soil and vegetation) for one animal. Therefor the diminutive size listed for the cumal is in obvious error. However, we know that the cattle in early iron-age Ireland were considerably smaller than ours today. My guess is that a cumal was on the order of 1.5 to 2 acres in size in ordinary circumstances and I estimate the average small farm holding to have been at least 30 to 35 acres. Generally speaking, the various fields radiated out from the les like the spokes of a wheel. An exception would be the grazing of cattle and sheep on less fertile hillsides and in wooded areas. Grazing was apparently on some occasions a cooperative effort between related families sharing common grazing land. If we extend our view a bit further in the countryside we can see that our little farm is one of a small cluster of five to seven others. Family and clan oriented, the Irish cooperated in such efforts as summer cattle grazing, plowing the land, etc. When children matured and established their own homes and farms, they generally did not stray far from each other. So, as each child hived off from their parents, they settled close to their own kith and kin, ensuring mutual support as needed in the farming enterprise and other activities as well. Not too unlike farming in this country of the last century. In dealing with the old texts, especially those on law, we find the writers laboriously try to neatly define the various ranks of farmer and provide detailed lists of holdings in both livestock and real property. Unfortunately, they were written by lawyers and often interpreted by scholars who had little knowledge of life on the farm. I hope my view is a bit more pragmatic. For one thing, I have learned to question anything in print. For another, my childhood years on a farm leaves me with some practical knowledge of farming. Still, I recognize that my theories are just that. With some trepidation I present what seems to me a logical view. As more information becomes available, I stand ready to amend as needed. |
