Dál

Dál is a Gaelic term used in early Irish and Scottish Gaelic sources to denote a portion or share, and by extension a territorial-kin group or polity. It referred to a specific portion of land allocated to a kin group and to the people who held and worked it. In political organization, a dál was often a subdivision of a túath or kingdom, comprising several kin groups bound to a ruler by obligation and tribute. The term appears in genealogies and annals describing dynasties and districts.

Etymology and scope: The word dál comes from Old Irish and Middle Irish dál, with roots in Proto-Celtic *dālo- meaning “portion, share.” It is related to historical Gaelic units tied to land and descent, and it coexisted with other terms for political territory such as túath.

Historical role: The dál is a key concept for understanding early medieval Gaelic political structure. Kings granted land to kin groups as dál in exchange for service, tribute, or loyalty. Over time, some dals coalesced into larger kingdoms, while others persisted as distinct lineages or local communities. The term survives in toponyms and in genealogies, preserving a record of historic landholding and kinship arrangements across Ireland and parts of Scotland.

Notable examples: Dál Riata (Dalriada) in western Scotland and parts of Ulster; Dál gCais in Thomond, Munster; Dál Fiatach and Dál nAraidi in Ulster. These dals illustrate how the concept functioned as both a social unit and a political territory in medieval Gaelic societies.