TheTribeandtheLandIthasbeenverycommonlybelievedthat，beforetheagrarianmeasuresofJamestheFirst，Irelandwasoneofthecountriesinwhichprivatepropertyinlandwasinvestedwithleastsacredness，andinwhichformsofownershipgenerallyconsideredasbarbarousmostextensivelyprevailed。SpenserandDaviscertainlysuggestthisopinion，andseveralmodernwritershaveadoptedit。TheBrehonlaw-tractsprove，however，thatitcanonlybereceivedwithconsiderablequalificationandmodification，andtheyshowthatprivateproperty，andespeciallyprivatepropertyinland，hadlongbeenknowninIrelandattheepochtowhichtheybelong，havingcomeintoexistenceeitherthroughthenaturaldisintegrationofcollectiveownershiporthroughtheseveranceofparticularestatesfromthegeneraltribaldomain。Neverthelessitcannot，Ithink，bedoubtedthatattheperiodtowhichthetractsareanindexmuchlandwasheldthroughoutIrelandunderrulesorcustomssavouringoftheancientcollectiveenjoyment，andthisIunderstandDrSullivantoallow。Introduction，p。cxliv
PartoftheevidenceofthefactjuststatedistolerablyfamiliartostudentsofIrishhistory。AtthebeginningoftheseventeenthcenturytheAnglo-IrishJudgesdeclaredtheEnglishCommonLawtobeinforcethroughoutIreland，andfromthedateofthisdecisionalllandinthecountrydescendedtotheeldestsonofthelastowner，unlessitsdevolutionwasotherwisedeterminedbysettlementorwill。InSirJohnDavis’sreportofthecaseandoftheargumentsbeforetheCourt，itisrecitedthathithertoalllandinIrelandhaddescendedeitherundertheruleofTanistryorundertherulesofGavelkind。ThesystemofinheritanceherecalledGavelkindisthusdescribed：WhenalandowningmemberofanIrishSeptdied，itschiefmadeare-distributionofallthelandsoftheSept。Hedidnotdividetheestateofthedeadmanamonghischildren，butusedittoincreasetheallotmentsofthevarioushouseholdsofwhichtheSeptwasmadeup。TheJudgestreatedbothTanistryandGavelkindassystemsofsuccessionafterdeath，ofapeculiarlybarbarousandmischievouskind；and，assystemsofsuccession，Ishallconsiderthemhereafter。Butallsystemsofsuccessionafterdeathbearacloserelationtoancientmodesofenjoymentduringlife；forinstance，intheJointUndividedFamilyoftheHindoos，thestirpes，orstocks，whichareonlyknowntoEuropeanlawasbranchesofinheritors，areactualdivisionsofthefamily，andlivetogetherindistinctpartsofthecommondwelling。
’CalcuttaReview’July1874，p。208Theso-calledIrishGavelkindbelongstoaclassofinstitutionsverycommonintheinfancyoflaw；itisacontrivanceforsecuringcomparativeequalityamongthejointproprietorsofacommonfund。Theredistributionheretakesplaceatthedeathofaheadofahousehold；butifequalityweresecuredbywhatispracticallythesameprocess——viz。，re-divisionafterafixedperiodofyears——aninstitutionwouldbeproducedwhichhasnotquitediedoutofEuropeatthepresentmoment，andofwhichtherearetraditionsinalloldcountries。Atthesametimeihavenodoubtthat，whentheIrishGavelkindwasdeclaredillegal，itwasveryfarfrombeingtheonlysystemofsuccessionknowntoIrelandexceptTanistry，andithinkitprobablethatmanydifferentmodesofenjoymentandinheritancewereabolishedbythedecisiongivingthelandtotheeldestson。
Itwastheactualobservationofpeculiaragriculturalusages，specialmethodsofcultivation，andabnormalrulesoftenure，whichmainlyenabledG。L。VonMaurertorestoretheGermanMarktoknowledge；anditwasbyusingVonMaurer’sresultsashiskeythatNassewasabletodecipherthescatteredreferencestothe’AgriculturalCommunityoftheMiddleAges’inavarietyofEnglishdocuments。IventuretothinkthatthisclassofobservationhasnotbeencarriedfarenoughinIrelandtoyieldmaterialforaconfidentopinion，buttherecertainlyseemtobevestigesofancientcollectiveenjoymentintheextensiveprevalenceof’rundale’holdingsinpartsofthecountry。Underthissystemadefiniteareaoflandisoccupiedbyagroupoffamilies。Intheformnowmostcommon，thearablelandsareheldinseveralty，whilepastureandbogareincommon。
Butaslatelyasfiftyyearssince，caseswerefrequentinwhichthearablelandwasdividedintofarmswhichshiftedamongthetenant-familiesperiodically，andsometimesannually。Evenwhennosuchdivisionwasmade，awell-knownrelicoftheMark-system，asitshoweditselfinGermanyandEngland，wasoccasionallyfound：thearableportionoftheestateswascomposedofthreedifferentqualitiesofsoil，andeachtenanthadalotorlotsinthelandofeachquality，withoutreferencetoposition。WhatwasvirtuallythesamesystemoftenureprevailedquiterecentlyintheScottishHighlands。Ihaveascertainedthatthefamilieswhichformedthevillage-communitiesonlyjustextinctintheWesternHighlandshadthelandsofthevillagere-distributedamongthembylotatfixedintervalsoftime；andIgatherfromMrSkene’svaluablenoteon’TribeCommunitiesinScotland’