Bóaire was a title given to a member of medieval and earlier Gaelic societies prior to the introductions of

English law English law is the common law list of national legal systems, legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly English criminal law, criminal law and Civil law (common law), civil law, each branch having its own Courts of England and Wales, ...

according to

Early Irish law Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...

. The term means a " Cow lord". Despite this, a Bóaire was a "free-holder", and ranked below the noble grades but above the unfree. He would own a share of land, which he inherited from members of his kin and which he could not alienate without his kin's approval. He would normally have cattle given to him by a lord in exchange for entering into a clientship relationship. Some texts give a number of different sub ranks such are the ''ócaire'', young lord, and ''mruigfher'', land man which was the highest non-noble rank. Despite lacking an actual noble title, a limited number of bóaire could have noble rank in fact either as the head of their kin group, or by performing services or acquiring wealth double that of a normal lord.

References

Early Irish law {{Ireland-hist-stub